Somatic response to stress, physical symptoms and health service use

Abstract

Individual response patterns during stress have become a topic of increasing interest. Two studies were conducted to test the hypotheses that individuals with a somatic response pattern would: (1) experience a higher frequency of physical symptoms; (2) experience greater sleep disturbance; and (3) utilize an available health service facility more frequently. In Study 1 somatic/cognitive responding, physical symptoms and sleep disturbance were measured at the end of the Ss' senior year in college. Health service use was ascertained by examining health service records for the Ss' 4 yrs in college. In Study 2 somatic/cognitive responding, an expanded set of physical symptoms and depression were measured at the beginning of Ss' freshman year. Health service use was ascertained by examining health service records at the end of the freshman year. The findings support the hypotheses that somatic responding to stress is associated with a greater frequency of physical symptoms, sleep disturbance and health service use. These findings cannot be attributed to general anxiety or depression. Controlling for depression, however, greatly attenuated the difference between high and low somatic responders in health service use.