The emergence during adolescence of gender differences in symptom reporting

Abstract

This study investigates the psychological processes underlying established gender differences in physical and psychological symptom reporting. Adolescents ( n = 548) from three age groups (13,14,15-years-old) were asked to complete measures of physical and psychological symptoms. They also completed a series of self-descriptions to assess feelings of competence, withdrawal, rejection, family support and social responsibility and a short self-esteem scale. Preliminary analyses confirmed previous findings, based on adult samples, of gender differences in the reported incidence of symptomatology, with girls reporting more symptoms than boys. However, gender differences were reduced substantially when self-reports of self-esteem, competence, withdrawal, rejection, family support and social responsibility were taken into account. Boys who reported more physical and psychological symptoms rated themselves to be less competent. However, there were no other differences between boys and girls. The analyses showed that symptom reports were mediated by adolescents' views about themselves, rather than directly associated with age or gender.