Positive affect and functional somatic symptoms in young adults, 2019, Acevedo-Mesa et al

Andy · Nov 11, 2019

Psychs in shock "people feel more positive when they are less ill" discovery...

Highlights
• Positive Affect was related to current levels of Functional somatic Symptoms.
• Positive Affect did not predict changes in Functional somatic Symptoms over time.
• Sex did not interact with Positive Affect to predict Functional Somatic Symptoms.
• Positive and Negative Affect did not interact to predict Functional Somatic Symptoms.
• Positive Affect was more related to general physical symptoms than gastrointestinal.
Abstract
Background
Functional Somatic Symptoms (FSS) are symptoms for which an underlying pathology cannot be found. High negative affect (NA) has been linked to the etiology of FSS, but little is known about the role of Positive Affect (PA).

Objective
The aim of this study was to test if PA is related to current and future lower levels of FSS. We also examined the interactions between PA and NA, and PA and sex on FSS.

Method
Data from the Dutch Tracking Adolescents' Individual Lives Survey (TRAILS) cohort were used (N = 1247 cases, 60% females, mean age T5 = 22.2, T6 = 25.6). PA was measured with the PANAS schedule and FSS with the Adult Self Report questionnaire (ASR). A Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was performed on the physical complaints subscale of the ASR. Regression analyses with bootstrapping were performed to assess the associations and interactions.

Results
PA had a significant negative association with current FSS when adjusted for NA, age, sex and socioeconomic status (B = −0.004; BCa 95% CI = [−0.006; −0.002]), but the association was not significant longitudinally. No interactions were found. In secondary analysis, PA was significantly related to the component “General Physical Symptoms” (B = −0.019; BCa 95% CI = [−0.0028; −0.011]) but not to the component “Gastrointestinal Symptoms” (B = −0.008; BCa 95% CI = [−0.016;0.001]) in the cross-sectional analysis.

Conclusion
In conclusion, high PA was significantly related to current lower levels of FSS, but the effect was small. Further research on individual variations in affect is needed to obtain more insight in their contribution to FSS.
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Open access, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022399919306142

Trish · Nov 11, 2019

Sex did not interact with Positive Affect to predict Functional Somatic Symptoms.
Click to expand...

So easy to misread that, as I did. They really should use the term 'gender'.

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Positive affect and functional somatic symptoms in young adults, 2019, Acevedo-Mesa et al

Andy Committee Member

Trish Moderator Staff Member

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Positive affect and functional somatic symptoms in young adults, 2019, Acevedo-Mesa et al

Andy Committee Member

Trish Moderator Staff Member

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