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Trauma Spectrum Adaptation

Somatic Symptoms in Long-Term Pediatric Cancer Survivors

Received June 17, 1999; revised October 22, 1999; accepted January 21, 2000. From the Department of Psychology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque; and the Department of Psychiatry, Stanford University School of Medicine, Division of Child Psychiatry and Child Development, Stanford, California. Address reprint requests to Dr. Erickson, Logan Hall, Department of Psychology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131–1161; email:erickson{at}unm.edu

The authors assessed somatic symptoms and the degree of association among somatic symptoms, global adjustment, trauma symptoms, and personality characteristics in long-term pediatric cancer survivors. Forty cancer survivors completed self-report questionnaires and clinical interviews. Participants' level of somatic symptoms fell between nonclinic and psychiatric populations. Somatic symptom scores correlated with general adjustment in the negative direction and with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) scores in the positive direction. The majority of participants met at least partial current PTSD criteria. Because these survivors demonstrate a repressive adaptive style but endorse somatic symptoms, the latter may represent a method for detecting trauma-related distress in this population.

Key Words: Pediatric Cancer Survivors • Somatization • Trauma

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				R. B. Noll and M. J. Kupst Commentary: The Psychological Impact of Pediatric Cancer Hardiness, the Exception or the Rule? J. Pediatr. Psychol., October 1, 2007; 32(9): 1089 - 1098. [Full Text] [PDF]

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