Young women’s somatic symptoms are more strongly predicted by psychosocial rather than physiological factors: Longitudinal findings in a large population-representative sample

Somatic symptoms – chronic physical complaints, such as headaches and joint pain – present a challenge for the healthcare system, partly because patients often resist psychological explanations and treatments. To inform conversations with patients around which factors (psychological or physiological) might represent a first-pass target for treatment, we used data from two waves of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health to longitudinally explore a comprehensive set of largely modifiable psychosocial and physiological predictors of somatic symptoms. Our sample was broadly representative and consisted of 8,261 women aged 22 to 27. In a linear regression with multiple imputation, eight physiological predictors and seven psychosocial predictors were explored. Psychosocial predictors accounted for more variance than physiological predictors: 29.7% vs. 11.5%, but the five strongest predictors (psychological distress, having at least one physiological condition, stress, being overweight, and having a sexual condition) included three physiological factors. The results highlight the benefits of multi-disciplinary treatment approaches that address physiological as well as psychological risk factors.