The Role of Psychological and Social Factors in the Onset of Somatic Illness in Children

In an exploratory study, the recent life experiences of 42 ill children and 45 children who were well were compared to determine the role of psychological and social factors in the onset of “somatic” disease. The families with ill children were more disorganized and, during the 6-month period under study, exposed these children to a greater number of changes in the psychological and social aspects of their lives. These changes were inherently more threatening and tended to have greater disruptive impact than those experienced by the comparison group. These findings supported a multifactorial concept of disease, as that concept implicates psychological and social as well as biological factors. Our data are consistent with the hypothesis that changes in the psychosocial setting interacting with the psychological and social organization of the child and his family are relevant to the onset of somatic illness in children. To comprehend more fully the findings and their implications, a theoretical model was developed.