The subject of the research is the characteristics of psychosomatic responses in adolescents within the context of the relationship between coping strategies, levels of psychological distress, and the severity of somatic symptoms. The analysis focuses on the nature of the functioning of stress coping mechanisms and their role in shaping various profiles of psychosomatic manifestations. Individual differences in the use of adaptive and maladaptive coping strategies are examined, as well as their association with indicators of psychopathological symptomatology. Special attention is given to identifying empirically grounded types of psychosomatic responses that reflect the variability of psychological adaptation in adolescence. The subject of the research also includes an analysis of the structural relationships between cognitive-affective mechanisms of stress processing and somatic manifestations arising under emotional tension. A correlational research design was applied. Psychodiagnostic methods (SCL-90-R, ACOPE, CSSI, Gissen questionnaire) and statistical analysis methods (K-means cluster analysis, Mann–Whitney U-test) were used to identify relationships between coping strategies, psychopathological symptomatology, and somatic manifestations. The scientific novelty of the research lies in the comprehensive analysis of the relationships between coping strategies, psychopathological symptomatology, and somatic complaints in adolescents using multivariate statistical methods. Unlike most studies that examine these phenomena in isolation, this work employs an integrative approach, allowing for the empirical identification of types of psychosomatic responses based on a combination of indicators. It is shown for the first time that maladaptive coping strategies are systematically linked not only to increased levels of psychological distress but also to the severity of somatic symptoms, forming specific profiles of psychosomatic functioning. According to the results of cluster analysis, three groups were identified, differing in levels of psychological adaptation: a conditionally well-adjusted group, a group with pronounced psychological maladjustment, and an intermediate group. The obtained data confirm the significant role of coping behavior in the mechanisms of somatization and can be used in the development of preventive and corrective programs within the framework of cognitive-behavioral approaches.
Smyslova et al. (Sun,) studied this question.