A comparison of psychosomatic symptoms and coping strategies of 14- to 19-year-old Czech students with and without specific learning disabilities in stressful circumstances

Abstract

The study focused on comparing the prevalence and type of psychosomatic symptoms in Czech students aged 14 to 19 years (N = 459) without and with specific learning disabilities (SpLDs), as well as their tendencies towards selected coping strategies. No statistically significant differences were found in the prevalence and type of psychosomatic symptoms between students without SpLDs (n = 366) and those with SpLDs (N = 93). The most common psychosomatic symptoms reported by both groups under stress were abdominal pain (61%; N = 459), extreme fatigue (60%; N = 459), tremor (56%; N = 459) and headache (53%; N = 459), with the frequency of occurrence ranging from sometimes to very often. There were no differences observed in the use of negative and positive coping strategies during stressful situations, except for alcohol use, which was more prevalent among students without SpLDs (p = 0.024). Correlations were found between anxiety, withdrawal and crying, and the six most frequent psychosomatic symptoms. Furthermore, students with SpLDs more frequently reported attempting to eliminate the cause of the problem (80%; N = 93) and searching for different solutions (80%; N = 93). Therefore, the study's findings suggest that SpLDs do not present a higher risk for increased psychosomatic symptoms or a preference for negative coping strategies.