FUZZY SYMPTOMS IN ADOLESCENTS

Adolescence is often held to be the age of ''good health''. In recent studies, however, two thirds of adolescents reported commonly experien cing symptoms in the functional or ''fuzzy'' category, namely fatigue, sleep disorders, headache, abdominal pain, or back pain. The frequenc y of fuzzy symptoms and the extent to which they were related to the r eason for seeking medical help were evaluated in 457 patients attendin g a teaching hospital adolescent clinic. Each patient completed a self -administered questionnaire including items on somatic symptoms. Three or more fuzzy symptoms were reported by as many as 52% patients, and only 16% reported no fuzzy symptoms. Fuzzy symptoms were significantly more numerous among girls than among boys (3.7 versus 2.9 per patient ). Fatigue was the most common fuzzy symptom (65%), followed by diffic ulty falling asleep (53%), nocturnal arousals (43%), headache (41%), a bdominal pain (37%), and malaise (36%). The frequency of fuzzy symptom s was not influenced by age but was closely linked to the main diagnos is: fuzzy symptoms were significantly more common in patients with dia gnoses related to psychosocial difficulties. These data suggest that f uzzy symptoms may serve as coded signals that denote a diffuse state o f ill-being.