Understanding Functional Somatic Symptoms in Children and Adolescents: The Roles of Mindfulness, Perceived Stress, and Anxiety
Doğa Sevinçok, Hasan Can Özbay, Mutlu Muhammed Özbek
Psychiatry and Clinical Psychopharmacology August 12, 2026 DOI: 10.65801/pcp.3539 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Cross-sectional observational study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 55 |
| Population | Children and adolescents aged 10-18 diagnosed with anxiety disorders, recruited from a child psychiatry outpatient clinic |
| Measures | Mindful Attention Awareness Scale, Perceived Stress Scale, Screen for Child Anxiety and Related Disorders, Level 2 Somatic Symptoms Scale |
| Topics | Anxiety Meditation |
| Key findings | Higher mindfulness was associated with lower somatic symptom severity, both directly and indirectly through anxiety and sequentially through perceived stress and anxiety. Anxiety alone significantly mediated the relationship, while perceived stress did not act as an independent mediator. The authors suggest that working with mindfulness and anxiety may be beneficial for youth presenting with somatic symptoms. |
Abstract
Background: Functional somatic symptoms are common in children and adolescents and are often associated with anxiety and perceived stress. Mindfulness may be protective, but the mechanisms linking mindfulness to somatic symptom severity remain unclear. This study aimed to examine relationships between mindfulness, perceived stress, anxiety, and somatic symptom severity using a serial mediation model.Methods: This study included 55 children and adolescents, aged 10-18, diagnosed with anxiety disorders. Participants were recruited from a child psychiatry outpatient clinic. After semi-structured interview, self-report measures were administered, including Mindful Attention Awareness Scale, Perceived Stress Scale, Screen for Child Anxiety and Related Disorders, and Level 2 Somatic Symptoms Scale. Correlation, regression, and serial mediation analyses were conducted, controlling for age and sex.Results: Somatic symptom severity was negatively correlated with mindfulness and positively correlated with perceived stress and anxiety. Regression analysis indicated that higher anxiety and lower mindfulness were associated with somatic symptom severity, while perceived stress was not. Mediation analysis revealed a significant total indirect effect of mindfulness on somatic symptoms. Anxiety alone significantly mediated this relationship, whereas perceived stress did not act as an independent mediator. A significant serial mediation was identified: higher mindfulness was associated with lower perceived stress and lower anxiety, which were in turn associated with lower somatic symptom severity.Conclusion: Findings suggest that mindfulness is associated with lower somatic symptom severity both directly and indirectly, primarily through anxiety and sequentially through perceived stress and anxiety. Working with mindfulness and anxiety may be beneficial for youth presenting with somatic symptoms.