This study is intended to identify factors affecting Korean teenagers' somatization symptoms and find out the effects the factors have by examining, targeting on teenagers, the influence of self defense mechanism and schoolwork stress by gender on som...
This study is intended to identify factors affecting Korean teenagers' somatization symptoms and find out the effects the factors have by examining, targeting on teenagers, the influence of self defense mechanism and schoolwork stress by gender on somatization symptoms.
This study was conducted on 492 male and female students in the first and second grade who go to 3 senior high schools located in Seoul and Gyeonggi area.
As a study tool, to measure defense mechanism, a scale used by Jang Suk-hui by her supplementing and revising Park Gyeong-hwa(1991)'s Ewha defense mechanism inspection was used, and to measure schoolwork stress, the factor scale developed by O Mi-hyang and Cheon Seong-min(1993) and revised and supplemented by Kim Hye-ja(2006) was used. To find out somatization symptoms, the scale used by Ham Ja-young by selecting only somatization questions among simple spirit diagnosis inspection(SCL-90-R) manufactured by Kim Gwang-il, Kim Jae-hwan, Won Ho-taek(1984) was used. .
The collected materials was analyzed by using SAS statistic program.
The results of this study can be summarized as follows.
First, there was a difference in self defense mechanism and schoolwork stress according to teenagers' gender, and no difference in somatization symptoms.
Second, in teenagers' somatization symptoms, in case of male teenagers, the total subordinate factor of self defense mechanism showed static correlation with school record, test, learning and class stress of schoolwork stress, and in case of female students, a self intoxication, an immature and a nervous stage which are subordinate factors of self defense mechanism, showed static correlation with school record, test, learning, class, course stress of schoolwork stress.
Third, as to the influence of teenagers' self defense mechanism on somatization symptoms, it was found that, in case of both male and female teenagers, an immature stage and a nervous stage affect somatization symptoms.
Fourth, as to the influence of teenagers' schoolwork stress on somatization symptoms, in case of male teenagers, it was found that the higher school record stress and class stress among subordinate factors of schoolwork stress, the higher somatization symptoms, and in case of female teenagers, it was found that it affects somatization symptoms in the order of class and test stress among subordinate factors of schoolwork stress.
Fifth, regarding the relative influence of self defense mechanism and schoolwork stress on teenagers' somatization symptoms, in case of male teenagers, as an element significantly explaining somatization symptoms, the explanative power of 'immature stage', a subordinate factor of self defense mechanism, was largest, followed by school record, nervous and course stress. Also, in case of female teenagers, as an element significantly explaining somatization symptoms, like male teenagers, the explanative power of 'immature stage', a subordinate factor of self defense mechanism, was largest, followed by class stress.
Through this study, the necessity for study on the factors affecting teenagers' somatization symptoms, which is yet to be studied more, was recognized and relation between self defense mechanism and schoolwork stress and somatization symptoms was examined. This study is considered to be signifiant as an exploratory research on the factors affecting somatization mechanism.