Date of Award

5-2024

Document Type

Project

Degree Name

Master of Social Work

Department

School of Social Work

First Reader/Committee Chair

Li, Yawen

Abstract

This study set out to identify any correlation between exposure to Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and presence of somatic symptoms in adolescents for the purpose of implementing early intervention for adolescents who present with somatic symptoms. This study utilized data provided by the California Health Interview Survey (CHIS) and, using Statistical Packages for the Social Sciences (SPSS), identified correlative relationships between the presence of somatic symptoms an ACEs as well as somatic symptoms and demographic variables. While ACEs did not have a significant relationship with somatic symptoms (p = 0.07; 0.06; 0.07; 0.13), several other variables had a significant relationship with somatic symptoms, including race, insurance status, language, bodyweight, and the presence of psychological distress. These findings indicate that racial minorities disproportionately present with somatic symptoms more often than their White counterpoints, suggesting further need for investigation into resource allocation to racial minorities. Further studies would benefit from interviewing adolescents with the goal of identifying exposure to specific ACEs and the presence of somatic symptoms for a better representation of the relationship between these variables.

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Social Work Commons

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