Adolescents (especially frequently ill) from families where parents show high concern for their health, often themselves make complaints about their health status that do not receive medical confirmation (Kovalenko, 1998; Dielman et al., 1991). A study by T. Dillman and colleagues (1991) revealed a direct link between the perception of the disease in parents and children – the more seriously the parent perceives the child’s condition, the more seriously the child treats it, and the more complaints he has.

To study the influence of family on health anxiety in frequently ill adolescents.

The sample: 98 adolescents (mean age 16.1±0.9), 84 their parents (mean age 44.5±5.0). We used: “Short Health Anxiety Inventory” (SHAI; Salkovskis et al., 2002), The “Research on health-saving activities” (RHSA) questionnaire (Yakovleva, 2014), Questionnaire “Index of attitude toward health” (Deryabo, Yasvin, 1999).

The results of multiple regression analysis showed that health anxiety in adolescents is determined by the following parent’s features: goal-setting in the field of health-preserving activity (-0.661, p=0.036), standards of health (0.518, p=0.028), self-efficacy in the field of health-preserving activity (0.892, p=0.010), cognitive scale of attitude toward health (0.586, p=0.032) and scale of actions (0.059, p=0.002). It is also determined by parents’ vigilance to bodily sensations (0.815, p=0.000).

Health anxiety in adolescents is influenced by both cognitive, motivational and behavioral components of the attitude toward health of their parents, and also sensory (negative physical sensations and symptoms in parents form anxiety about health of their children). Research is supported by the Russian Science Foundation, project No. 21-18-00624.

Research is supported by the Russian Science Foundation, project No. 21-18-00624.

It is known that frequently ill adolescents are significantly more likely to have a disharmonious subjective pattern of health and associated maladaptive behavior in the field of health.

To study dynamics of subjective pattern of health in frequently ill adolescents.

The sample: 57 frequently ill adolescents (mean age 10.6±0.1) in 2014-2015, 2017 and 2019. We used: The method of unfinished sentences about health (Yakovleva, 2014), “Index of attitude toward health” (Deryabo, Yasvin, 1999).

The index of emotionality has decreased (98.93 vs 84.87, p=0.015), while the cognitive indicator of the attitude toward health remains unchanged. The rate of positive self-assessment of health reduces and the rate of negative self-assessment of health increases. Frequently ill teenagers in older age are more likely to give an objective definition of the disease and less likely to emotionally assess it. At a young age they often pointed out active lifestyle as the main reason for health, with age the psychological characteristics of a person (strength of will, cheerfulness, etc.) this reason becomes. The rate of health recognition as the absolute value of man decreases (in the second cut answers, this category accounted for only 24.4%), but at a later age teenager show “adult” category of “quality of life” (noted by 7.4% of older teenagers).

The study of the dynamics of the subjective pattern of health in frequently ill adolescents has high practical significance due to the possibility of preventive and correctional work with these adolescents. Research is supported by the Russian Science Foundation, project No. 21-18-00624.

Research is supported by the Russian Science Foundation, project No. 21-18-00624.

It is known that a high level of health anxiety is traditionally recognized as obligatory for hypochondria, which is characterized by a clear and pronounced belief of the subject in the presence of a disease or the danger of its development (A psychiatric glossary, 1975). Such patients are usually characterized by high concern about their health, but this anxiety can be represented by varying degrees of severity. At the same time, it is important to talk not only about pathological anxiety (hypochondria), but also about conditions associated with normal human anxiety about their health, also in children and adolescents.

To study health anxiety in younger adolescents.

The sample: 101 respondents (44 rarely ill younger adolescents (mean age 10.6±0.1), 57 frequently ill younger adolescents (mean age 10.5±0.43)). We used: “Short Health Anxiety Inventory” (SHAI; Salkovskis et al., 2002), Questionnaire “Index of attitude toward health” (Deryabo, Yasvin, 1999), CPQ (Porter, Cattell, 1985).

The results of multiple regression analysis for a sample of younger adolescents showed that the scale of actions to preserve and promote health and factor I (sensitivity) make up the level of severity of the general scale of health anxiety in rarely ill younger teenagers (-0.476, p=0.045; 0.628, p=0.039). Health anxiety is determined by factor O (anxiety) in frequently ill younger teenagers (0.316, p=0.029).

Health anxiety can be viewed as a non-pathological construct associated with personality traits and behavior and has structural differences depending on the diseases’ frequency. Research is supported by the Russian Science Foundation, project No. 21-18-00624.

Research is supported by the Russian Science Foundation, project No. 21-18-00624.