Abstract
To investigate differences between children's self-recognition and their parents' recognition of the child's physical and mental symptoms and life events, we conducted a survey of primary school and junior high school students and their parents. Objectively evaluative and realistic physical and mental symptoms could be easily detected by the parents and there were few differences in recognition between children and their parents. However, regarding subjective symptoms that were difficult to detect by others including parents, there was a great difference in recognition between children and their parents. As these symptoms included those closely related with psychosomatic disorder such as orthostatic dysergulation and initial symptoms of school refusal, such symptoms would provide important information to prevent or diagnose infantile psychosomatic disorder early. Life events that showed a significant difference in recognition between children and their parents were mostly trifling events that caused less concern among others. They tended to be less noticeable by parents. Thus, children may get less social support when they are confronted with such life events. These life events should be regarded as risk factors for psychosomatic disorder.
