Abstract
We studied the influence of family function on the onset of psychosomatic diseases, school adaptation, mental states in adolescence, and a life enjoyment from the child's viewpoint. The subjects included 199 psychosomatic patients (average age was 21 years old) and 431 healthy students (average age was 20 years old) . We used factor analysis and logistic regression to analyse their responses to our questionnaires. In the poor family function group, the relative risk in the onset of psychosomatic diseases was double that of good family function group. Bullying in elementary and junior high schools and school absence increased the relative risk by 2 and 3 times, respectively. During adolescence, the relative risk in withdrawal from society, fear to others' eyes, lacked selfassertion or poor human relationship in the poor family function group were approximately double those of good family function group. Inability to confide in other people or absence of a person who gives advice increased the risk to about 5 and 3 times, respectively. In the poor family function group, the children who felt unneeded by other people and did not have life's pleasures had approximately 4 times those of good family function group. These results suggest that family function are associated with the onset of psychosomatic diseases, school adaptation, human relationships, and the life's pleasures in adolescence.
