Abstract
Objective: To explore the frequency of Joint Hypermobility Syndrome (JHS) among university students and assess whether a relationship exists between this collagen condition and certain psychological variables. Method: A cross-sectional sample of 365 undergraduates at a French university was assessed with the Brighton's criteria for JHS, Somatosensory Amplification Scale (SSAS), Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS), and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Results: 39.5% of the participants met Brighton's criteria for JHS. Scores of somatosensory amplification were higher among participants with JHS (t = -2.98; p = 0.03) independent of gender. Female participants with JHS had higher scores in depression (t = -2.01; p = 0.04) and general anxiety (t = -2.35; p = 0.01) than women without JHS. The percentage of males with a medium/high level of social anxiety was greater among participants with JHS (78.6% vs. 41.7%; χ2 = 6.18; p = 0.01). Logistic regression demonstrated that male sex and low level of somatosensory amplification are variables contrary to the presence of JHS. Conclusion: JHS is a frequent condition among young people evaluated. JHS is associated with psychological distress and higher levels of somatosensory amplification. © 2011, Baywood Publishing Co., Inc.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 187-201 |
Journal | International Journal of Psychiatry in Medicine |
Volume | 41 |
Issue number | 2 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 1 Jan 2011 |
Keywords
- anxiety
- depression
- joint hypermobility
- somatosensory amplification