Alexithymia and Attachment Style in Patients With Somatic Symptoms

To evaluate whether emotional awareness, attachment style and the ability to abstract and symbolize (IQ) influence the appearance of somatic symptoms. Hypothesis: the investigators expect the presence of somatic symptoms linked to the lower ability of emotional awareness, to lower ability to abstract and symbolize and to an insecure attachment style.

Inclusion Criteria:Clinical condition characterized by somatic symptoms such as recurrent abdominal pain, recurrent vomiting, dyspepsia, psychogenic cough, and chronic functional pain (headache, migraine, musculoskeletal pain) for which an organic cause has been excluded and whose symptom has had a strong impact on the quality of life (presence of the symptom for six months, school absenteeism, social isolation, immobility, psychological distress, difficulty in participating in sports and extracurricular activities, etc.), as per Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) criteria.Age between 11 and 17 yearsItalian speakingPatients' and parents' consentExclusion Criteria:Cognitive and/or developmental impairmentDifficulty in understanding the Italian languagePresence of organic disease diagnosisLack of informed consentPatient who does not meet DSM-5 criteria for somatic symptom disorderCaregiver exclusion criteria:Cognitive deficitsDifficulty in understanding the Italian languageLack of informed consentControl group population inclusion criteria:Age between 11 and 17 yearsAdequate knowledge of the Italian languageConsent to participate