Cognitive Avoidance and Somatic Complaints in Adolescents: The Mediating Role of Interoceptive Awareness
Keywords:
Cognitive avoidance, interoceptive awareness, somatic complaints, adolescentsAbstract
Objective: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between cognitive avoidance and somatic complaints in adolescents, with a specific focus on the mediating role of interoceptive awareness.
Methods and Materials: The research utilized a descriptive correlational design with a sample of 400 adolescents aged 13 to 18 years, selected from high schools in Peru based on the Morgan and Krejcie sample size table. Participants completed the Cognitive Avoidance Questionnaire (CAQ), the Children’s Somatization Inventory (CSI-24), and the Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness – Youth Version (MAIA-Y). Data analysis was conducted using SPSS-27 for descriptive and Pearson correlation analyses, and AMOS-21 was employed for structural equation modeling (SEM) to evaluate the mediating effect of interoceptive awareness on the relationship between cognitive avoidance and somatic complaints.
Findings: Pearson correlation results indicated that cognitive avoidance was positively correlated with somatic complaints (r = .42, p < .001), while interoceptive awareness was negatively correlated with both cognitive avoidance (r = –.44, p < .001) and somatic complaints (r = –.39, p < .001). The structural model showed excellent fit indices (χ²/df = 1.68, CFI = .97, RMSEA = .041). SEM results confirmed that cognitive avoidance had a significant direct effect on somatic complaints (β = .32, p < .001) and a significant indirect effect through interoceptive awareness (β = –.12, p = .004), supporting the mediating role of interoception.
Conclusion: Enhancing interoceptive awareness may serve as an effective intervention target for reducing psychosomatic distress in youth who rely on maladaptive cognitive coping strategies.
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