Adolescents with somatic symptom disorder experienced less anxiety and depression than healthy peers during the first COVID-19 lockdown.

Adolescents with mental health disorders are a high-risk population and problems during COVID-19 lockdowns have included increasing, widespread anxiety, fear, anger and uncertainty. Somatic symptom disorder (SSD) is characterised by disproportionate thoughts, feelings and behaviours about physical symptoms associated with the distress and disruption of everyday functioning. SSD accounts for 15-25% of adolescent mental health cases in primary care paediatric settings,3 and 8.6% of non-traumatic adolescent pain in emergency departments.4.