A prospective epidemiological study of psychosomatic and psychiatric syndromes in young adults.

A prospective epidemiological field study of psychosomatic syndromes among 600 young adults in Zurich, Switzerland, is presented. During a period of 3 years, the respondents completed two questionnaires and were once personally interviewed about their psychosomatic and psychological syndromes in the 12 months prior to the inquiring dates. This communication concentrates on the results of the first questionnaire and the personal interview. The anamnestic data as well as the information about the frequency and duration of a number of psychosomatic syndromes serve to formulate a prognosis about the future course of these syndromes. This prognosis will then be compared with the results of the second follow-up consisting of the second questionnaire.