Children´s and adolescents´ psychosomatic symptoms have increased and are increasingly encountered when children are treated in the pediatric department. Psychosomatic symptoms of children and adolescents are diverse and affect children’s and young people’s daily life and social life. Finding a diagnosis can be difficult, requiring cross sectoral skills and multiprofessional cooperation.

The purpose of the thesis was to find out the most common psychosomatic symptoms of children and adolescents and their identification in the hospital children´s pediatric department unit. The aim was to produce information that can be used to develop nursing care for children and young people and to promote their health and wellbeing of children and young people and to prevent other health problems. The thesis was carried out as a descriptive literature review and was commissioned by the hospital of Turku University Hospital for children´s and adolescents’ clinic.

According to the literature review, the most common psychosomatic symptoms of children and adolescents are sleep disorder problems, headache, abdominal pain and stress. The emergence of psychosomatic symptoms of children and adolescents is influenced by many factors such as school bullying, friendships, and family relationships can cause psychosomatic symptoms. Furthermore, the influence of sleep disturbances and stress may also last longer during mental disorders. Nurses experience the challenge of identifying psychosomatic symptoms of children and adolescents in pediatric departments. They need enough information to be can respond to the needs of children or adolescents with psychosomatic symptoms.