Not-distracting in body sensations: interoceptive focus and somatic symptom in adolescent bipolar disorder patients

Background Bipolar disorder (BD) with somatic symptoms is prevalent in adolescent patients. Interoception has an important impact on physical and emotional regulation. However, it is unclear the characteristics of interoception and its relationship to somatization and emotional symptoms in adolescents with BD. Methods This study recruited 71 adolescent BD subjects during rehabilitation and 111 age-matched controls. Demographic characteristics, interoception, somatization, depression, and anxiety symptoms were assessed. Mann-Whitney U tests, partial correlation analysis, and multiple linear regression were used to explore the alteration of interoception in BD patients and its association with clinical symptoms. Results After adjusting for differential demographic variables, adolescent BD patients scored lower on several dimensions of interoception and higher on somatization and emotional symptoms than controls. Moreover, there were significant differences on the interoceptive dimensions of not-distracting, not-worrying, and trusting between BD patient groups with and without somatization. Correlational analysis revealed that the interoceptive indicators of BD patients were significantly correlated with emotional and somatic symptoms. The dimension of not-distracting was the only interoceptive predictor of somatization symptoms and emotional problems in adolescents with BD, maintaining its predictive stability even after controlling for emotional symptoms. This indicates that the capacity for focused attention is a key interoceptive element affecting the expression of somatic and emotional issues in BD adolescent patients. Conclusion Adolescents with BD exhibit deficits in interoception, somatization and emotional issues. The not-distracting aspect of interoception significantly correlates with emotional and somatic symptoms in adolescents with BD, offering insights and targeted strategies for managing psychosomatic symptoms in this demographic.