Overthinking as a Predictor of Somatic Symptoms, Psychological Distress, and Social Dysfunction in Adults.

Abstract

Overthinking is frequently associated with negative health outcomes. This study examines its predictive role in somatic symptoms, psychological distress, and social dysfunction in adults, using the GHQ-28 scale. A quantitative design was employed with a sample of 250 participants aged 21–40. Statistical analyses, including Pearson correlation, t-tests, and linear regression, exposed that overthinking is positively and significantly correlated with all three health areas. The strongest association was found with psychological distress (r = 0.52), followed by social dysfunction (r = 0.45) and somatic symptoms (r = 0.41). Regression analyses inveterate overthinking as a significant predictor for all outcome, with psychological distress again showing the highest beta value (β = 0.48). No significant gender differences were detected in the effect of overthinking across these variables. These findings highlight the necessity for interventions to mitigate overthinking and address public mental health. The study highpoints the impact of overthinking on mental and physical health and its probable to interrupt social functioning, supporting the significance of addressing rumination in clinical and preventive surroundings.