ARTICLE

Abstract The present study examined the relationship between common somatic symptoms and depression in samples of Japanese and American college students. Fifty Japanese and 44 American women completed the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and rated 56 somatic-distress items for 7 days. Japanese had higher levels of somatic distress than Americans. ANOVA of somatic distress by BDI-level revealed that the High BDI Japanese group reported 26 somatic symptoms (including stomach ache, dizziness, and shoulder pain) with significantly higher means when compared with the low BDI group. High BDI Americans had a significantly higher mean for joint pain compared to the Low BDI group. The import-ance of the body in transcultural psychiatry is explored, and implications for primary and mental health care are discussed. Key words cross-cultural comparison • emotional depression • Experience Sampling Method • Japanese culture • somatization Vol 43(2): 275–286 DOI: 10.1177/1363461506064867 www.sagepublications.co