A sample of 138 incarcerated girls was administered the Somatic Symptom Checklist, the Illness Attitudes Scales, and the Reynolds Adolescent Depression Scale to assess lifetime prevalence of physical symptoms, attitudes toward health, treatment-seeking experience, and emotional distress. The sample of incarcerated girls was compared with a normative sample. Information on length of incarceration, race, and school achievement was obtained from institutional records. Median lifetime prevalence of 12 symptoms for the incarcerated sample differed significantly from the median of six symptoms reported by a normative sample. The symptoms most commonly expressed by the detainees were dizziness, heart pounding chest pains, and nausea. In both their attitudes toward illness and their actual physical complaints, these subjects were more concerned about illness and perceived themselves to be more physically impaired than the normative sample. Self-reported symptoms of depression and illness were positively correlated. Physical complaints were independent of age, race, length of incarceration, or achievement scores. Among the incarcerated girls, the frequency and variety of somatic complaints as well as their relationship to emotional distress highlight the need for integration of physical and mental health services within juvenile facilities. 1 figure, 2 tables, and 29 references