INTRODUÇÃOOs estudos sobre a histeria são considerados como ponto de partida da Psicanálise, tendo ganhado mais relevância no século XIX, quando o médico Sigmund Freud atendeu mulheres que apresentavam sintomas tais como paralisia, cegueira, dor de cabeça, paresia de músculos, rigidez, perturbações na visão entre outros.A partir destes estudos, Freud concluiu que a histeria está ligada a conflitos relacionados à intimidade da vida psicossocial dos pacientes e que seus sintomas são a expressão dos mais secretos desejos recalcados. Esses desejos encontram-se no plano do inconsciente. Revelando -se sobre forma de sintomas que causam o adoecimento do corpo (Freud, 1996).A histeria, classificada atualmente por transtorno somatoforme, tem como principais características a AbstractUnexplained somatic medical symptoms or hysterical symptoms are common and frequently associated with mental distress in various contexts, representing, in general, a quarter to half of visits in primary and secondary care. They are currently classified in psychiatry as somatoform disorders (SD). Previous studies suggest that the Latin American populations are susceptible to somatization. However, there are few national and local studies on these disorders. Thus, this study aimed at verifying the occurrence of SD women attended in one psychiatric hospital in São Luís Maranhão. It was conducted a cross-sectional study of documentary basis of data collected from the medical records of patients treated during the period August 2012 to January 2013. It was estimated the prevalence of SD based on a total of 1,220 calls, which resulted in 62 cases of symptoms compatible with SD (5.08%), of which only 5 received conclusive diagnosis of SD (8.06%). The SD diagnosed by ICD 10 were: four cases of dissociative conversive disorder and a somatoform autonomic. Disorders occurred more frequently among brown women with a mean age of 34.3 years. The most common signs and symptoms were insomnia, headache and loss of appetite. The results indicate the need for more detailed investigations with patients and aid of other professionals in the composition of a multidisciplinary team in research and clinical diagnosis closure. Taking into account the reformulations by which the International Classification of Diseases version 10 for modifications in its 11th edition, the SD studies will contribute significantly to the process of revising the diagnostic systems for mental and behavioral disorders.

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