The prevalence of somatoform disorders among internal medical inpatients

Somatoform disorders and causal attributions in patients with suspected allergies: Do somatic causal attributions matter?

“…In a review of population-based and primary care studies published since 1966, the median prevalence of somatisation disorder and hypochondriasis was found to be 0.4% and 4.2%, respectively (Creed & Barsky, 2004). In general, prevalence rates of SFDs and FSS have been found to vary depending on the diagnostic criteria (Fink et al, 2004;Henningsen et al, 2007), on the assessment instrument used, as well as on the study design (Jacobi et al, 2004).…”

“…Numerous epidemiological studies have reported SFDs to be more prevalent among female and younger patients (Barsky et al, 2001, Fink et al, 2004Jacobi et al, 2004;Nimnuan et al, 2001), among those who were not married, and those of lower social class (Fink et al, 2004;Jacobi et al, 2004). Reasons put forward to explain sex differences include: a greater willingness of women to admit health problems and to seek medical help, a higher incidence of depressive and anxiety disorders among women which in turn are associated with somatic symptoms, a higher incidence of predisposing factors such as physical and sexual abuse in women, biological differences in responses to pain, a greater bodily awareness of women as compared to men, and gender bias in research and clinical practice (Barsky et al, 2001).…”

“…Somatoform disorders have been found to be strongly associated with various other mental disorders (Cebulla, 2002;Fink et al, 2004;Garcia-Campayo et al, 2007;Noeker, 2002), in particular, with depression and anxiety disorders. At least one third of patients with SFDs (up to about 70%, depending on the study under consideration) are said to be suffering from concurrent depression and/or anxiety (Cebulla, 2002, De Waal et al, 2004Fink et al, 2004;Hanel et al, 2009;Henningsen et al, 2003;Kroenke, 2003;Löwe et al, 2008b).…”

“…At least one third of patients with SFDs (up to about 70%, depending on the study under consideration) are said to be suffering from concurrent depression and/or anxiety (Cebulla, 2002, De Waal et al, 2004Fink et al, 2004;Hanel et al, 2009;Henningsen et al, 2003;Kroenke, 2003;Löwe et al, 2008b). The degree of association has been found to be particularly high for somatisation disorder, with there being a dose-effect relationship between the number of somatic symptoms (i.e.…”

Influence of Psychological Factors on Pain and Disability in Anterior Knee Pain Patients

“…34,105 Those patients with a tendency toward somatization present themselves to the physician mainly with somatic symptoms more so than with psychosocial symptoms, hoping to get medical attention and symptomatic treatment. 76 This tendency begins during childhood and persists into adulthood.…”