TY - JOUR
T1 - Characteristics of oligosymptomatic versus polysymptomatic presentations of somatoform disorders in patients with suspected allergies
AU - Hausteiner, Constanze
AU - Huber, Dorothea
AU - Bornschein, Susanne
AU - Grosber, Martine
AU - Bubel, Esther
AU - Groben, Sylvie
AU - Lahmann, Claas
AU - Löwe, Bernd
AU - Eyer, Florian
AU - Eberlein, Bernadette
AU - Ring, Johannes
AU - Behrendt, Heidrun
AU - Darsow, Ulf
AU - Henningsen, Peter
N1 - Funding Information:
The authors thank Tibor Schuster (Institute for Medical Statistics and Epidemiology, TUM), for his support, and the entire staff of the Department of Dermatology and Allergy (TUM), for the excellent cooperation. The study has been funded by a grant from the Committee for Clinical Research (KKF) of the Medical Faculty, TUM. None of the authors has any potential conflicts of interest.
PY - 2010/9
Y1 - 2010/9
N2 - Objective: Psychobehavioral characteristics of patients with somatoform disorders (SFDs), are increasingly discussed as possible positive criteria for this diagnostic group. However, little is known about psychobehavioral differences, or similarities, between the different SFD presentations, i.e., polysymptomatic [multisomatoform/somatization disorders (MSD)] versus mono- or oligosymptomatic courses [pain disorder (PD), undifferentiated somatoform disorder (USD)]. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study including 268 consecutive allergology inpatients. After an Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV, patients completed several self-rating questionnaires. Results were compared within the different SFD presentations as well as between patients with versus without SFDs. Results: We identified 72 patients with an SFD. There were fewer and smaller psychobehavioral differences within patients with the different SFD presentations (MSD, USDs, PDs) than between patients with undifferentiated versus no SFD. Patients with one of the three different SFD subdiagnoses scored similarly on many measures referring to psychosocial distress (e.g., psychological distress, mental health-related quality of life, dissatisfaction with care). The number of reported symptoms, somatic symptom severity, a self-concept of bodily weakness, the degree of disease conviction, and physical health-related quality of life discriminated the different SFD presentations not only from patients without SFDs but also from each other. Conclusions: Patients diagnosed with one of the different SFD subtypes share many psychobehavioral characteristics, mostly regarding the reporting of psychosocial distress. Perceived somatic symptom severity and physical impairment as indicators of bodily distress could either further define categorical subdivisions of SFD or dimensionally graduate one general SFD category defined by bothering bodily symptoms and disproportionate psychosocial distress.
AB - Objective: Psychobehavioral characteristics of patients with somatoform disorders (SFDs), are increasingly discussed as possible positive criteria for this diagnostic group. However, little is known about psychobehavioral differences, or similarities, between the different SFD presentations, i.e., polysymptomatic [multisomatoform/somatization disorders (MSD)] versus mono- or oligosymptomatic courses [pain disorder (PD), undifferentiated somatoform disorder (USD)]. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study including 268 consecutive allergology inpatients. After an Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV, patients completed several self-rating questionnaires. Results were compared within the different SFD presentations as well as between patients with versus without SFDs. Results: We identified 72 patients with an SFD. There were fewer and smaller psychobehavioral differences within patients with the different SFD presentations (MSD, USDs, PDs) than between patients with undifferentiated versus no SFD. Patients with one of the three different SFD subdiagnoses scored similarly on many measures referring to psychosocial distress (e.g., psychological distress, mental health-related quality of life, dissatisfaction with care). The number of reported symptoms, somatic symptom severity, a self-concept of bodily weakness, the degree of disease conviction, and physical health-related quality of life discriminated the different SFD presentations not only from patients without SFDs but also from each other. Conclusions: Patients diagnosed with one of the different SFD subtypes share many psychobehavioral characteristics, mostly regarding the reporting of psychosocial distress. Perceived somatic symptom severity and physical impairment as indicators of bodily distress could either further define categorical subdivisions of SFD or dimensionally graduate one general SFD category defined by bothering bodily symptoms and disproportionate psychosocial distress.
KW - Classification
KW - Dimensional assessment
KW - Distress
KW - Positive criteria
KW - Psychobehavioral characteristics
KW - Somatoform disorders
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=77955658246&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.jpsychores.2010.03.006
DO - 10.1016/j.jpsychores.2010.03.006
M3 - Article
C2 - 20708448
AN - SCOPUS:77955658246
SN - 0022-3999
VL - 69
SP - 259
EP - 266
JO - Journal of psychosomatic research
JF - Journal of psychosomatic research
IS - 3
ER -