Somatoform disorder

Somatoform disorder

Somatoform disorder (also known as Briquet's syndrome) is characterized by physical symptoms that mimic disease or injury for which there is no identifiable physical cause [Somatoform Disorders [http://www.wrongdiagnosis.com/s/somatoform_disorders/intro.htm] ] or physical symptoms such as pain, nausea, depression, and dizziness. Somatoform disorders are physical symptoms which present as part of a general medical condition. However, no general medical condition, other mental disorder, or substance is adequately diagnosed. The complaints are serious enough to cause significant emotional distress and impairment of social and/or occupational functioning. An inadequate diagnosis might be the result of inconclusive or faulty test results or in some cases intentional malpractice in which a caregiver deliberately mishandles a patient's health care to derive some benefits.

A diagnosis of a somatoform disorder implies that psychological factors are a large contributor to the symptoms' onset, severity and duration. It is important to note that somatoform disorders are not the result of conscious malingering or factitious disorders.

Recognized somatoform disorders

The somatoform disorders recognized by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders of the American Psychiatric Association are:
*Conversion disorder
*Somatization disorder
*Hypochondriasis
*Body dysmorphic disorder
*Pain disorder
*Undifferentiated somatoform disorder - only one unexplained symptom is required for at least 6 months.Included among these disorders are false pregnancy, psychogenic urinary retention, and mass psychogenic illness (so-called mass hysteria

*Somatoform disorder NOS

Proposed somatoform disorders

Additional proposed somatoform disorders are:
* Abridged somatization disordercite journal |author=Escobar JI, Rubio-Stipec M, Canino G, Karno M |title=Somatic symptom index (SSI): a new and abridged somatization construct. Prevalence and epidemiological correlates in two large community samples |journal=J. Nerv. Ment. Dis. |volume=177 |issue=3 |pages=140–6 |year=1989 |pmid=2918297 |doi=] - at least 4 unexplained somatic complaints in men and 6 in women
* Multisomatoform disordercite journal |author=Kroenke K, Spitzer RL, deGruy FV, "et al" |title=Multisomatoform disorder. An alternative to undifferentiated somatoform disorder for the somatizing patient in primary care |journal=Arch. Gen. Psychiatry |volume=54 |issue=4 |pages=352–8 |year=1997 |pmid=9107152 |doi=] - at least 3 unexplained somatic complaints from the PRIME-MD scale for at least 2 years of active symptoms

These disorders have been proposed because the recognized somatoform disorders are either too restrictive or too broad. In a study of 119 primary care patients, the following prevalences were foundcite journal |author=Lynch DJ, McGrady A, Nagel R, Zsembik C |title=Somatization in Family Practice: Comparing 5 Methods of Classification |journal= |volume=1 |issue=3 |pages=85–89 |year=1999 |pmid=15014690 |doi=] :
* Somatization disorder - 1%
* Abridged somatization disorder - 6%
* Multisomatoform disorder - 24%
* Undifferentiated somatoform disorder - 79%

ee also

* Medically unexplained physical symptoms
* Munchausen syndrome by proxy

References

reflist

External links

* [http://www.familydoctor.org/162.xml What it is and how to cope at familydoctor.org]
* [http://www.psychological.com/somatofom_disorders.htm Psychological.com article on Somatoform Disorders]


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  • somatoform disorder — so·ma·to·form disorder sō mət ə .fȯrm , sə mat ə n any of a group of psychological disorders (as body dysmorphic disorder or hypochondriasis) marked by physical complaints for which no organic or physiological explanation is found and for which… …   Medical dictionary

  • somatoform disorder — noun A psychiatric disorder in which physical symptoms are experienced, but for which no apparent physical cause can be found …   Wiktionary

  • undifferentiated somatoform disorder — [DSM IV] one or more physical complaints, not intentionally produced or feigned and persisting for at least six months, that cannot be fully explained by a general medical condition or the direct effects of a substance; the category comprises… …   Medical dictionary

  • somatoform disorders — a group of disorders in which there is a history of repeated physical complaints with no physical basis. They include somatization disorder and hypochondriasis (see hypochondria). Also included (in DSM IV but not in ICD 10) is conversion disorder …   Medical dictionary

  • disorder — A disturbance of function, structure, or both, resulting from a genetic or embryonic failure in development or from exogenous factors such as poison, trauma, or disease. adjustmen …   Medical dictionary

  • somatoform disorders — a group of disorders in which there is a history of repeated physical complaints with no physical basis. They include somatization disorder and hypochondriasis (see hypochondria). Also included (in DSM IV but not in ICD 10) is conversion disorder …   The new mediacal dictionary

  • somatoform — /seuh mat euh fawrm , soh meuh teuh /, adj. characterized by symptoms suggesting a physical disorder but for which there are no demonstrable organic findings or known physiological mechanisms. [SOMATO + FORM] * * * …   Universalium

  • somatoform — /seuh mat euh fawrm , soh meuh teuh /, adj. characterized by symptoms suggesting a physical disorder but for which there are no demonstrable organic findings or known physiological mechanisms. [SOMATO + FORM] …   Useful english dictionary

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  • Conversion disorder — Classification and external resources ICD 10 F44 ICD 9 300.11 …   Wikipedia

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