Association of Somatic Symptom Severity With Sociodemographic Parameters In Patients With Medically Unexplained Physical Symptoms: A Cross-Sectional Study From a Tertiary Care Center in India

Baitha, Upendra; Ranjan, Piyush; Deb, Koushik Sinha; Bauddh, Nitesh Kumar; Singh, Vishwajeet; Kaloiya, Gauri Shanker; Kumar, Arvind; Sahu, Anamika

doi:10.7759/cureus.9250

Cited by 8 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 23 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…According to the literature [ 32 , 36 , 37 ], women generally report more bodily distress and more frequent somatic symptoms than men, and depressive and anxiety disorders are more prevalent in women as well. Studies on somatic symptoms have mentioned the influence of educational level [ 10 , 13 , 14 , 22 ], but the importance of this factor remains unexplored. Although the findings of this study suggest a possible association between these variables (gender and educational level) and the FSS, it must be confirmed.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Most of the published research on this field has reported high correlations between FSS and depressive and anxiety disorders [ 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 ], pointing out as the main reason for the assessment of psychopathological symptoms being included when measuring the severity of somatic symptoms [ 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 ]. In addition to the relationship of FSS with mental disorders, studies have shown a significant influence of sociodemographic characteristics on the severity of the condition presented by individuals with FSS [ 10 , 21 , 22 ]. However, the results on this relationship are controversial.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, the results on this relationship are controversial. Some studies have found that greater somatic symptoms are associated with lower educational level [ 13 , 14 , 22 ], while others have found an association with higher educational level [ 10 ]; studies have indicated that older individuals have a higher rate of FSS [ 8 ], while others have found the opposite [ 12 , 13 ]; and, although studies have presented gender and income as relevant factors [ 13 , 22 ], others have found no relationship between these variables and the severity of FSS [ 1 , 11 , 12 ]. An explanation for the opposite directions of the studies may be related to the cultural and social characteristics.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Psychopathology and Somatic Complaints: A Cross-Sectional Study with Portuguese Adults

2021

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

(1) Background: Functional somatic symptoms (FSS) are physical symptoms that cannot be fully explained by medical diagnosis, injuries, and medication intake. More than the presence of unexplained symptoms, this condition is associated with functional disabilities, psychological distress, increased use of health services, and it has been linked to depressive and anxiety disorders. Recognizing the difficulty of diagnosing individuals with FSS and the impact on public health systems, this study aimed to verify the concomitant incidence of psychopathological symptoms and FSS in Portugal. (2) Methods: For this purpose, 93 psychosomatic outpatients (91.4% women with a mean age of 53.9 years old) and 101 subjects from the general population (74.3% women with 37.8 years old) were evaluated. The survey questionnaire included the 15-item Patient Health Questionnaire, the 20-Item Short Form Survey, the Brief Symptom Inventory, the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale, and questions on sociodemographic and clinical characteristics. (3) Results: Increases in FSS severity were correlated with higher rates of depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms. The findings also suggest that increased rates of FSS are associated with lower educational level and female gender. (4) Conclusion: Being aware of the relationship between FSS and psychopathological symptoms and the need to explore psychosocial issues during clinical interviews may favor early detection of these cases. The early detection of mental disorders is essential for individuals’ adherence to treatments, reflecting on healthcare costs.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Psychopathology and Somatic Complaints: A Cross-Sectional Study with Portuguese Adults

2021

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…MUPS patients are often considered "difficult" by General practitioners. These patients usually present with many bizarre symptoms, which forces the physician to advise multiple investigations and seek referral services early in outpatient visits [ 24 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comprehensive Treatment Module for Medically Unexplained Physical Symptoms – A Guide for General Practitioners

Goel¹,

Ranjan²,

Klanidhi³

et al. 2021

Cureus

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Purpose: This study was aimed to develop a comprehensive treatment module that the general physician can use to manage patients with Medically Unexplained Physical Symptoms (MUPS) at a primary care level.Methods: This comprehensive module was developed after a literature review followed by its validation by a two-step Delphi technique with experts from internal medicine, psychiatry, and clinical psychology.Results: The developed module for the patients with MUPS includes case diagnosis, initial evaluation, strategy for referral, and a comprehensive treatment module. The comprehensive treatment module includes symptom discussion, rapport establishment, physical health counselling, stress management, cognitive strategies for symptom control, comorbidities treatment, and medical management. Conclusion:The developed module has unique features, such as intensive sessions with these patients, a patient-specific treatment strategy, and a holistic approach incorporating pharmacological and nonpharmacological interventions. General Practitioners across the world can use this comprehensive treatment module for the management of patients with MUPS.

show abstract

“…This multidimensional nature of somatization is reflected in existing literature, as etiological studies of all presentations of the condition have broadly considered the interdependent role of personality, cognitive, psychodynamic and social and cultural factors in shaping the symptom experience (Kirmayer & Looper, 2006). Furthermore, the epidemiology of somatization differs as per age (Hilderink et al, 2013), sex (D'Souza & Hooten, 2019), educational background, marital and socioeconomic status (Baitha et al, 2020) and even manifestation (Escobar et al 2010). The conceptualizations of the construct itself tend to vary in eastern and western cultures (Parker et al, 2001a) such that in India, somatization is generally viewed as a culturally sanctioned idiom of distress (Desai & Chaturvedi, 2017).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Exploring Alexithymia in Somatization Using Rorschach Psychodiagnostics

Bandyopadhyay

Mahato

2021

PSYCT

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

It has been classically postulated that alexithymia is related to a pervasive inability of emotional recognition and expression. This leaves some individuals little choice but to somatise unprocessed emotions commonly caused by internal conflicts. The present study thus aimed to explore the nature of conflicts, controls and stress tolerance, affect, self-perception, and interpersonal perception and behavior in somatization patients with alexithymia. 30 individuals of both sexes and of the age range 20-50 years, diagnosed with somatization disorder and alexithymia, were purposively undertaken for the study. Toronto Alexithymia Scale 20, Sack’s Sentence Completion Test and the Rorschach Test – Exner’s Comprehensive System were used to screen for alexithymia, to measure conflicts and the other aforementioned domains respectively. Results revealed that conflicts related to self-concept, sex, and family were primarily present in this sample. Characteristic patterns of underlying vulnerabilities seemed to account for poor stress tolerance, affective complications, negative self-perception, and maladaptive interpersonal functioning. It is suggested that alexithymia and a tendency to develop conflicts in somatization are based on the foundation of certain fundamental personality predispositions. Identifying said personality patterns could aid in appropriate and effective goal-setting in psychotherapy, specific to this otherwise treatment-resistant patient population.

show abstract

Association of Somatic Symptom Severity With Sociodemographic Parameters In Patients With Medically Unexplained Physical Symptoms: A Cross-Sectional Study From a Tertiary Care Center in India

Abstract: Baitha et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License CC-BY 4.0., which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

Cited by 8 publications

References 23 publications

Psychopathology and Somatic Complaints: A Cross-Sectional Study with Portuguese Adults

Psychopathology and Somatic Complaints: A Cross-Sectional Study with Portuguese Adults

Comprehensive Treatment Module for Medically Unexplained Physical Symptoms – A Guide for General Practitioners

Exploring Alexithymia in Somatization Using Rorschach Psychodiagnostics

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About