Frequency of somatic symptoms in the general population: Normative values for the Patient Health Questionnaire-15 (PHQ-15)

Hinz, Andreas; Ernst, Jochen; Glaesmer, Heide; Brähler, Elmar; Rauscher, Franziska G.; Petrowski, Katja; Kocalevent, Rüya-Daniela

doi:10.1016/j.jpsychores.2016.12.017

“…Nearly one-quarter of them reported taking ten or more medications (although the mean number of medications was 8.9) and z40% of them met the DVBIC screening criteria for TBI. The mean PHQ-15 score in our sample was 18.1 (64.3), which greatly exceeds scores in the general population (4.6 6 3.6 for men [Hinz et al, 2017]). We interpret the high PHQ-15 scores to reflect a substantial burden of somatic symptoms in this population, consistent with their diagnosis of GWI, and support the internal validity of our findings.…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 75%

Dizziness, Vertigo, and Mental Health Comorbidity in Gulf War Veterans

Fox

¹

,

Riska

²

,

Tseng

³

et al. 2019

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Gulf War Illness (GWI) is a chronic condition involving symptoms across multiple body systems. Previous research has implicated the vestibular system as a potential underlying factor in the symptoms experienced by veterans with GWI, due in part to exposure to potentially ototoxic chemicals and events.To characterize the presence of vertigo and dizziness symptoms in a sample of veterans with GWI using validated self-report instruments, accounting for mental health comorbidities.This is a case series, follow-up, prospective interview of clinical veterans; results presented are purely descriptive.Our sample of 50 veterans was a follow-up to a case series of clinical Gulf War veterans evaluated at the War Related Illness and Injury Study Center.Veterans participated in a 70-min phone interview where the following questionnaires were administered: Vertigo Symptom Scale (VSS), Patient Health Questionnaire (depression scale), Patient Health Questionnaire (somatization scale), Beck Anxiety Inventory, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Checklist, Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center Traumatic Brain Injury Questionnaire, and GWI (Kansas) Questionnaire. We used descriptive (mean/median, standard deviation, interquartile range, and percentage) statistics to describe our sample and illuminate possible relationships between measures.Our primary finding is a substantial report of vertigo symptoms in our sample, according to the VSS. Ninety percent of participants scored above the VSS threshold (>12), suggesting “severe dizziness.” The most commonly endorsed symptom on the VSS was “headache or pressure in the head.”We conclude that there is significant burden of vertigo symptoms in veterans with GWI, suggesting a need for objective tests of vestibular function in this population. Furthermore, the relationship between symptoms of vertigo and dizziness, vestibular function, and PTSD warrants further exploration using objective measures.

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“…The PHQ-15 was used to assess somatization, and includes 14 of the 15 most common somatic complaints [43][44][45][46]. The PHQ-15 measures somatic symptom severity and is used to indicate caseness of somatization and somatoform disorders.…”

Section: Hads-dmentioning

confidence: 99%

Severity and prevalence of various types of mental ill-health in a general adult population: Age and sex differences

Höglund

¹

,

Hakelind²,

Nordin³

2020

Preprint

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Background Taking a broad approach, the aim of this study was to better understand the extent of severity and prevalence in various types of mental ill-health across age groups and sexes in the general adult population. A first objective was to determine symptom severity of anxiety, depression, insomnia, burnout and somatization in combinations of different age groups and sex. A second objective was to determine prevalence of caseness of these types of mental ill-health in both absolute and relative terms in the combinations of age groups and sex. Methods Cross-sectional data based on validated questionnaire instruments were used from the Västerbotten Environmental Health Study in Sweden. In total, 3406 participants, aged 18 to 79 years, constituted a random sample stratified for age and sex. Results Severity and prevalence of anxiety, insomnia and burnout were high among women, in particular young women, and lower in older age groups. The prevalence rates for insomnia, burnout and somatization were particularly high based on the used cut-off scores. Men aged 30-49 years had the highest prevalence for mental ill-health compared to other age groups among men. Men and women aged 60-69 years had generally the lowest symptom severity and caseness. The prevalence for depression was similar in men and women in all age groups, whereas sex-related differences in extent in general were largest in the youngest age group, and gradually decreased with age. Conclusion The results suggest that focus in primary healthcare needs to be directed primarily towards insomnia, burnout and somatization as well as on young women.

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“…The PHQ-15 was used to assess somatization. It includes 14 of the 15 most common somatic complaints, and indicates caseness of somatization and somatoform disorder [43][44][45][46].. The symptoms are rated on a scale ranging from 0 (not bothered at all), to 1 (bothered a little), and 2 (bothered a lot), giving a total score range of 0-30 for women and 0-28 for men, with high score representing high level of symptom severity.…”

Section: Questionnaire Instrumentsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Severity and prevalence of various types of mental ill-health in a general adult population: Age and sex differences

Höglund

¹

,

Hakelind²,

Nordin³

2020

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background Taking a broad approach, the aim of this study was to better understand the extent of severity and prevalence in various types of mental ill-health across age groups and sexes in the general adult population. A first objective was to determine symptom severity of anxiety, depression, insomnia, burnout and somatization in combinations of different age groups and sex. A second objective was to determine prevalence of caseness of these types of mental ill-health in both absolute and relative terms in the combinations of age groups and sex. Methods Cross-sectional data based on validated questionnaire instruments were used from the Västerbotten Environmental Health Study in Sweden. In total, 3406 participants, aged 18 to 79 years, constituted a random sample stratified for age and sex. Results Severity and prevalence of anxiety, insomnia and burnout were high among women, in particular young women, and lower in older age groups. The prevalence rates for insomnia, burnout and somatization were particularly high based on the used cut-off scores. Men aged 30-49 years had the highest prevalence for mental ill-health compared to other age groups among men. Men and women aged 60-69 years had generally the lowest symptom severity and caseness. The prevalence for depression was similar in men and women in all age groups, whereas sex-related differences in extent in general were largest in the youngest age group, and gradually decreased with age. Conclusion The results suggest that focus in primary healthcare needs to be directed primarily towards insomnia, burnout and somatization as well as on young women.

show abstract

Frequency of somatic symptoms in the general population: Normative values for the Patient Health Questionnaire-15 (PHQ-15)

Cited by 106 publications

References 24 publications

Dizziness, Vertigo, and Mental Health Comorbidity in Gulf War Veterans

Dizziness, Vertigo, and Mental Health Comorbidity in Gulf War Veterans

Severity and prevalence of various types of mental ill-health in a general adult population: Age and sex differences

Severity and prevalence of various types of mental ill-health in a general adult population: Age and sex differences

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