Prevalence of somatisation and psychologisation among patients visiting primary health care centres in the State of Qatar

Abstract

BackgroundMedically unexplained somatic complaints are among the most common clinical presentations in primary care in developing countries and they are considerable burden for patients and health care system.ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of somatisation in comparison to psychologisation among a sample of Qatari patients who were visiting primary health care (PHC) centres and to investigate the clinical and socio-demographic characteristics of somatisers (STs) and psychologisers (PGs).MethodThe survey was conducted among PHC Qatari patients during the period from January to July 2007. About 2,320 patients were approached, of whom 1,689 agreed to participate and responded to the questionnaire. Among the studied Qatari patients, 404 patients were identified for clinical interview. The first stage of the study was conducted with the help of general practitioners, using the 12-item General Health Questionnaire. The second stage was carried out by a consultant using the Clinical Interview Schedule. A specific operational criterion was used to identify STs and PGs.ResultsThe prevalence rate of STs among the total studied sample was 12.4%, while the PGs were 11.5%. Among the identified psychiatric cases, the proportion of STs (52%) was higher than PGs (48%). Most of the diagnostic categories were more prevalent among PGs. The dissatisfaction at work and stressful life events within 12 months before the onset of the presenting symptoms were the three postulated determinants which were significantly more among STs than PGs.ConclusionThe prevalence of somatised mental disorder was little higher than the psychologised mental disorder. The prevalence of somatisation and psychologisation is comparable with other reported studies from the Middle-East and Western countries. Dissatisfaction at work and stressful life events were significantly higher among STs than PGs.

The prevalence and burden of psychiatric disorders in primary health care visits in Qatar: Too little time?

“…Our finding of a peak age for depression and anxiety disorders during midlife is in keeping with other epidemiological findings in the State of Qatar and other Western countries. [ 9 13 16 34 35 36 37 38 39 ] More recently a study reported[ 13 ] that the widely documented decrease in the prevalence of mental depression episode among the elderly is much more pronounced in developed than in developing countries. Although the prevalence of chronic physical conditions increased with age in both developed and developing countries, the association between depression and chronic conditions generally decreases with age.…”

“…[ 8 31 32 ] It is worthwhile noting that in two other Middle East populations, conversion disorder has also been reported to be high in primary care in Israel,[ 14 34 35 ] in general practice attendees across Europe[ 36 37 38 39 ] and in Qatar. [ 16 31 32 ]…”

“…In primary care setting, the high prevalence of anxiety and depressive disorders increases use of health services, and delays response to effective treatments. [ 14 15 ] Certain demographic and psychosocial risk factors for anxiety-depression appear to be universal, in particular,[ 16 17 18 19 ] female gender;[ 16 ] unemployment;[ 17 ] lower levels of education;[ 18 ] young (vs. older) adulthood;[ 19 ] co-morbid substance use disorder (SUD);[ 20 ] physical ill-health;[ 21 ] and exposure to potentially traumatic events or postpartum depression. [ 22 23 ]…”

Epidemiological Features and Clinical Manifestations of Patients With Somatoform Disorder at a Tertiary Medical City in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

“…Moreover, 75% of patients presenting to primary care clinics in the United Kingdom with unexplained physical symptoms were found to be females [12]. Other reports from Middle Eastern countries also indicated a female predominance of SD [8][9][10]. This difference in gender distribution may be attributed to several factors.…”

Psychosocioeconomic Study of Medically Unexplained Physical Symptoms

“…[ 3 ] Somatization diagnosis is a prevalent, expensive, and a difficult-to-treat problem for general practitioners. [ 4 ] It is also reported that some cultures stigmatize psychological disorder more than others. [ 5 ] To overcome the confusion around the term somatization, many researchers prefer the term medically unexplained physical symptoms (MUPS).…”