The Somatic Symptom Scale–8 (SSS-8)

Abstract

are the core features of many medical diseases, and they are used to evaluate the severity and course of illness. The 8-item Somatic Symptom Scale (SSS-8) was recently developed as a brief, patient-reported outcome measure of somatic symptom burden, but its reliability, validity, and usefulness have not yet been tested. OBJECTIVE To investigate the reliability, validity, and severity categories as well as the reference scores of the SSS-8. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS A national, representative general-population survey was performed between June 15, 2012, and July 15, 2012, in Germany, including 2510 individuals older than 13 years. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES The SSS-8 mean (SD), item-total correlations, Cronbach α, factor structure, associations with measures of construct validity (Patient Health Questionnaire-2 depression scale, Generalized Anxiety Disorder-2 scale, visual analog scale for general health status, 12-month health care use), severity categories, and percentile rank reference scores. RESULTS The SSS-8 had excellent item characteristics and good reliability (Cronbach α = 0.81). The factor structure reflects gastrointestinal, pain, fatigue, and cardiopulmonary aspects of the general somatic symptom burden. Somatic symptom burden as measured by the SSS-8 was significantly associated with depression (r = 0.57 [95% CI, 0.54 to 0.60]), anxiety (r = 0.55 [95% CI, 0.52 to 0.58]), general health status (r = −0.24 [95% CI, −0.28 to −0.20]), and health care use (incidence rate ratio, 1.12 [95% CI, 1.10 to 1.14]). The SSS-8 severity categories were calculated in accordance with percentile ranks: no to minimal (0-3 points), low (4-7 points), medium (8-11 points), high (12-15 points), and very high (16-32 points) somatic symptom burden. For every SSS-8 severity category increase, there was a 53% (95% CI, 44% to 63%) increase in health care visits. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE The SSS-8 is a reliable and valid self-report measure of somatic symptom burden. Cutoff scores identify individuals with low, medium, high, and very high somatic symptom burden.

Transdiagnostic culturally adapted CBT with Farsi-speaking refugees: a pilot study

“…On the other hand, we didn’t observe changes that reached statistical significance on the Wilcoxon test in those measures that assess somatic symptoms (GHQ-28 subscale somatic symptoms, WHOQOL physical pain, Somatic Symptoms Scale), though large effect sizes were seen on the GHQ and WHOQOL scales. The GHQ has been found to be significantly correlated with depression and anxiety, thus representing somatic symptoms of mental disorders (Werneke, Goldberg, Yalcin, & Ustun, 2000), whereas the SSS-8 refers to cardiopulmonary, gastrointestinal, and pain symptoms that might be relevant for the assessment of general physical health, and possibly somatoform disorders (Gierk et al, 2014). Although the group programme also targets somatic symptoms, the failure to provide greater relief from somatic symptoms may be explained in part by persisting injuries as a long-term consequence of torture in three participants.…”

“…It consists of eight items and it has been largely validated (Gierk et al, 2014). It has a high content validity and high construct validity and high Cronbach’s α (Gierk et al, 2014; Zijema et al, 2013). …”

Women Undergoing Third Line Overactive Bladder Treatment Demonstrate Elevated Thermal Temporal Summation

“…10 To assess psychosocial and somatic characteristics, participants completed the NIH Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) short form v1.0 instruments for depression (8a), anxiety (8a) and pain intensity (3a), as well as the Somatic Symptom Scale-8. 11 We also assessed the presence of co-morbid functional somatic conditions by self-report (i.e. low back pain)or validated patient-reported diagnostic measures, including migraine headache; 12 fibromyalgia; 13 and irritable bowel syndrome.…”

The Use of Polysymptomatic Distress Categories in the Evaluation of Fibromyalgia (FM) and FM Severity

“…When used together, they are referred to as the PHQ-4, a 4-item screening measure which ranges from a score of 0 to 12, and serves as a good measure of ‘caseness’ (i.e., the higher the score, the more likely there is an underlying depressive or anxiety disorder).” 17 According to Gierk, et al , the SSS-8 “is a reliable and valid self-report measure of somatic symptom burden. Cutoff scores identify individuals with low, medium, high, and very high somatic symptom burden.” 18 …”