Somatoform disorders in patients with chronic pain
Abstract
Objective: To assess the frequency and characteristics of somatoform disorders in patients with chronic pain. Method: The study took place in the psychiatric outpatient clinic of a rehabilitation hospital. Participants were interviewed using the World Health Organization Somatoform Disorders Schedule (WHO-SDS) version 2.0. Thirty new and 30 current attendees to the clinic were interviewed following referral by pain medicine specialists. Results: Somatoform disorders were commonly co-morbid with chronic pain in the study population. Persistent somatoform pain disorder (PSPD) was the commonest somatoform disorder. There was a significant difference between women and men suffering from somatic autonomic dysfunction (SAD). Conclusions: The findings of this study confirm that somatoform disorders are common co-morbid diagnoses in patients with chronic pain. Combining psychological treatments with medication, appropriate physical treatments and attending to social issues, may indeed improve the well-being of such patients.
Keywords
Chronic pain, Persistent somatoform pain disorder, Somatisation, Somatoform autonomic dysfunction, Somatoform disorders, adult, article, Australia, chronic pain, clinical assessment, clinical assessment tool, clinical feature, comorbidity, disease association, DSM-IV, female, human, major clinical study, male, mental hospital, middle aged, outpatient, persistent somatoform pain disorder, quality of life, somatic autonomic dysfunction, somatoform disorder, symptomatology, World Health Organization Somatoform Disorder Schedule 2, chronic pain, persistent somatoform pain disorder, somatisation, somatoform autonomic dysfunction, somatoform disorders, Acupuncture Therapy, Adolescent, Adult, Autonomic Nervous System Diseases, Chronic Pain, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Female, Health Status, Humans, Hypochondriasis, Male, Middle Aged, Neurasthenia, Sample Size, Sex Characteristics, Somatoform Disorders, Western Australia, Young Adult
Document Type
Journal Article
Date of Publication
1-1-2014
Faculty
Faculty of Health, Engineering and Science
Publisher
Sage Publications
School
School of Medical Sciences
RAS ID
18829
Copyright
subscription content
Comments
Mohan I., Lawson-Smith C., Coall D.A., Van Der Watt G., Janca A. (2014). Somatoform disorders in patients with chronic pain. Australasian Psychiatry, 22(1), 66-70. Available here