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Objective Somatic symptom disorder (SSD) is one of the most common pediatric psychiatric disorders in adolescents, and several biological, psychological, and social factors have been considered to contribute to its development. The aim of the present study was to elucidate the link between psychological functioning (depression and anxiety), psychological characteristics (perfectionism and alexithymia), negative life events, and parental accommodation in children diagnosed with SSD. Methods Fifty patients (age range 7-18 years) were diagnosed with SSD in an outpatient clinic and completed multiple self-report questionnaires on SSD symptoms, negative life events, and psychological factors. Linear regression models were employed to indicate predictors of SSD symptoms. Cluster analysis was performed to identify gastrointestinal- and abdominal-related complaints and their associations. Results Association with SSD symptoms was strongest for state anxiety (Standardized β=0.85, 95% CI=0.44, 1.27, p=.0006), depression (β=0.72, 95% CI=0.38, 1.06, p=.0006), trait anxiety (β=0.60, 95% CI=0.22, 0.98, p=.0005), and family accommodation (β=0. 49, 95% CI=0.23, 0.75, p=.001). These factors were associated with gastrointestinal but not with neurological complaints. Family accommodation was associated with somatic complaints among children younger than 12 years (r=0.57, p=.007), while state anxiety (r=0.69, p=.007) and depression (r=0.65, p=.007) were significantly associated among older children. Conclusions Several psychological factors may result in a somatic response. The phenotypic expression of these factors may vary among different ages. Somatic complaints were related to parental accommodation among young children, while it was strongly associated with anxiety and depression among adolescents.

Objectives To assess how clinicians discuss the diagnosis of somatic symptom and related disorders (SSRDs) in patients admitted to a children's hospital and explore the effect of parent and patient acceptance of the diagnosis on recovery. Study design In this cross-sectional study, we reviewed the electronic medical records of pediatric admissions diagnosed with SSRD over 18 months. All diagnostic discussions with patients and families were analysed to identify concepts used by clinicians within these discussions and the extent of parent and patient acceptance of the diagnosis. Recovery status up to 12 months after diagnosis was also identified. Acceptance and recovery were categorized as “full,” “partial,” or “none.” Results Ninety-five of 123 (77.2%) patients (median age 14.3 years, range 7.3-18.3) had at least 1 diagnostic discussion recorded. Clinical explanations within the diagnostic discussion spanned a variety of concepts, with the most common being a description of somatization (62%). Full parent acceptance of the diagnosis of SSRD was more likely when discussions involved two parents (P = .002). Full acceptance of the diagnosis by at least 1 parent was associated with complete functional recovery in their children (OR 8.94, 95% CI 2.24, 35.9, P = .002). In contrast, there was no significant association between full acceptance by patients and their recovery. Conclusion The influence of parent acceptance of the diagnosis of SSRD reinforces the importance of therapeutic engagement with families, as well as with children and adolescents.

Objectives: The appropriateness and relevance of somatic symptom disorder and conversion disorder (American Psychiatric Association, 2013) diagnoses are in question as they relate to pediatric chronic pain. This survey-based study on pediatric chronic pain explores how these psychiatric diagnoses are made and perceived and how treatment of patients is approached by Canadian health care professionals working in pediatric chronic pain clinics. Method: Health care professionals (N = 50) completed the survey, which contained both qualitative and quantitative items. Results: Of participants, 88% reported moderate/advanced training in pain, whereas only 26% reported moderate/advanced training in somatic symptom disorder and conversion disorder. Somatic symptom disorder and conversion disorder were reportedly diagnosed in approximately 17% and 5% of young people with chronic pain, respectively; however, overall, the participants were not confident or only slightly confident when diagnosing these disorders. There were no major differences in the reported interventions used to treat pain, somatic symptom disorder, or conversion disorder. Conclusions: These results highlight the need for standardized training in pain and psychiatric assessment, diagnosis, and treatment; diagnostic guidelines; and how to best provide this training to health care staff who work with young people with chronic pain.

Theo's clinical observation illustrates the management of a 14-year-old adolescent with unexplained somatic symptoms. His symptoms can be integrated into what the classification of mental illnesses calls a somatic symptom disorder, with a depressive comorbidity. The description of the care pathway shows the gradual acceptance of psychological suffering by the adolescent and his parents in a service where different professionals are involved, with sufficient time for a good therapeutic alliance to be built.

Objective Functional neurogical symptom disorder (FNSD) is a somatic symptom disorder with loss of voluntary motor or sensory functions, which cannot be explained by another medical condition. The study aimed to examine the relationship of vasopressin and oxytocin in persistent type FNSD.Methods This study included 27 female patients between the ages of 20–57 who were diagnosed with FNSD according to DSM-5 and 27 healthy controls matched in terms of age and gender. Serum vasopressin and oxytocin levels were measured twice on the same day in fasting blood samples and the results were compared statistically.Results Vasopressin were lower in patients compared to controls while there was no difference between oxytocin levels. Childhood traumas were more common in patient group, and mean oxytocin level was lower in patients who exposed to childhood trauma, compared to controls. No significant difference was found between the groups in terms of vasopressin.Conclusion Changes in vasopressin and oxytocin balance in the pathogenesis of persistant FNSD, may likely to lead to physiological and behavioral consequences. Lower oxytocin levels may also be a marker of exposure to childhood trauma in FNSD. These neuropeptides plays important role in neuroendocrine balance of emotional behavior.

OBJECTIVE Psychological treatments for somatic symptom disorder and functional somatic syndromes (SSD/FSS) achieve moderate effects only, potentially because of the high chronicity in these patients. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate whether early treatment, i.e. treatment in populations at risk or with recent onset, improves outcome. METHODS We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of (cluster)-randomized controlled trials evaluating early psychological interventions in the prevention and treatment of SSD/FSS in adults compared to inactive control conditions, standard care or placebo. Individuals at risk for SSD/FSS, suffering from sub-threshold symptoms or new onsets of SSD/FSS, or presenting with SSD/FSS for the first time were included. RESULTS We identified 30 eligible studies, mostly examining pain-related conditions. Interventions were diverse, ranging from bibliotherapy to cognitive behavioral therapy. We found positive effects on depression post-treatment (Hedges' g = 0.12, 95%-CI: [0.03, 0.2], k = 5) as well as on somatic symptom severity (g = 0.25 [0.096, 0.41], k = 17) and health care utilization (g = 0.31 [0.18, 0.44], k = 3) at follow-up. However, due to high risk of bias, sensitivity to corrections for meta-bias, and missing outcome data, findings should be interpreted cautiously. CONCLUSIONS Our review shows that targeting SSD/FSS at an early stage represents a conceptual and practical challenge. Readily accessible interventions addressing transsymptomatic processes of SSD/FSS development and consolidation are highly needed. Future studies are needed to evaluate individuals with diverse symptoms, examine symptom history thoroughly, use placebo controls, and report outcomes completely to determine the efficacy of early psychological interventions for SSD/FSS.PROSPERO registration: CRD42020140122.

Contains fulltext : 245998.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Open Access) Objectives: Frailty marks an increased risk for adverse health outcomes. Since childhood trauma is associated with the onset of physical and mental health diseases during the lifespan, we examined the link between childhood trauma and multidimensional frailty. Method: A cross-sectional study embedded in a clinical cohort study (ROM-GPS) of older (>=60 years) patients (n=182) with a unipolar depressive-, anxiety- and/or somatic symptom disorder according to DSM-criteria referred to specialized geriatric mental health care. Frailty was assessed with the Tilburg Frailty Indicator (TFI), comprising a physical, psychological, and social dimension. Physical, sexual and psychological abuse and emotional neglect before the age of 16 years was measured with a structured interview. Results: Of 182 patients, 103 (56.6%) had experienced any childhood trauma and 154 (84.6%) were frail (TFI sum score >=5). Linear regression analyses, adjusted for lifestyle, psychological and physical-health factors, showed that the presence of any type of childhood trauma was not associated with the TFI sum score, however when considered separately, physical abuse was (ß=0.16, p=.037). Regarding the specific frailty dimensions, any childhood trauma was associated with social frailty (ß=0.18, p=.019), with emotional neglect as main contributor. Conclusion: These findings demonstrate a complex link between different types of childhood trauma and multidimensional frailty among older psychiatric patients. Regarding the three dimensions of frailty, social frailty seems most affected by childhood trauma. This may have been underestimated until now and should receive more attention in clinical care and future research. 7 p.

The high prevalence of somatic symptom disorder (SSD) led to cumulative burdens to the medical system. However, the pathogenesis of this disease still remains unclear. Graph theoretical analysis discovered altered network topology across various psychiatric disorders, yet alteration in the topological structure of brain functional network in SSD patients is still unexplored. Catastrophizing is a common cognitive distortion in SSD. We hypothesize that the network topological metrics of SSD should be altered, and should correlate with catastrophizing scales. 32 medication-naïve, first-episode SSD patients and 30 age, gender matched HCs were recruited. The 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD-17), Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAMA) and Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (CERQ) were accessed. Functional MRI were scanned and brain functional networks were constructed based on 166 anatomically cerebrum regions from the automated anatomical labeling 3 (AAL3) template. Network topological metrics were calculated and compared between the two groups. Correlation between these metrics and clinical scales were also calculated. Network global efficiency of SSD was significantly lower than that of HC. Nodal global efficiency of the left subgenual anterior cingulate cortex (sgACC) of SSD was significantly lower than that of HC. FCs between the left sgACC and other 21 seed nodes were significantly declined in SSD in comparison with HC. In SSD group, HAMD total score was significantly negatively correlated with the connection between the left medial superior frontal gyrus and the left sgACC. CERQ catastrophizing score was significantly negatively correlated with nodal global efficiency of left sgACC and with the FCs between the left sgACC and other 13 seed nodes. Catastrophizing could reflect the specific sgACC-centered dysfunction of brain network global efficiency of SSD. The left sgACC may be a future treatment target of dealing with catastrophizing, which is a core cognitive distortion of SSD.

Objective In somatic symptom disorder (SSD), cognitive dysfunction is related to perceptive distortion that excessively amplifies bodily sensations. The association between high body mass index (BMI) and cognitive dysfunction could be attributed to underlying systemic inflammation. We aimed to evaluate whether patients with SSD and high BMI exhibit increased somatic symptom severity and whether this is mediated by cognitive dysfunction. Methods This retrospective, cross-sectional study was conducted on 54 patients with SSD (20 males/34 females, mean age ± standard deviation: 40.65 ± 13.23 years). Participants' BMI, laboratory data including complete blood count and lipid profile, results from the Korean Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-IV, and scores of the Korean-Symptom Checklist 95-Somatization (SCL95-SOM) were analyzed. We performed a path analysis to evaluate BMI as a predictor of somatic symptoms. Results In a path analysis, the SCL95-SOM score was directly influenced by working memory (b = -0.326, p = 0.032), which was significantly influenced by BMI (b = -0.338, p = 0.009), although there was no direct effect of BMI on the SCL95-SOM score. The path analytic model showed a close fit to the data with the following values: χ2 (df) = 0.918 (1), p = 0.338, root mean square error of approximation = 0.000 (< 0.001), and comparative fit index = 1.00. Conclusion Patients with SSD and high BMI may exhibit increased somatic symptom severity, and this is mediated by working memory dysfunction. Weight management may help improve symptoms in patients with SSD and high BMI.

The goal is to study the features of the cognitive reserve (CR) in HIV-infected patients admitted to the hospital, the relationship of CR with cognitive disorders, stress and coping strategies, taking into account the drug history.Materials and methods. The study was conducted in the hospital of the Saint Petersburg Center for the prevention and control of AIDS and infectious diseases in 2019. Methods were used: 1) The Cognitive Reserve Index questionnaire (CRIq); 2) Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA); 3) «Methods of coping behavior» by R. Lazarus. 4) Modified Impact of Event Scale (IES-R); 5) The Somatic Symptom Disorder — B Criteria Scale (SSD-12).Results. The study involved 57 HIV-infected patients (43.9% — women). The median age was 39.6 years. The correlation analysis revealed a positive relationship between the KR index and the «non-professional activity» subscale (r = 0.847, p = 0.000), age (r = 0.299, p = 0.024) and MoCA indicators (r = 0.290, p = 0.029). Indicators of the KR subscale «professional activity» have a negative relationship with the indicators of coping strategies «distancing» (r = -0.379, p = 0.004), «self-control» (r = -0.355, p = 0.008), «positive revaluation» (r = -0.293, p = 0.030), «problem solving planning» (r = -0.283, p = 0.035). MoCA indicators in patients with HIV infection are associated with the CR «Education» subscale (r = 0.306, p = 0.021) and the General CR index (r = 0.290, p = 0.029). Obsessive feelings and thoughts related to the impact of HIV infection are more often experienced by patients who have never abused drugs and are involved in professional activities than by patients with experience of drug use.Conclusion. Cognitive impairment and cognitive reserve in HIV-infected patients admitted to the hospital of the AIDS Center are related to coping behavior.

The BDS checklist is a self-report measure to assess the most common somatic symptoms in functional somatic syndromes, based on the diagnostic concept of Bodily Distress Syndrome. The aim of the study was to examine the psychometric properties and validity of the BDS checklist in a psychosomatic sample and to investigate whether it is suitable to detect DSM-5 somatic symptom disorders (SSD).In a cross-sectional study, n = 368 patients from a psychosomatic outpatient clinic completed the BDS checklist and a semi-structured clinical interview on SSD. Item and scale characteristics and measures of reliability and validity were determined.The BDS checklist showed good item characteristics and reliability (Cronbach α = 0.89). Factor analysis confirmed four symptom clusters (CFI = 0.95, TLI = 0.95, RMSEA = 0.091, 90% CI = 0.085-0.097). The BDS total score showed significant correlations with other measures of somatic symptom burden (r = 0.79, p .001), health anxiety (r = 0.46, p .001), depression (r = 0.45, p .001), and general anxiety (r = 0.41, p .001). Higher BDS checklist scores were associated with higher physical and mental health impairment and higher health care use. Diagnostic accuracy regarding somatic symptom disorder was moderate (AUC = 0.72, 95% CI: 0.67-0.77).Findings of our study indicate that the BDS checklist is a reliable and valid measure to assess the most common somatic symptoms in a psychosomatic setting. It is however not sufficient to detect persons at risk for somatic symptom disorder. A combination with further questionnaires could probably improve diagnostic accuracy.

Xiandi Pan,1,* Weina Ding,2,* Xia Sun,3,* Chenfeng Ji,3 Qian Zhou,3 Chao Yan,4 Yan Zhou,2 Yanli Luo3 1Pudong New Area Mental Health Center, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Radiology, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Psychological Medicine, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China; 4Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics (MOE&STCSM), Shanghai Changning-ECNU Mental Health Center, School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Yanli LuoDepartment of Psychological Medicine, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Pujian Road 160, Shanghai, 200127, People’s Republic of ChinaTel +86-21-68382998Email luoluoyanli@163.comYan ZhouDepartment of Radiology, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Pujian Road 160, Shanghai, 200127, People’s Republic of ChinaTel +86-21-68385105Email clare1475@hotmail.comObjective: Catastrophizing is commonly co-occurrence with anxiety in somatic symptom disorder (SSD). However, the quantitative relationship between catastrophizing and anxiety in SSD and its underlying neuropsychopathology remains unclear.Methods: To address the issue, twenty-eight SSD patients and twenty-nine healthy controls (HCs) completed the Hamilton anxiety scale and the catastrophizing subscale of the cognitive emotion regulation questionnaire. Then they underwent structural magnetic resonance imaging and voxel-based morphometry analysis was performed to obtain gray matter density (GMD) of the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC).Results: Independent samples t-tests showed no significance between SSD patients and HCs in the scores on the catastrophizing subscale and GMD of the dmPFC. However, correlation analysis found that catastrophizing was significantly positively associated with anxiety in SSD. Further, mediation analyses revealed that GMD of the dmPFC (bilateral medial Brodmann area 8) mediated the relationship between catastrophizing and anxiety in SSD.Conclusion: These findings support Kirmayer’s disease model of SSD that catastrophic interpretations of somatic symptoms resulted in increased anxiety and demonstrate that the dmPFC may be a potential neural site linking catastrophizing and anxiety in SSD.Keywords: somatic symptom disorder, dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, catastrophizing, anxiety, mediating effect

Corona virus disease (Covid-19) is a global pandemic. The novel Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that causes Covid-19 is reported to have originated in a seafood market ...

Introduction: The characteristics of somatic symptoms seen at the first hospital visit in patients with psychogenic backgrounds remain poorly elucidated till date. Methodology: A total of 277 patients who visited the Department of General Medicine at a single university hospital with somatic symptoms were prospectively enrolled in this study. The eventual definite diagnoses were classified into the following three groups: non-psychogenic disease (n = 128), psychogenic symptoms (n = 131), and mental illness (n = 18). Subsequently, the chief complaints and other background information of the patient obtained at the first visit were compared among the three groups. Results: More than half of the patient with non-psychogenic diseases (60.2%) presented with a single complaint at their first hospital visit; contrarily, less than half of the patients with psychogenic symptoms (23.7%) or mental illnesses (22.2%) presented with a single complaint at the first visit. Approximately

The aim of the study was to investigate the burden of mental health problems in children and adolescents admitted to a pediatric ward with physical complaints. We conducted a retrospective study, considering all patients admitted to the pediatric ward of the IRCCS Burlo Garofolo, Trieste, Italy, between January 2015 and September 2016. We selected all patients, from 5 to 17 years old, who were admitted with physical complaints and were discharged with a diagnosis suggestive of a mental health problem: somatic symptom disorder, anxiety disorder, depressive disorder, factious disorders. For every patient, we collected demographic features, medical characteristics, health care services utilization, length of hospital stay, and after discharge referral. We selected 1456 patients; of these, 101 (6.9%) revealed a mental health problem. The median duration of symptoms was 5 months (IQR 1.5-12), and pain was the main reported symptom (69%). Of the 101 patients, 23 (23%) were affected by a previously documented chronic organic disease. Somatic symptom disorder was the most common diagnosis. In 69/78 patients (88%), a loss of social contacts emerged; 49/95 patients frequenting school (51%) had chronic school absenteeism in the previous school year.Conclusion: A considerable proportion of patients admitted to a pediatric ward with physical complaints have mental health problems. What is Known: • It has been suggested that mental health problems in children and adolescents are increasing and frequently burden on pediatric healthcare services, but how they impact on a general pediatric ward is not clear. What is New: • Among 1456 patients admitted to a general pediatric ward with physical symptoms, 101 patients (6.9%) had a mental health problem. Among them, pain was the most commonly reported symptom and somatic symptom disorder was the commonly reported diagnosis.

Somatic symptoms without a clear-cut organic or biomedical background, also called "medically unexplained" or "somatoform" symptoms, are frequent in primary and secondary health care. They are often accompanied by depression and/or anxiety, and cause functional impairment. The Patient Health Question-naire Somatic Symptom Scale (PHQ-15) was developed to measure somatic symptom distress based on the frequency and bothersomeness of non-specific somatic symptoms. The study aimed to (1) evaluate the Hungarian version of the PHQ-15 from a psychometric point of view; (2) replicate the bifactor structure and associations with negative affect described in the literature; and (3) provide the Hungarian clinical and scientific community with reference (normal) values split by sex and age groups.PHQ-15, depression (BDI-R), and subjective well-being (WHO-5) scores obtained from a large (n = 5020) and close to representative community sample (Hun-garostudy 2006) were subjected to correlation analysis and linear structural equation modeling.The PHQ-15 showed good internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.810; McDonald's ω = 0.819) and moderate to strong correlation with the BDI-R (rs = .49, p0.001) and WHO-5 (rs = -.48, p0.001). Fit of the bifactor structure was excellent; in independent analyses, the general factor was strongly associated with depression (β = 0.656±0.017, p0.001) and well-being (β = -0.575±0.015, p0.001), whereas the symptom specific factors were only weakly or not related to these constructs. The PHQ-15 score was higher in females and showed a weak positive association with age. The Hungarian PHQ-15 is a psychometrically sound scale which is positively associated with depression and ne-gatively related to subjective well-being. The bifactor structure indicates the existence and meaningfulness of a gene-ral factor representing the affective-motivational component of somatic symptom distress.The Hungarian version of the PHQ-15 is a brief and usable tool for the pre-screening of somatization disorder (DSM-IV) or somatic symptom disorder (DSM-5). The reported reference values can be used in the future for both clinical and research purposes.Az organikus háttérrel nem rendelkező (szomatoform) tünetek gyakoriak az elsődleges és másodlagos betegellátásban. Gyakran társulnak depresszióval és/vagy szorongással, és jelentős funkcionális korlátozott­sá­got okoznak, így mérésük mindenképpen indokolt. A Beteg Egészségi Állapot Kérdőív Testi Tünet Skálát (Patient Health Questionnaire Somatic Symptom Scale; PHQ-15) a testi tünet distressz mérésére fejlesztették ki. A vizsgálat célja a PHQ-15 magyar változatának pszicho­metriai vizsgálata és a negatív affektivitással való kapcsolat replikációja, valamint a normálpopulációra vonatkozó nem és életkor szerinti referenciaértékek közlése. Felté­te­leztük azt, hogy az adatok jó illeszkedést mutatnak a bi­fak­toros modellel, valamint azt, hogy a negatív affektivitás indikátorai, ezen belül is elsősorban a közös faktorra sú­lyoznak.Kérdőíves keresztmetszeti vizsgálat. A Hun­ga­rostudy 2006 résztvevőinek (n = 5020) PHQ-15-, dep­resszió- (BDI-R-) és szubjektív jóllét (WHO-5-) adatait elemeztük.A PHQ-15 jó belső konzisztenciával (Cronbach’α = 0,810; McDonald’ω = 0,819) bír és közepes-erős együtt járást mutat a BDI-R (rs = 0,49, p0,001) és a WHO-5 (rs = –0,48, p0,001) pont­számmal. Az adatok bifaktorstruktúrára való illeszkedése kitűnő. Az általános faktor erős kapcsolatban áll a dep­resszióval (β = 0,656 ± 0,017, p0,001) és a szubjektív jólléttel (β = –0,575 ± 0,015, p0,001), míg a tünet­specifikus faktorok csak gyengén vagy egyáltalán nem kapcsolódnak ezekhez a konstruktumokhoz. A PHQ-15-pontszám magasabb a nők és az idősebbek körében.A PHQ-15 magyar változata jó pszicho­metriai mutatókkal bír, pozitívan kapcsolódik a depresszió­hoz és negatívan a szubjektív jólléthez. A kérdőív jól használható lehet a szomatizációs zavar (DSM-IV) vagy a testi tünet zavar (DSM-5) előszűrésére. A közölt referenciaértékek mind a tudományos kutatásban, mind a klinikai gyakorlatban hasznosíthatók.

INTRODUCTION[|]Limited number of studies is available investigating the influences of COVID-19 pandemic on mental health. Most of the studies were focused on general population and risky health personnel. No studies are available in literature investigating the mental status of the recovering patients from COVID-19. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the psychiatric diagnosis of the patients who recovered from COVID-19 and to determine the prevalence of mental disorders in these individuals.[¤]METHODS[|]Fifty individuals who were proven to catch COVID-19 through clinical tests and at least one month passed from recovery were included in the study. [¤]RESULTS[|]As the result of clinical evaluations, other specified anxiety disorders (meets diagnostic criteria of generalized anxiety disorder but not duration criteria) was detected in 5 (10%), panic disorder was detected in 3 (6%), other specified somatic symptom and related disorder (short somatic symptom disorder) was detected in 2 (4%), major depression was detected in 1 (2%), post-traumatic stress disorder in 1 (2%), obsessive-compulsive disorder in 1 (2%) and another specified insomnia disorder (short-term insomnia) was detected in 1 (2%). 6 (12%) participants had anxiety symptoms that do not meet diagnostic criteria, 2 (4%) had depressive symptoms that do not meet diagnostic criteria. No mental disorder was detected in remaining 28 (56%) participants.[¤]DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION[|]The present study reveals that anxiety symptoms are quite frequent following recovery period of COVID-19 although it has some limitations.[¤]

Little is known about the school functioning of youth who are medically admitted with somatic symptom and related disorders (SSRD). The current study examines school absenteeism and associated factors in medically hospitalized children and adolescents with SSRDs. Retrospective data were reviewed of 243 patients aged 5 to 18 years admitted at a pediatric hospital from 2012 to 2014, referred to the Psychiatry Consultation Service and diagnosed with an SSRD. Only 10% of patients had normal school attendance in the past year and approximately 40% had severe school absenteeism (i.e. missed > 1 month of school). No association was found between school absenteeism and caregiver report of learning difficulties/disabilities. Patients with severe school absenteeism were more likely to be between the ages of 15 and 17, with higher somatization and functional disability scores, higher rates of suicidal ideation and/or attempts, greater psychotropic medication use and psychiatry sessions during admission, and greater rates of discharge to a higher level of psychiatric care. Findings from this study suggest that screening for school absenteeism during clinical visits by use of a single question “how many school days have you (or has your child) missed this past school year,” may serve as a proxy for functional disability and an indicator of psychiatric, and somatic symptom severity concerns.

Objective Cognitive-behavioural models suggest that vicarious illness experiences precipitate health anxiety; however, this assumption is largely untested. This study aimed to (a) compare the severity of health anxiety and rates of clinical health anxiety, Illness Anxiety Disorder (IAD), and Somatic Symptom Disorder (SSD) in participants with and without a loved one with cancer, and (b) determine the predictors of health anxiety severity in participants with vicarious cancer experiences. Methods Participants with (n = 142) and without (n = 65) vicarious cancer experiences completed an online battery of questionnaires assessing the severity and cognitive, physiological, and behavioural components of health anxiety. Participants reporting clinical levels of health anxiety completed a diagnostic telephone interview to assess for IAD and SSD. Results Severity and rates of clinical health anxiety, IAD, and SSD did not differ between groups. Participants with a vicarious experience of cancer reported elevated fear of cancer recurrence regarding their loved one's illness, however only 15.8% reported clinically significant health anxiety. Hierarchical regression revealed that in participants with vicarious cancer experiences, less relationship closeness and greater perceived risk of cancer, severity of somatic symptoms, bodily hypervigilance, and catastrophic interpretation of symptoms predicted health anxiety. Being a caregiver for or genetically related to the person with cancer, the expectedness of the cancer diagnosis, and whether the loved one died from cancer were not significant predictors. Conclusions These results suggest that people reporting vicarious cancer experiences do not have elevated rates of health anxiety. However, how these individuals interpret their experiences influences health anxiety severity.

Background The dysfunctional activity of the medial prefrontal cortex has been associated with the appearance of the somatic symptom disorder, a key feature of the Parkinson's disease (PD) psychosis complex. Objectives The objectives of this study were to investigate whether the basal contents of inhibitory γ-aminobutyric acid and excitatory glutamate plus glutamine neurotransmitter levels are changed in the medial prefrontal cortex of patients with PD with somatic symptom disorder and whether this alteration represents a marker of susceptibility of PD to somatic symptom disorder, thus representing a signature of psychosis complex of PD. Methods Levels of the γ-aminobutyric acid and glutamate plus glutamine were investigated, at rest, with proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Total creatine was used as an internal reference. The study cohort included 23 patients with somatic symptom disorder plus PD, 19 patients with PD without somatic symptom disorder, 19 healthy control subjects, and 14 individuals with somatic symptom disorder who did not show other psychiatric or neurological disorders. Results We found that, compared with patients with PD without somatic symptom disorder or healthy control individuals, patients with somatic symptom disorder, with or without PD, show increased γ-aminobutyric acid/total creatine levels in the medial prefrontal cortex. The medial prefrontal cortex contents of glutamate plus glutamine/total creatine levels or γ-aminobutyric acid/glutamate plus glutamine were not different among groups. Conclusions Our findings highlight a crucial pathophysiologic role played by high γ-aminobutyric acid within the medial prefrontal cortex in the production of somatic symptom disorder. This phenomenon represents a signature of psychosis complex in patients with PD. © 2020 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.

Absztrakt: Bevezetés: A teljes populációt tekintve az alapellátásban és a szakellátásban megjelenők mintegy 25–30%-át teszik ki a „szomatizáló” betegek, akiknek testi tünetei mögött nem találnak orvosilag kimutatható szervi eltérést. A szomatikus panaszok gyakorisága az időskor mellett gyermek- és serdülőkorban a legmagasabb. A 7–12 év közötti gyermekek között a szomatikus tünetzavar jelenléte az alapellátásban közel 20%, a gyermekklinikák szakambulanciáin pedig 47%. A leggyakoribb szomatizációs panaszok a fejfájás, a hasfájás vagy a különböző végtagfájdalmak, amelyek magas komorbiditást mutatnak más mentális zavarokkal, elsősorban szorongásos megbetegedésekkel. A szomatizációs zavarok esetében mindig multikauzális problémáról van szó, amelynek kialakulásában a biológiai, környezeti és pszichés tényezők komplex módon kapcsolódnak össze. A tapasztalatok alapján a szomatizáló páciensek sokszor évekig vándorolnak az egészségügyi rendszerben, ahol adekvát kezelés hiányában legfeljebb gyógyszeres ellátásban részesülnek, így a panasz könnyen krónikussá válhat. Célkitűzés, módszer: Tanulmányunk célja a gyermekkori szomatizációs zavarok bizonyítottan hatékony kezelési módszereire vonatkozó legfrissebb szakirodalom áttekintése, különös tekintettel a komplex, pszichoterápiás lehetőségekre. Szemléltetésül egy szédüléssel, gastrointestinalis panaszokkal és alvászavarral küzdő serdülő fiú kognitív viselkedésterápiás kezelését ismertetjük. Megbeszélés: A hatékonyságvizsgálatok eredményei egyértelműen a kognitív viselkedésterápiát, valamint kiegészítésként a családterápiát/családkonzultációt javasolják a nagy gyakorisággal megjelenő szomatizációs zavarok adekvát kezelésére. A terápiás ellátás során a pszichoszociális stresszoroknak, az egészségszorongásnak, a katasztrofizáló gondolkodásnak a felismerésére és csökkentésére, az eredményes megküzdési és kommunikációs készségek kialakítására és az életkornak megfelelő aktivitás fenntartására kell fókuszálni. Következtetés: A biopszichoszociális szemléletű állapotfelmérés és kezelés kulcsfontosságú a szomatizáló betegeknél, hogy a megbetegedés kialakulásában és fenntartásában szerepet játszó pszichés és környezeti tényezőket feltérképezve, bizonyítottan hatékony kognitív viselkedésterápiában részesüljenek. Orv Hetil. 2020; 161(25): 1050–1058.

Abstract. To improve early detection and adequate treatment for patients with somatic symptom and related disorders (SSRD), we implemented Sofu-Net, a stepped, collaborative, and coordinated health care network. This mixed-methods study aimed to evaluate Sofu-Net from the health care professionals’ perspective. Network partners (primary care physicians (PCPs), psychotherapists, inpatient mental health clinics) completed an evaluation survey. Following, qualitative analysis of focus groups explored facilitating factors and barriers of Sofu-Net. Of 66 network partners who completed the survey (response 83.5%), the majority was satisfied with Sofu-Net, and perceived improvements regarding management, early detection, and referral to mental health care. Both survey and focus groups identified interdisciplinary collaboration and diagnostic screening as most relevant facilitating factors. Important barriers to implementation included challenges in patient referral and structural factors. Necessary prerequisites for future stepped collaborative care for SSRD include structures facilitating diagnosis, inter-professional collaboration and referral, availability of mental health care, inclusion of comorbidities, and adequate reimbursement.

Objective The clinical management of high symptom severity is a challenging task with patients with functional somatic disorders. We investigated the extent to which DCPR-revised (DCPR-R) syndromes and the DSM-5 category of Somatic Symptom Disorder (SSD) were able to predict symptom severity in 203 consecutive tertiary care patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Method Semistructured interview were used for assessing DCPR-R and validated scales for SSD (combining PHQ-12 and WI-7), severity of symptoms (IBS-SSS), psychological distress (HADS), and psychosocial functioning (SF-12). Results Compared to moderate severity (IBS-SSS = 175–300), patients in the high range of severity (IBS-SSS > 300) had significantly more DCPR-R syndromes (particularly alexithymia and persistent somatization), higher psychological distress, and poorer psychosocial functioning, but showed no difference for SSD. DCPR-R, particularly alexithymia and persistent somatization, significantly and independently predicted IBS severity by explaining 18.5% of the IBS-SSS variance with large effect size (d = 1.18), after controlling for covariables. Conversely, SSD was not able to significantly predict IBS severity. Conclusions This study highlights the need of an integrative approach in the medical setting. Psychosomatic factors play a relevant role in the individual perception of symptom severity and should be carefully evaluated for clinical management of functional syndromes.

Objective This study wants to test whether the heart rate variability (HRV) analysis using sphygmomanometers can effectively reflect the physical and emotional distress of somatic symptom disorder (SSD) cases and assist in further health management. Methods This study includes 66 female SSD cases and 32 male SSD cases. All cases received a 200-second blood pressure (BP) measurement, after which the numerical figure for the heart rate was obtained from the BP signal for HRV analysis. All cases also filled out Patient Health Questionnaire-15 (PHQ-15), Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) to understand the extent of their somatic distress, depression, and anxiety. The relationship between psychological conditions and HRV indicators are examined statistically. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to understand whether HRV indicators can assist in the determination of psychosomatic problems. Results Considering all and female SSD cases, low-frequency power (LF) and PHQ-15 in the HRV index have the most significant correlations. In male SSD cases, root mean square of successive NN interval differences (RMSSD) and BDI-II have the highest correlations. The results of ROC curve analysis indicate that LF is useful to judge the severity of female SSD cases, while RMSSD has reference value in determining whether male patients of SSD cases have depression or not. In addition, physical stress index (PSI) can also help determine the degree of depression in male SSD cases. Conclusion The use of BP in HRV analysis can help in the monitoring of somatic distress and depression issues in SSD cases. LF, RMSSD, PSI are potential physiological indicators.

Somatic symptom disorder is a complex condition linking distress in the mind to physical distress in the body. However, in addition to the disorder itself, experienced clinicians know that children and youth frequently experience somatizing symptoms. With an increasing prevalence of anxiety in the pediatric population, symptoms attributable to process of “somatizing” are common, and early identification and rapport building to address the root causes of a child’s distress are critical for a good outcome. In the acute care setting, clinicians are often reluctant to make the diagnosis of somatization. Part of the challenge is encouraging clinicians to see that somatization is not a “diagnosis of exclusion.” We want to encourage clinicians to routinely consider risk factors for somatization in their histories, actively discuss the mind–body connection with patients and families, and include somatization in a carefully considered differential diagnosis. The more we can break down the siloing of physical from mental health, the better we will serve our patients.

Objective: We aimed to explore the prevalence of somatic symptom disorder (SSD) according to DSM-5 criteria in Chinese outpatients from general hospital departments. Methods: This multicentre cross-sectional study enrolled 699 patients from outpatient departments, including the neurology, gastroenterology, Traditional Chinese Medicine [TCM] and psychosomatic medicine departments, in five cities in China. The structured clinical interview for DSM-5 (SCID-5) for SSD was administered by trained clinical professionals to diagnose SSD. Results: SSD was diagnosed in 33.8% (236/697) of all enrolled patients. The prevalence of SSD differed significantly among the departments (X2 = 34.049, df=2, p=

Although anecdotal reports suggest a relation between orthorexic eating behavior and symptoms of somatoform disorders, this issue has not yet been investigated. The aim of this study was to compare orthorexic eating behavior and other characteristics of disordered eating behavior in patients with somatoform disorders to a sample of healthy controls. 31 patients with somatoform disorders and 30 matched controls completed eight questionnaires, i.a., the Dusseldorf Orthorexia Scale, three scales of the Eating Disorder Inventory-2, Eating Attitudes Test-26, Multidimensional Inventory of Hypochondriacal Traits, Attitudes Towards Body and Health Questionnaire, and Screening for Somatoform Disorders. The patients displayed higher levels of orthorexic eating behavior, drive for thinness, body dissatisfaction, bulimia, and dieting than the control group. In both groups, orthorexic eating behavior was associated with higher levels of somatization in eating and health habits. The control group showed an association of orthorexic eating behavior with catastrophizing cognitions and the perceptual component of health anxiety. The results support the hypothesis of a connection between orthorexic eating behavior and somatoform disorders. However, patients with somatoform disorders do not seem to be at particular risk for orthorexia. Future studies should investigate causes for the relationship between orthorexic eating behavior and characteristics of somatoform disorders in samples of healthy individuals. Level V, descriptive study with matched control group.

BackgroundIn 2013, the diagnosis of somatic symptom disorder (SSD) was introduced into the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). This review aims to comprehensively synthesize contemporary evidence related to SSD.MethodsA scoping review was conducted using PubMed, PsycINFO, and Cochrane Library. The main inclusion criteria were SSD and publication in the English language between 01/2009 and 05/2020. Systematic search terms also included subheadings for the DSM-5 text sections; i.e., diagnostic features, prevalence, development and course, risk and prognostic factors, culture, gender, suicide risk, functional consequences, differential diagnosis, and comorbidity.ResultsEight hundred and eighty-two articles were identified, of which 59 full texts were included for analysis. Empirical evidence supports the reliability, validity, and clinical utility of SSD diagnostic criteria, but the further specification of the psychological SSD B-criteria criteria seems necessary. General population studies using self-report questionnaires reported mean frequencies for SSD of 12.9% [95% confidence interval (CI) 12.5–13.3%], while prevalence studies based on criterion standard interviews are lacking. SSD was associated with increased functional impairment, decreased quality of life, and high comorbidity with anxiety and depressive disorders. Relevant research gaps remain regarding developmental aspects, risk and prognostic factors, suicide risk as well as culture- and gender-associated issues.ConclusionsStrengths of the SSD diagnosis are its good reliability, validity, and clinical utility, which substantially improved on its predecessors. SSD characterizes a specific patient population that is significantly impaired both physically and psychologically. However, substantial research gaps exist, e.g., regarding SSD prevalence assessed with criterion standard diagnostic interviews.

Background: Communication between healthcare providers and patients with persistent somatic symptoms (PSS) is frequently hampered by mutual misunderstanding and dissatisfaction.Methods: We developed an online, interprofessional course to teach healthcare providers the knowledge, skills, and attitude they need to diagnose and treat PSS in a patient-centered manner based on the biopsychosocial model. The course consisted of six modules of 45–60 min. Each module contained different types of assignments, based on six cases: videos, discussion boards, reading assignments, polls, and quizzes. For this study, we included (1) medical residents, following the course as part of their residency training, and (2) healthcare providers (general practitioners, medical specialists, physiotherapists, nurses, and psychologists), following the course as continuing vocational training. Throughout the course, participants were asked to fill out online surveys, enquiring about their learning gains and satisfaction with the course.Results: The biopsychosocial approach was integrated across the modules and teached health care workers about recent insights on biological, psychological and social aspects of PSS. In total, 801 participants with a wide variety in clinical experience started the course; the largest groups of professionals were general practitioners (N = 400), physiotherapists (N = 124) and mental healthcare workers (N = 53). At the start of the course, 22% of the participants rated their level of knowledge on PSS as adequate. At the end of the course, 359 participants completed the evaluation questionnaires. Of this group, 81% rated their level of knowledge on PSS as adequate and 86% felt that following the course increased their competencies in communicating with patients with PSS (N = 359). On a scale from 1 to 10, participants gave the course a mean grade of 7.8 points. Accordingly, 85% stated that they would recommend the course to a colleague.Conclusion: Our course developed in a co-design process involving multiple stakeholders can be implemented, is being used, and is positively evaluated by professionals across a variety of health care settings.

Background: Health anxiety may exist with or without prominent somatic symptoms, but the impact of somatic symptoms on treatment response is unclear. The study objective was to examine this question further as symptom burden may impact choice of type of treatment.Methods: This exploratory study used a unique database from a prior trial of 193 individuals with DSM-IV hypochondriasis who had been randomly assigned to either cognitive behavioral therapy, fluoxetine, combined therapy, or placebo. Two subgroups were newly defined—no/low somatic burden (n = 42) and prominent somatic burden (n = 151). Response was defined by ≥30% improvement in hypochondriasis.Results: Among high somatic hypochondriacal participants, compared to placebo, the odds of being a responder were significantly greater among those who received fluoxetine, either alone (OR = 4.46; 95% CI: 1.38, 14.41) or with cognitive behavioral therapy (OR = 3.56; 95% CI: 1.19, 10.68); the estimated odds were not significantly different for those receiving cognitive behavioral therapy alone (OR = 1.81; 95% CI: 0.59, 5.54). In contrast, among low somatic hypochondriacal participants, compared to placebo, the observed odds of being a responder were similar in magnitude and direction for those who received cognitive behavioral therapy, either alone (OR = 3.00; 95% CI: 0.38, 23.68) or in combination with fluoxetine (OR = 3.60; 95% CI: 0.62, 21.03), compared to the odds for those receiving fluoxetine alone (OR = 0.90; 95% CI: 0.14, 5.65). High somatic hypochondriacal individuals assigned to any fluoxetine group had significantly greater odds of being a responder than those who had not received fluoxetine (OR = 2.70; 95% CI: 1.33, 5.48). Low somatic hypochondriacal individuals assigned to any cognitive behavioral therapy group had significantly greater odds of being a responder than those who had not received cognitive behavioral therapy (OR = 8.03; 95% CI: 1.41, 45.67).Conclusion: These findings indicate that somatic symptom burden may be important in guiding treatment selection among individuals with marked health anxiety, as hypochondriacal individuals with high somatic burden responded more often to fluoxetine while those with low somatic burden responded more often to cognitive behavioral therapy. Systematic replication with larger studies is needed.

The American Psychiatric Association has replaced the concept hypochondriasis with two new categories, Illness Anxiety Disorder (IAD) and Somatic Symptom Disorder (SSD), based on updated DSMV criteria. It was plagued by imprecise definitions and was unreliable with DSM IV criteria, as it had been previously. Hypochondriasis has two key components: disease phobia and disease conviction. The person is frequently searching for disease information and is under a great deal of discomfort and anxiety. These hypochondriac traits are common among medical students. Methods: The study targeted 1175 students of which 393 from medical background and 792 was from Science University. Students were provided with self assessment questionnaire based on HAI (Health anxiety Inventory). Statistical analysis was done on observation on Anxiety index by using Chi – square on statistical software SPSS Version 22. Results: Medical students had a slightly higher prevalence of IAD and SSD, as well as a higher level of disease phobia, than non-medical students, due to the fact that they must deal with disease characteristics throughout their lives and must read about it. Conclusion: The overall prevalence of SSD and IAD among students was determined to be 3.28 %. However, a more defined method is required for classification using DSM V criteria. This is due to a categorised and unclear assessment of patients' symptomatic behaviour due to co morbidity. It suggests that a large sample size be used to determine prevalence in the general population, as well as the demographic parameters that influence the results, with more exact categorization to eliminate co morbidity and a better approach for identifying patients.

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between somatic symptom disorder (SSD) and sleep disorders, following three research questions: (1) How are these disorders correlated? (2) What are the comorbidities reported in these patients? and (3) What are the most effective pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments for both conditions? PubMed, Scopus, OVID, Medline, and ProQuest databases were searched for relevant articles published between 1957–2020. Search terms included “somatic symptoms disorder”, “sleep disorders”, “insomnia”, “somatoform”, “somatization”, “therapeutic”, “psychotherapy”, and alternative, formerly used terms for SSD. Forty papers were finally included in the study. Prevalence of insomnia in SSD patients ranged between 20.4–48%, with this being strongly correlated to somatic symptoms and psychosocial disability. The most relevant comorbidities were generalized anxiety disorder, depression, fatigue, negative mood, substance use, orthorexia, alexithymia, anorexia, weight loss, poor eating habits, and acute stress disorder. Patients receiving antidepressant therapy reported significant improvements in insomnia and somatic symptoms. In terms of non-pharmacological interventions, cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) showed improvements in sleep outcomes, while the Specialized Treatment for Severe Bodily Distress Syndromes (STreSS) may represent an additional promising option. Future research could include other medical and psychosocial variables to complete the picture of the relationship between sleep disorders and somatic symptoms.

Background: Somatic symptom disorder (SSD) is common in medical settings but has been underdiagnosed. Stigma related to psychiatric illness was one of the barriers to making the diagnosis. More and more SSD patients who visited psychiatric clinics with physical complaints identify themselves as having ‘autonomic dysregulation’ in Taiwan. Aims: This study aimed to investigate the characteristics of patients with a subjective diagnosis of ‘autonomic dysregulation’. Method: We assessed the sociodemographic profile, medical/psychiatric diagnoses, subjective psychiatric diagnoses, perceived psychiatric stigma, help-seeking attitude, and healthcare utilization of 122 participants with SSD. Participants who identified themselves as having ‘autonomic dysregulation’ ( n = 84) were compared to those who did not (n=38). Results: Participants with a subjective diagnosis of ‘autonomic dysregulation’ were younger and had a higher education level than those who did not have such a subjective diagnosis. They also had higher scores on the Patient Health Questionnaire-15 (PHQ-15) and Health Anxiety Questionnaire (HAQ), whereas comorbid psychiatric diagnoses were similar in the two groups. Participants with and without a subjective diagnosis of ‘autonomic dysregulation’ did not have a significant difference in perceived psychiatric stigma and help-seeking attitude/behaviors. In a multiple logistic regression model, only age was associated with having a subjective diagnosis of ‘autonomic dysregulation’. Conclusion: Among SSD patients, those who identify themselves as having ‘autonomic dysregulation’ tend to have higher somatic distress and health anxiety than those who do not. ‘Autonomic dysregulation’ is not associated with perceived psychiatric stigma.

Little is known about important biopsychosocial differences between patients depending on the number of diagnosed comorbid psychiatric disorders, including the presence or absence of substance use disorder (SUD) comorbidity. This study investigated for differences in psychosocial disadvantage, psychiatric disorders, and health service utilization amongst 194 general hospital patients referred to consultation-liaison psychiatry (CLP) with either no psychiatric diagnosis, single psychiatric diagnosis, multiple (non-SUD) psychiatric diagnoses, or one or more psychiatric diagnoses plus SUD comorbidity. The results revealed that SUDs were the commonest diagnostic category (34%). The SUD comorbidity group had the highest rates of disadvantaged housing, were prescribed the most psychoactive medications, and 20% prematurely self-discharged against medical advice. Increased SUDs were associated with reduced length of stay, men, younger age, increased investigations, and reduced private health insurance subscription. Patients with SUD comorbidity versus multiple psychiatric diagnoses had reduced odds of adjustment disorder, somatic symptom disorder, and insomnia disorder. Post-traumatic stress disorder was the strongest predictor of multiple SUDs, followed by cluster B personality disorders. In conclusion, SUDs have become a leading clinical focus for CLP. The presence or absence of SUDs amongst patients with multiple disorders has important implications for engagement in treatment, patterns of comorbidity, and prescribing practices.

OBJECTIVE Reporting of unexpected symptoms after concussion might, in some people, reflect a Functional Neurological Disorder (FND), Somatic Symptom Disorder (SSD), or exaggeration (feigning). This study aimed to determine whether reporting unexpected symptoms after concussion was associated with risk factors for FND/SSD, exaggeration, or both. METHOD Adults with persistent symptoms following concussion (N = 77; 61% women) rated the presence and severity of unexpected neurological symptoms (from the Screening for Somatoform Symptoms scale, e.g., paralysis) and somatic symptoms (from the Patient Health Questionnaire-15, e.g., stomach pain) that did not overlap with post-concussion symptom scale items. The independent variables were risk factors for exaggeration (neuropsychological performance validity test failure and personal injury litigation) and predisposing and perpetuating factors for developing FND and/or SSD (e.g., fear avoidance behavior). RESULTS When adjusting for all covariates, fear avoidance behavior was most strongly related to unexpected neurological symptoms (B = 0.11, 95% confidence interval = 0.05-0.18, p

The occurrence of Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) and Somatic Symptom Disorder (SSD) in PD was not commonly accepted until recently, despite some evidence that emerged in the pre and early L-Dopa era. More recently, the recognition of FND and SSD were noted to be relevant for the management of PD. FND and SSD appear early in the course of PD, often preceding motor symptoms, may interfere with treatment outcomes, often acquire psychotic features during progression, and are mixed with and often concealed by the progressive cognitive decline. We review the related features from the range of the available reports and discuss theoretical models conceived to explain the potential pathophysiological background of these disorders. Finally, we suggest that FND and SSD should be included among the non-motor symptoms of PD and be considered a prodromal feature in a subset of patients. This article is part of the Special Issue "Parkinsonism across the spectrum of movement disorders and beyond" edited by Joseph Jankovic, Daniel D. Truong and Matteo Bologna.

Chronic pain is an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience that persists or recurs more than three months and may extend beyond the expected time of healing. Recently, nociplastic pain has been introduced as a descriptor of the mechanism of pain, which is due to the disturbance of neural processing without actual or potential tissue damage, appearing to replace a concept of psychogenic pain. An interdisciplinary task force of the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) compiled a systematic classification of clinical conditions associated with chronic pain, which was published in 2018 and will officially come into effect in 2022 in the 11th revision of the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD-11) by the World Health Organization. ICD-11 offers the option for recording the presence of psychological or social factors in chronic pain; however, cognitive, emotional, and social dimensions in the pathogenesis of chronic pain are missing. Earlier pain disorder was defined as a condition with chronic pain associated with psychological factors, but it was replaced with somatic symptom disorder with predominant pain in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition (DSM-5) in 2013. Recently clinical nosology is trending toward highlighting neurological pathology of chronic pain, discounting psychological or social factors in the pathogenesis of pain. This review article discusses components of the pain pathway, the component-based mechanisms of pain, central and peripheral sensitization, roles of chronic inflammation, and the involvement of tryptophan-kynurenine pathway metabolites, exploring the participation of psychosocial and behavioral factors in central sensitization of diseases progressing into the development of chronic pain, comorbid diseases that commonly present a symptom of chronic pain, and psychiatric disorders that manifest chronic pain without obvious actual or potential tissue damage.

Dentists are not trained in dental school to identify and recognize patients with Somatic Symptom Disorder (SSD) before initiating dental treatment. Lack of such recognition could result in misdiagnosis, inefficient management of treatment time, and dental treatment failure. The aim of this mini review is to develop awareness and provide basic knowledge about SSD among dentists. Several recommendations are made to assist dental students and dentists in attaining basic knowledge and training related to this psychiatric disorder.

Couvade Syndrome is best characterized as a somatic symptom disorder where the partner experiences somatic symptoms during their partner's pregnancy most often during the first and third trimesters. Several psychoanalytical theories have been proposed for this disorder. There are well studied mood changes that correspond to hormonal shifts that occur in response to anticipated parenthood which serve as a physiologic mechanism for this pathology.The following is a case of Couvade syndrome in the setting of a high risk pregnancy complicated by pre-eclampsia with severe features necessitating a preterm delivery.Expectant fathers should be screened for symptoms of Couvade Syndrome throughout the pregnancy in order to better support the familial unit.

Objectives: We aimed to determine the prevalence of chronic pain and its relationship with locomotive syndrome (LS) and somatic symptom disorder.Methods: A cross-sectional survey to assess factors ...

Background and purpose Somatic symptom disorder (SSD) refers to a significant impairment in daily activities due to a dysfunctional preoccupation with one or more physical symptoms. This study reports the effectiveness of herbal medicine (HM) on SSD patient. Materials and methods A 58-year-old woman had somatic atypical gastrointestinal symptoms for 5 years; i.e., an uncomfortable feeling going from the stomach to the ear as well as related severe anxiety. A Korean medicine (KM) doctor presumed she had SSD and phlegm-dampness syndrome, consequently, Xiao Ban Xia Jia Fu Ling Tang was administered. Her anxiety symptoms were rated using the numerical rating scale and the Beck anxiety inventory. Results The somatic symptoms originating in the stomach and chest, as well as the severe anxiety, improved markedly after 2 months of KM treatment. Conclusion HMs used for treating phlegm-dampness syndrome may be effective in treating conditions involving somatic symptoms and related anxiety.

Contains fulltext : 207225.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Open Access) BACKGROUND: Affective disorders, encompassing depressive-, anxiety-, and somatic symptom disorders, are the most prevalent mental disorders in later life. Treatment protocols and guidelines largely rely on evidence from RCTs conducted in younger age samples and ignore comorbidity between these disorders. Moreover, studies in geriatric psychiatry are often limited to the "younger old" and rarely include the most frail. Therefore, the effectiveness of treatment in routine clinical care for older patients and impact of ageing characteristics is largely unknown. OBJECTIVE: The primary aim of the Routine Outcome Monitoring for Geriatric Psychiatry & Science (ROM-GPS) - project is to examine the impact of ageing characteristics on the effectiveness of treatment for affective disorders in specialised geriatric mental health care. METHODS: ROM-GPS is a two-stage, multicentre project. In stage one, all patients aged >/=60 years referred to participating outpatient clinics for specialised geriatric mental health care will be routinely screened with a semi-structured psychiatric interview, the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview and self-report symptom severity scales assessing depression, generalized anxiety, hypochondria, and alcohol use. Patients with a unipolar depressive, anxiety or somatic symptom disorder will be asked informed consent to participate in a second (research) stage to be extensively phenotyped at baseline and closely monitored during their first year of treatment with remission at one-year follow-up as the primary outcome parameter. In addition to a large test battery of potential confounders, specific attention is paid to cognitive functioning (including computerized tests with the Cogstate test battery as well as paper and pencil tests) and physical functioning (including multimorbidity, polypharmacy, and different frailty indicators). The study is designed as an ongoing project, enabling minor adaptations once a year (change of instruments). DISCUSSION: Although effectiveness studies using observational data can easily be biased, potential selection bias can be quantified and potentially corrected (e.g. by propensity scoring). Knowledge of age-related determinants of treatment effectiveness, may stimulate the development of new interventions. Moreover, studying late-life depressive, anxiety and somatic symptom disorders jointly enables data-driven studies for more optimal classification of these disorders in later life. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Dutch Trial Register: NL6704 ( www.trialregister.nl ). Retrospectively registered on 2017-12-05. 12 p.

Anxiety is an innate human response to situations that cause fear, worry or concern. One such type is health anxiety. Health anxiety is a term derived from hypochondriasis and divided into two disorders: illness anxiety disorder and somatic symptom disorder. Symptoms can range from mild-to-moderate expressions of worry to clinical diagnoses. Previous research has shown pregnancy-specific anxiety to be an autonomous anxiety disorder. When a woman conceives, immediate somatic changes are experienced, and although all pregnancies are different, these changes could cause either illness anxiety disorder or somatic symptom disorder. This review explores the possibility of pregnancy-specific health anxiety in greater detail.