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Objective: Several psychological factors have been proposed to be associated with functional somatic disorders (FSD) including functional somatic syndromes, such as irritable bowel, chronic widespread pain, and chronic fatigue. However, large randomly selected population-based studies of this association are sparse. This study aimed to investigate the association between FSD and perceived stress and self-efficacy, respectively, and to investigate if FSD differed from severe physical diseases on these aspects.Methods: This cross-sectional study included a random sample of the adult Danish population (n = 9656). FSD were established using self-reported questionnaires and diagnostic interviews. Perceived stress was measured with Cohen’s Perceived Stress Scale and self-efficacy with the General Self-Efficacy Scale. Data were analysed with generalized linear models and linear regression models.Results: FSD were associated with higher perceived stress and lower self-efficacy, especially for the multi-organ and the general symptoms/fatigue FSD types and for chronic fatigue. However, controlling for the personality trait neuroticism altered the associations with self-efficacy so it became insignificant. The analysis did not support an important interaction between perceived stress and self-efficacy on the likelihood of having FSD. Individuals with FSD presented levels of perceived stress that were not equal, ie higher, to those in individuals with severe physical diseases.Conclusion: FSD were positively associated with perceived stress and negatively associated with self-efficacy. Our study may point to stress being part of the symptomatology of FSD. This underlines the severity of having FSD and stresses the relevance of the resilience theory in the understanding of the condition. Objective: Several psychological factors have been proposed to be associated with functional somatic disorders (FSD) including functional somatic syndromes, such as irritable bowel, chronic widespread pain, and chronic fatigue. However, large randomly selected population-based studies of this association are sparse. This study aimed to investigate the association between FSD and perceived stress and self-efficacy, respectively, and to investigate if FSD differed from severe physical diseases on these aspects.Methods: This cross-sectional study included a random sample of the adult Danish population (n = 9656). FSD were established using self-reported questionnaires and diagnostic interviews. Perceived stress was measured with Cohen's Perceived Stress Scale and self-efficacy with the General Self-Efficacy Scale. Data were analysed with generalized linear models and linear regression models.Results: FSD were associated with higher perceived stress and lower self-efficacy, especially for the multi-organ and the general symptoms/fatigue FSD types and for chronic fatigue. However, controlling for the personality trait neuroticism altered the associations with self-efficacy so it became insignificant. The analysis did not support an important interaction between perceived stress and self -efficacy on the likelihood of having FSD. Individuals with FSD presented levels of perceived stress that were not equal, ie higher, to those in individuals with severe physical diseases.Conclusion: FSD were positively associated with perceived stress and negatively associated with self-efficacy. Our study may point to stress being part of the symptomatology of FSD. This underlines the severity of having FSD and stresses the relevance of the resilience theory in the understanding of the condition.

Persistent physical symptoms (PPS) remain a challenge in the healthcare system due to time-constrained consultations, uncertainty and limited specialised care capacity. Self-help interventions may be a cost-effective way to widen the access to treatment. As a foundation for future interventions, we aimed to describe intervention components and their potential effects in self-help interventions for PPS. A systematic literature search was made in PubMed, EMBASE, PsycINFO and CENTRAL. Fifty-one randomised controlled trials were included. Interventions were coded for effect on outcomes (standardised mean difference ≥0.2) related to symptom burden, anxiety, depression, quality of life, healthcare utilisation and sickness absence. The Behaviour Change Technique (BCT) Taxonomy v1 was used to code intervention components. An index of potential was calculated for each BCT within an outcome category. Each BCT was assessed as 'potentially effective' or 'not effective' based on a two-sided test for binomial random variables. Sixteen BCTs showed potential effect as treatment components. These BCTs represented the themes: goals and planning, feedback and monitoring, shaping knowledge, natural consequences, comparison of behaviour, associations, repetition and substitution, regulation, antecedents and identity. The results suggest that specific BCTs should be included in new PPS self-help interventions aiming to improve the patients' physical and mental health.

Aims: Little is known about the prevalence and characteristics of functional somatic syndromes (FSS) such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), fibromyalgia (FM), chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), whiplash associated disorders (WAD), multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS), and bodily distress syndrome (BDS) in the general population when they are investigated simultaneously. Method: This cross-sectional study is based on the Danish Study of Functional Disorders (DanFunD) cohort consisting of 9656 adults from the general population. FSS and BDS were identified by questionnaires and characterized by age, sex, vocational training, physical health and comorbidity with physical and psychiatric disease. Results: In total, 16.3% (95% CI: 15.6–17.1) of the participants fulfilled the criteria for at least one FSS, ranging from 1.7% for WAD to 8.6% for CFS, and 16.1% (95% CI: 15.4–16.9) fulfilled the criteria for BDS. Cases had a high risk of poor self-perceived health, limitations in daily activities, and a high psychiatric comorbidity, all increasing with the number of syndromes in each individual. However, the associations differed across the various FSS. Mutual overlaps of IBS, FM and CFS were greater than could be expected by chance. Conclusions: FSS and BDS are prevalent in the adult Danish population, and cases have high risk of poor self-perceived health, limitation in daily activities, and psychiatric comorbidity. These associations were particularly strong for cases with multiple FSS and multi-organ BDS.

OBJECTIVE: Epidemiological research in functional somatic disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, and bodily distress syndrome and related conditions such as health (illness) anxiety is often based on self-reported questionnaires or layman interviews. This study presents and describes the Research Interview for Functional somatic Disorders (RIFD) and provides first data regarding RIFD's ability to identify cases with functional somatic disorders and health anxiety in a two-phase design following self-reported symptom questionnaires.METHODS: RIFD was performed by phone by trained family physicians on a stratified subsample of 1590 adults from a Danish general population cohort (n = 7493). Criterion validity was tested in a small preliminary test including 25 RIFD participants using Schedules of Clinical Assessment in Neuropsychiatry (SCAN), performed by a specialist in functional somatic disorders, as gold standard. Interrater reliability between interviewers was tested in 15 participants.RESULTS: Compared with the comprehensive SCAN, preparation and conduction of RIFD were feasible and prompt. RIFD was well accepted by both interviewers and interviewees. RIFD identified cases with significantly more impairment than identified non-cases. Based on small preliminary tests, RIFD showed promising psychometric properties.CONCLUSION: RIFD was a feasible, well-accepted and promising instrument for use in large epidemiological studies. However, larger studies investigating its psychometric properties are needed.

Background: Adverse experiences in childhood are a major public health concern, promoting social inequality in health through biopsychosocial mechanisms. So far, no known measures comprehend the complexity and variations of severity of adverse events. This study aims to develop and validate a new index: the Weighted Index for Childhood Adverse Conditions (WICAC). Methods: The population consists of 7493 randomly invited men and women aged 18–72 years. Data were collected in 2012–2015 as part of the Danish Study of Functional Disorders (DanFunD). Content and construct validation of the WICAC was performed with the hypothesis testing of multiple biopsychosocial outcomes: cardiovascular disease, cancer, poor health, back pain, BMI, obesity, anxiety, depression, low vitality, subjective social status, lower education, smoking, and alcohol consumption. Data were analysed with binominal and linear regression models with risk ratios (RR) and mean differences (MD). Results: Content validation is fitting for WICAC. The strongest associations observed were for most severe adversity: Poor Health RR = 2.16 (1.19–2.91), Anxiety RR = 3.32 (2.32–4.74), Heavy Drinking RR = 4.09 (1.85–9.04), and Subjective Social Status MD = −0.481 (−0.721–(−0.241)). Similar results were found for the remaining outcomes. Discriminative validation was undecided. Conclusions: WICAC is an adequate instrument for measuring cumulative adverse life events in childhood and adolescence for research purposes.

This study retrospectively compares two previous parallel running, randomized, controlled trials of pharmacotherapy (imipramine) and psychotherapy (acceptance and commitment therapy) for multi-organ functional somatic disorder (FSD). Differences in demographics, psychiatric comorbidity, illness severity, and illness duration associated with eligibility for the two trials and patients' willingness to participate are explored using linear or binary regression models. 418 patients with multi-organ FSD was included. We found that 377 (95%) were eligible for psychotherapy and 257 patients (61%) for pharmacotherapy. Patients eligible for pharmacotherapy were less severely impaired, less often received disability pension, reported shorter illness duration and experienced less psychological distress than patients eligible for psychotherapy. Whilst exclusion criteria for both trials differed markedly, it was not possible to clearly identify patient or illness characteristics associated with patients' willingness to participate. The study showed that trial-specific exclusion criteria led to the selection of less complex and less severely impaired patients in the pharmacological trial in this sample of multi-organ FSD. Our findings have important implications for the interpretation and comparability of RCT results of different treatments in multi-organ FSD and may point to some common flaws in study design and interpretation of pharmacological vs. psychotherapeutic intervention trials in psychiatry.

OBJECTIVE: The Whiteley Index (WI) is the most widely used screening tool for health anxiety/illness worry. Diverse versions (different number of items and factors) have been used. We aimed to examine psychometric properties of 7 items of the WI besides adding a new item on obsessive illness rumination for better future detection of health anxiety.METHODS: Data from a large population-based study in Denmark (N = 9656). Construct validity was examined by exploratory (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) plus hypothesis testing. Criterion validity was evaluated via Receiver Operating Characteristic curves and area under the curve (AUC) using a diagnostic criterion as gold standard.RESULTS: Factor loadings of EFA revealed viable one-factor models (6, 7, or 8 items) and two-factor models (7 or 8 items). Factor one indicated a dimension of illness worry. Factor two indicated a somatic symptoms dimension. The new item on obsessive illness rumination merged well with the existing items. EFA of two-factor models and one-factor 6-item model showed good fit. CFA resembles these findings. A one-factor 6-item model (including the item on obsessive illness rumination and excluding two items concerning somatic symptoms) was chosen as the optimal model and presented good criterion validity: AUC 0.88 (95%CI(0.84;0.92)). Main hypotheses concerning associations with somatic symptoms, anxiety, and depression were met.CONCLUSIONS: We found good psychometric properties for a new one-factor 6-item version of the WI. Through elimination of items concerning somatic symptoms and inclusion of obsessive illness rumination, we propose a clear, unidimensional and improved measure of illness worry: Whiteley-6-R.

BACKGROUND: To improve treatment outcomes, it is essential to understand the processes involved in therapeutic change. The aim of this study was to investigate the processes involved in treatment of individuals with chronic lower back pain (CLBP) and high fear-avoidance. Graded in vivo exposure (Exposure), a specific treatment, and cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT), a general treatment, were compared.METHODS: Our study used data from a three-arm randomized controlled trial. The sample comprised 61 CLBP patients (pain duration >3 months; sufficient level of fear-avoidance). Assessments of session-by-session processes were done weekly for a maximum 14 weeks. The primary outcome, functional disability, was assessed at pre-treatment, post-treatment and 6-months follow-up. First, two-level models were used to test for treatment-related similarities and differences in the changes in session-by-session measures (i.e., common and unique treatment processes respectively). Second, we analysed treatment processes as predictors of treatment outcome.RESULTS: Contrary to our expectations, we found no evidence of unique treatment processes. Our results indicate that Exposure and CBT share some treatment processes. Specifically, patients reported a reduction in fear of movement and improvements in their ability to relax, to distract themselves, to manage their pain, to confront feared movements, to be active and to enjoy things despite their pain. Changes in fear of movement, relaxation, distraction, confrontation, activity and pain-related self-efficacy were also related to disability reduction.CONCLUSIONS: Despite conceptual differences, Exposure and CBT may share common treatment processes. Future research needs to address, however, whether these processes need to be targeted directly or can be supported indirectly.SIGNIFICANCE: We identified several treatment processes (e.g., reduction of fear of movement, enhancement of self-efficacy), which were associated with disability reduction during the management of chronic pain and fear-avoidance. These processes appeared to be equally important for Exposure and CBT. Practitioners should optimize these processes to improve their patients' functioning.

Background Patients with multiple functional somatic syndromes show markedly reduced functioning and numerous somatic symptoms that cannot be explained by conventionally-defined physical disease. Whilst the comorbidity of functional somatic syndromes with mental disorders is well-known, knowledge about physical comorbidity and mortality is scarce. Aim To compare number of physical diseases between patients with multiple functional somatic syndromes (operationalized as multi-organ bodily distress syndrome) and the general population with regard to: 1) All conventionally-defined physical diseases, and 2) Severe mortality-associated physical diseases. Materials and methods Patients with multiple functional somatic syndromes ( n = 239) were compared with age- and gender-matched population-based controls ( n = 5975). The number of physical diseases during a four-year period was estimated by means of registered ICD-10 codes in relation to hospital admissions and ambulatory care. We counted individual diagnoses indicating conventionally-defined physical disease based on a previously developed diagnosis sorting algorithm and an additional clinical evaluation, excluding unspecific (symptom) diagnoses and functional somatic syndromes. An updated version of Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI 12 ) was used to estimate severe, mortality-associated physical diseases. Results Patients with multiple functional somatic syndromes had an increased number of conventionally-defined physical disease compared to controls (Ratio: 2.17, 95% CI: 1.96–2.41). Groups were similar as regards CCI 12 ( P = 0.55). Conclusions Patients with multiple functional somatic syndromes showed substantial physical comorbidity. Their burden of severe, mortality-associated physical diseases was comparable to the general population. Further research is needed to clarify the nature, clinical significance, and long-term consequences of the comorbid physical diseases.

Marie Germund Nielsen,1 Eva Ørnbøl,2 Per Bech,3 Mogens Vestergaard,1,4 Kaj Sparle Christensen1 1Research Unit for General Practice, Department of Public Health, Aarhus University, 2Research Clinic for Functional Disorders and Psychosomatics, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, 3Psychiatric Research Unit, Psychiatric Centre North Zealand, University Hospital of Copenhagen, Hillerød, 4Section forGeneral Medical Practice, Department of Public Health, AarhusUniversity, Aarhus, Denmark Background: The Major Depression Inventory (MDI) is widely used in Danish general practice as a screening tool to assess depression in symptomatic patients. Nevertheless, no validation studies of the MDI have been performed. The aim of this study was to validate the web-based version of the MDI against a fully structured telephone interview in a population selected on clinical suspicion of depression (ie, presence of two or three core symptoms of depression) in general practice.Materials and methods: General practitioners (GPs) invited consecutive persons suspected of depression to complete the web-based MDI in a primary care setting. The validation was based on the Munich-Composite International Diagnostic Interview (M-CIDI) by phone. GPs in the 22 practices in our study included 132 persons suspected of depression. Depression was rated as yes/no according to the MDI and M-CIDI. Sensitivity, specificity, and positive predictive value of the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) algorithms of the MDI were examined.Results: According to the M-CIDI interview, 87.9% of the included population was depressed and 64.4% was severely depressed. According to the MDI scale, 59.1% of the population was depressed and 31.8% was severely depressed. The sensitivity of the MDI for depression was 62.1% (95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 52.6–70.9) and the specificity was 62.5% (95% CI: 35.4–84.8). The sensitivity for severe depression was 42.2% (95% CI: 30.6–52.4) and the specificity was 85.1% (95% CI: 71.7–93.8). The receiver operating curve showed an area under the curve of 0.66 (95% CI: 0.52–0.81) for any depression and of 0.72 (95% CI: 0.63–0.81) for severe depression.Conclusion: The MDI is a conservative instrument for diagnosing ICD-10 depression in a clinical setting compared to the M-CIDI interview. Only a few false-positive diagnoses were identified when the MDI was used on clinical suspicion of depression. Keywords: Major Depression Inventory, depression, criterion validity, M-CIDI interview, diagnosing

An RCT of a lay-led chronic pain self-management program (n = 424) had no effect on disability or health expenditure 3 months after the intervention., The Stanford Chronic Pain Self-Management Programme (CPSMP) consists of 6 2½-hour weekly workshops focusing on how to manage pain in daily life. The workshops are facilitated by 2 workshop leaders of whom at least 1 must suffer from a long-term pain condition. The program is highly structured and manualized. Only few controlled trials testing the effect of CPSMP exist. Enrolled in the study were 424 adults from 19 Danish municipalities, (72% women; age: 25-93 years) with pain of any etiology and great variation in pain history (0-50 yrs). Of these, 216 were randomized to a lay-led version of the CPSMP. The primary outcome was pain-related disability. Secondary outcomes were pain, pain catastrophizing, self-efficacy, emotional distress, physical symptoms, and illness worry. Outcomes were measured before randomization, immediately after the CPSMP (response rate: 94%), and at 3-month follow-up (response rate: 92%). National register data on health expenditure were obtained to examine effects on health care use. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01306747. The CPSMP had no effect on the primary outcome pain-related disability or on health expenditure during intervention and follow-up period. Small positive effects on emotional distress and illness worry 3 months after CPSMP were observed. Lay-led CPSMP is not recommended as treatment for chronic pain-related disability. This heterogeneous group of patients with pain did not benefit from the CPSMP except for a small, but clinically insignificant improvement in psychological well-being.

Supplemental digital content is available in the text., Objective The upcoming International Classification of Diseases, 11th Revision for primary care use suggests inclusion of a new diagnostic construct, bodily (di)stress syndrome (BDS), for individuals with medically unexplained symptoms. We aimed to explore the long-term outcome of BDS in health care costs, work disability, and self-rated health. Methods Consecutive patients consulting their family physician for a new health problem were screened for physical and mental symptoms by questionnaires (n = 1785). A stratified subsample was examined with a standardized diagnostic interview (n = 701). Patients with single-organ BDS (n = 124) and multiorgan BDS (n = 35), and a reference group with a family physician–verified medical condition (n = 880) were included. All included patients completed a questionnaire at 3, 12, and 24 months of follow-up. Register data on health care costs and work disability were obtained after 2 and 10 years of follow-up, respectively. Results Patients with BDS displayed poorer self-rated health and higher illness worry at index consultation and throughout follow-up than the reference group (p ≤ .001). The annual health care costs were higher in the BDS groups (2270 USD and 4066 USD) than in the reference group (1392 USD) (achieved significance level (ASL) ≤ 0.001). Both BDS groups had higher risk of sick leave during the first 2 years of follow-up (RRsingle-organ BDS = 3.0; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.8–5.0; RRmultiorgan BDS = 3.4; 95% CI = 1.5–7.5) and substantially higher risk of newly awarded disability pension than the reference group (HRsingle-organ BDS = 4.9; 95% CI = 2.8–8.4; HRmultiorgan BDS = 8.7; 95% CI = 3.7–20.7). Conclusions Patients with BDS have poor long-term outcome of health care costs, work disability, and subjective suffering. These findings stress the need for adequate recognition and management of BDS.

The often touted positive association between religion and wellbeing is mainly based on evidence from cross-sectional studies. This is problematic because such studies tend to draw conclusions at the individual level despite reporting associations at the group level. In addition to this fallacy, inferences at the group level are also likely to be inflated by the social desirability effect, which may further exacerbate misrepresentations of the individual level. To avoid these pitfalls, we examined prayer-wellbeing (P-WB) associations and social desirability effects at both levels, using single-level and multilevel regression analysis on a longitudinal dataset. Weekly reports of prayer and wellbeing from 282 frequently praying Danish Christians, totaling 4254 complete responses, were combined with a comprehensive background questionnaire featuring a social desirability measure targeting the religious domain. A typical weak positive P-WB association was observed at the group level, which disappeared when controlling for social desirability. At the individual level, the average association across individuals was positive after controlling for social desirability. This overall relationship, however, conceals considerable individual variance with almost a fourth of the estimated individual P-WB associations going in the negative direction, emphasizing the need to be cautious when extrapolating group-level data to the individual level. These findings suggest that cross-sectional studies may oversimplify the P-WB relationship, especially, if the social desirability effect is ignored.

BACKGROUND: Chronic primary pain (CPP) is one of seven diagnostic groups within the proposed classification of chronic pain in ICD-11. Our aims were to apply the proposed ICD-11 criteria in a large cohort of chronic pain patients participating in the Chronic Pain Self-Management Program (CPSMP) and further investigate whether participants with CPP differed from participants with chronic secondary pain (CSP) regarding health, health expenditure and the effect of participating in the CPSMP.METHODS: A secondary analysis of a randomized, controlled trial on the effect of the CPSMP. Four examiners categorized participants' pain according to ICD-11 using register-based medical diagnoses and patients' self-reported symptoms. Afterwards, differences between CPP and CSP were examined.RESULTS: Out of 394 participants, 312 were successfully classified into CPP (n = 164) or CSP (n = 148) whereas 76 had a mixed pain condition. Participants with CPP were younger, more likely to be women, and had longer pain duration compared to participants with CSP. Participants with CPP reported worse health-related quality of life on the SF-36 Mental Component Summary and subscales of vitality, social functioning and bodily pain. Participants with CSP had more physical comorbidities and higher total health expenditure. None of the groups benefitted from the CPSMP.CONCLUSIONS: We successfully applied the new classification of chronic pain in ICD-11 on the basis of ICD-10 medical diagnoses and symptom self-report. Participants with CPP differed significantly from participants with CSP on baseline characteristics, self-reported health measures and total health expenditure. The CPSMP was not effective in any of the groups.SIGNIFICANCE: The current study applies the proposed new classification of chronic pain in ICD-11 and shares the experiences of the diagnostic rating procedure of individuals with chronic pain. Furthermore, it evaluates the effect of the Stanford Self-Management Program.

Objective Self-reported symptom questionnaires are often used for identifying individuals with functional somatic disorders (FSD) in epidemiological research. Studies on their validity in establishing clinically valid cases are, however, lacking. We aimed to compare and dissect the processes of identifying participants with FSD with symptom questionnaires and FSD diagnoses established by diagnostic interviews. Methods Individuals from the adult Danish population (n = 1590) filled in symptom questionnaires and participated in a diagnostic research interview, performed over telephone by trained family physicians. The two methods were described and compared in different steps: 1) Agreement on presence of symptoms, 2) agreement after FSD symptom pattern criteria had been applied, and 3) agreement on final FSD diagnoses. Results Agreement on symptom presence was high (>82%). Using FSD symptom pattern criteria, the two methods agreed in 30–62% of cases within each category. Discrepancies were mainly due to participants fulfilling symptom patterns in the interview but not in the questionnaires. Agreement between final FSD questionnaire cases and final FSD interview diagnoses was moderate (>68%) with lower FSD prevalence in the interview (26.2% vs 44.5%). Discrepancies were largely explained by the interviewers assessing the symptom patterns to be caused by an alternative physical or mental condition. Conclusion Prevalence of final FSD diagnoses were markedly lower in the diagnostic interview compared to self-reported questionnaires cases; mainly because of the clinical evaluation of symptom attribution and impairment. Symptom questionnaires may be valuable as screening tools and as trans-diagnostic comparison while diagnostic interviews are necessary in establishing clinically significant FSD diagnoses.

BackgroundPsychological treatment for functional somatic syndromes (FSS) has been found moderately effective. Information on how much treatment is needed to obtain improvement is sparse. We assessed the efficacy of a brief and extended version of group-based Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) v. enhanced care (EC) for patients with multiple FSS operationalised as Bodily Distress Syndrome multi-organ type.MethodsIn a randomised controlled three-armed trial, consecutively referred patients aged 20–50 with multiple FSS were randomly assigned to either (1) EC; (2) Brief ACT: EC plus 1-day workshop and one individual consultation; or (3) Extended ACT: EC plus nine 3-h group-based sessions. Primary outcome was patient-rated overall health improvement on the five-point clinical global improvement scale 14 months after randomisation. A proportional odds model was used for the analyses.ResultsA total of 180 patients were randomised; 60 to EC, 61 to Brief ACT, and 59 to Extended ACT. Improvement on the primary outcome after Extended ACT was significantly greater than after EC with an unadjusted OR of 2.9 [95% CI (1.4–6.2), p = 0.006]. No significant differences were found between Brief ACT and EC. Of the 18 secondary outcomes, the only significant difference found was for physical functioning in the comparison of Extended ACT with EC.ConclusionsPatients rated their overall health status as more improved after Extensive ACT than after EC; however, clinically relevant secondary outcome measures did not support this finding. Discrepancies between primary and secondary outcomes in this trial are discussed.

OBJECTIVES: The aims of our study were (1) To identify possible subgroups of chronic pain sufferers based on their illness perceptions (IPs); (2) To examine whether these subgroups differed in health status and health expenditure, and (3) To examine whether the subgroups differed in their response to participation in a lay-led Chronic Pain Self-Management Program (CPSMP).METHODS: Four hundred and twenty-four participants in a randomized controlled trial on the CPSMP completed a questionnaire on their perceptions of their chronic pain condition at baseline. In addition, they completed a range of health status measures at baseline and three months after end of participation in the CPSMP. Health care expenditure was obtained from Danish health registers. We performed cluster analyses to identify possible subgroups based on the participants' perceptions of their chronic pain condition.RESULTS: Cluster analysis of illness perceptions resulted in three meaningful clusters, classified as "distressed, certain cause", "distressed, uncertain cause", and "non-distressed, certain cause", respectively. The two distressed groups had significantly higher scores on pain catastrophizing, illness worry, and emotional distress than did the non-distressed. Moderator analyses showed, that the "distressed, certain cause" had significant positive effect of participating in the CPSMP on pain catastrophizing and emotional distress, whereas the "distressed, uncertain cause" had a decrease and the "non-distressed, certain cause" an increase in primary health expenditure.DISCUSSION: Clusters based on IPs meaningfully distinguished chronic pain sufferers on health measures and outcome of participating in the CPSMP, and may prove useful in future studies to understand responses to treatment.

Epidemiological data on the distribution, persistence, and clinical correlates of health anxiety (HA) in childhood are scarce. We investigated continuity of HA symptoms and associated health problems and medical costs in primary health services in a general population birth cohort. HA symptoms were assessed in 1886 Danish 11-12 year old children (48 % boys) from the Copenhagen Child Cohort using the Childhood Illness Attitude Scales (CIAS) together with information on socio-demographics and the child's somatic and mental status and healthcare expenditure. Non-parametric statistics and regression analysis were used to compare groups with low (n = 184), intermediate (n = 1539), and high (n = 161) HA symptom scores. The association between HA symptoms assessed at age 5-7 years and HA symptoms at ages 11-12 years was examined by Stuart-Maxwell test. HA symptoms were significantly associated with emotional disorders and unspecific somatic complaints, but not with chronic physical conditions. In regression analyses controlling for gender and physical comorbidity, healthcare expenditure peaked in children with the highest HA symptom score, that is these children used on average approximately 150 Euro more than children with the lowest score during the 2-year period preceding inclusion. HA symptoms at age 5-7 years were significantly associated with HA symptoms at age 11-12 years. We conclude that HA symptoms, including hypochondriacal fears and beliefs, were non-trivial in preadolescents; they showed continuity from early childhood and association with emotional disorders, unspecific somatic complaints, and increased healthcare expenditure. Further research in the clinical significance of childhood HA is required.

Mange patienter henvender sig i almen praksis med legemlige symptomer, som ikke passer med traditionelt definerede sygdomme (også kaldet medicinsk uforklarede eller funktionelle symptomer). På baggrund af forskning i almen praksis er der nu udviklet kriterier for en ny diagnose for patienter med funktionelle lidelser. Denne diagnose har fået betegnelsen bodily distress syndrome (BDS). Det er karakteristisk for patienter med BDS, at de har funktionspåvirkning pga. mange symptomer, og at symptomerne typisk lokaliserer sig til en eller flere symptomgrupper: en kardiopulmonal, en gastrointestinal, en muskuloskeletal og en gruppe af generelle symptomer (træthed, hovedpine, søvnforstyrrelser mv.). Der er nu udviklet et spørgeskema vedrørende de symptomer, der indgår i BDS-diagnosen (BDS-checklisten). I det aktuelle studie deltog 2.480 patienter i en spørgeskemaundersøgelse i almen praksis i Region Midtjylland i perioden 2008-2009. Statistiske analyser bekræftede kriterierne for BDS. Det vil sige, at patienternes symptomer ved brug af BDS-checklisten grupperede sig på samme måde som i de tidligere undersøgelser af BDS, selvom de tidligere undersøgelser byggede på kliniske interviews. Yderligere viste analyserne, at patienterne i undersøgelsen kunne deles i tre grupper: en gruppe af patienter uden BDS, en gruppe af patienter med symptomer fra få (en til to) af symptomgrupperne og en gruppe af patienter med symptomer fra flere (end to) symptomgrupper. Det vil sige, at BDS-checklisten kan være med til at skelne patienter med BDS fra patienter uden BDS og desuden kan skelne mellem patienter med moderat BDS og svær BDS. Symptomerne i BDS-checklisten er de samme, som optræder i skemaet for BDS i DSAM’s kliniske vejledning om funktionelle lidelser. Som for andre spørgeskemaer gælder det, at BDS-checklisten ikke kan stå alene. En læges vurdering er nødvendig for at afgøre, om en patient skal have stillet diagnosen BDS.

Objective Although there is substantial evidence that cognitive behavioural therapy alleviates symptoms in functional somatic syndromes, the mechanisms of change are less investigated. This study examined whether changes in illness perceptions mediated the effect of cognitive behavioural therapy. Methods We analysed additional data from a randomised controlled trial comparing completers of cognitive behavioural group therapy (46 patients) to an enhanced usual care group (66 patients). Proposed mediators (illness perceptions) and primary (physical health) and secondary (somatic symptoms and illness worry) outcomes were assessed by means of questionnaires at referral, baseline, end of treatment, and 10 and 16 months after randomisation. Multiple mediation analysis determined whether (1) changes in specific illness perceptions during treatment mediated the effect of cognitive behavioural therapy (primary analysis), and (2) whether changes in illness perceptions during the whole trial period were associated with improved outcome (secondary analysis). Results Improvements in illness perceptions during treatment partially mediated the effect of cognitive behavioural therapy on physical health one year after treatment (sum of indirect effects 1.556, BCa 95% CI (0.006; 3.620)). Improving perceived control was particularly important. Changes in illness perceptions from baseline to 16 months after randomisation were associated with clinically meaningful improvements in physical health, somatic symptoms and illness worry during the same period. Conclusion Our results suggest that changing patients' illness perceptions is an important process in cognitive behavioural therapy for functional somatic syndromes. Challenging patients' own understanding of their illness may hence be a key element of successful treatment. OBJECTIVE: Although there is substantial evidence that cognitive behavioural therapy alleviates symptoms in functional somatic syndromes, the mechanisms of change are less investigated. This study examined whether changes in illness perceptions mediated the effect of cognitive behavioural therapy.METHODS: We analysed additional data from a randomised controlled trial comparing completers of cognitive behavioural group therapy (46 patients) to an enhanced usual care group (66 patients). Proposed mediators (illness perceptions) and primary (physical health) and secondary (somatic symptoms and illness worry) outcomes were assessed by means of questionnaires at referral, baseline, end of treatment, and 10 and 16months after randomisation. Multiple mediation analysis determined whether (1) changes in specific illness perceptions during treatment mediated the effect of cognitive behavioural therapy (primary analysis), and (2) whether changes in illness perceptions during the whole trial period were associated with improved outcome (secondary analysis).RESULTS: Improvements in illness perceptions during treatment partially mediated the effect of cognitive behavioural therapy on physical health one year after treatment (sum of indirect effects 1.556, BCa 95% CI (0.006; 3.620)). Improving perceived control was particularly important. Changes in illness perceptions from baseline to 16months after randomisation were associated with clinically meaningful improvements in physical health, somatic symptoms and illness worry during the same period.CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that changing patients' illness perceptions is an important process in cognitive behavioural therapy for functional somatic syndromes. Challenging patients' own understanding of their illness may hence be a key element of successful treatment.

Denne artikel undersøger karakteristika, sygefravær og førtidspension for patienter med multiple medicinsk uforklarede symptomer (MUS) og somatoforme lidelser og sammenligner disse med en gruppe af patienter med veldefineret fysisk sygdom. Resultaterne viser, at patienter med somatoforme lidelser havde en øget risiko for sygefravær. Derudover fandt forfatterne til artiklen, at både patienter med multiple medicinsk uforklarede symptomer og somatoforme lidelser havde en øget risiko for at få fleksjob og/eller førtidspension sammenlignet med referencegruppen i studiet. Resultaterne viser, at der er behov for en tidlig indsats på området i almen praksis. Undersøgelsen blev udført som et registerbaseret kohortestudie med ti års opfølgning, og den bygger på data fra studiet Functional Illness in Primary Care (FIP-studiet). OBJECTIVE: The objective was to explore patient characteristics and 10-year outcome of sick leave and work disability for patients with recent-onset multiple medically unexplained symptoms (MUS) and persistent somatoform disorders (SD).METHOD: Consecutive patients consulting their family physician (FP) completed a preconsultation questionnaire on symptoms and mental illness (n=1785). The main problem was categorized by the FP after the consultation, and a stratified subsample was examined using a standardized diagnostic interview (n=701). Patients were grouped into three cohorts: recent onset of multiple MUS (n=84); Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, persistent SD (n=183); and reference group with well-defined physical disease according to FP (n=833). Register data on sick leave and disability pension were obtained.RESULTS: At index consultation, disability pension was received by 8.3% (n=7) in the recent-onset multiple MUS group, 19.1% (n=35) in the SD group and 3.5% (n=29) in the reference group. Both the recent-onset multiple MUS group [hazard ratio (HR)=2.28, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.14-4.55] and the SD group (HR=3.26, 95% CI:1.93-5.51) had increased risk of new disability pension awards. Furthermore, the SD group had increased risk of sick leave.CONCLUSIONS: Both recent-onset and persistent MUS have significant long-term impact on patient functioning in regard to working life; this calls for early recognition and adequate management of MUS in primary care.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to assess the measurement properties of the ten-item Major Depression Inventory when used on clinical suspicion in general practice by performing a Rasch analysis.METHODS: General practitioners asked consecutive persons to respond to the web-based Major Depression Inventory on clinical suspicion of depression. We included 22 practices and 245 persons. Rasch analysis was performed using RUMM2030 software. The Rasch model fit suggests that all items contribute to a single underlying trait (defined as internal construct validity). Mokken analysis was used to test dimensionality and scalability.RESULTS: Our Rasch analysis showed misfit concerning the sleep and appetite items (items 9 and 10). The response categories were disordered for eight items. After modifying the original six-point to a four-point scoring system for all items, we achieved ordered response categories for all ten items. The person separation reliability was acceptable (0.82) for the initial model. Dimensionality testing did not support combining the ten items to create a total score. The scale appeared to be well targeted to this clinical sample. No significant differential item functioning was observed for gender, age, work status and education. The Rasch and Mokken analyses revealed two dimensions, but the Major Depression Inventory showed fit to one scale if items 9 and 10 were excluded.CONCLUSION: Our study indicated scalability problems in the current version of the Major Depression Inventory. The conducted analysis revealed better statistical fit when items 9 and 10 were excluded.

INTRODUCTION: Functional somatic syndromes (FSS) are common in adolescents, characterised by severe disability and reduced quality of life. Behavioural treatments such as acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) has shown promising results in children and adolescents with FSS, but has focused on specific syndromes such as functional pain. The current study will compare the efficacy of group-based ACT with that of enhanced usual care (EUC) in adolescents with a range of FSS operationalised by the unifying construct of multiorgan bodily distress syndrome (BDS).METHODS AND ANALYSIS: A total of 120 adolescents aged 15-19 and diagnosed with multiorgan BDS, of at least 12 months duration, will be assessed and randomised to either: (1) EUC: a manualised consultation with a child and adolescent psychiatrist and individualised treatment plan or (2) manualised ACT-based group therapy plus EUC. The ACT programme consists of 9 modules (ie, 27 hours) and 1 follow-up meeting (3 hours). The primary outcome is physical health, assessed by an Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) aggregate score 12 months after randomisation. Secondary outcomes include self-reported symptom severity, symptom interference, depression and anxiety, illness worry, perceived stress and global improvement; as well as objective physical activity and bodily stress response measured by heart rate variability, hair cortisol and inflammatory biomarkers. Process measures are illness perception, illness-related behaviour and psychological flexibility.ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The study is conducted in accordance with Helsinki Declaration II. Approval has been obtained from the Science Ethics Committee of the Central Denmark Region and the Danish Data Protection. The results will be sought to be published according to the CONSORT statement in peer-reviewed journals.DISCUSSION: This is one of the first larger randomised clinical trials evaluating the effect of a group-based intervention for adolescents with a range of severe FSS.TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT02346071; Pre-results.

Objectives The cognitive-behavioural model of functional somatic syndromes (FSS) proposes a multifactorial aetiology consisting of predisposing, precipitating and perpetuating factors. In this study, we sought to investigate three questions that can be drawn from this model: (1) Do patients with FSS show high levels of neuroticism? (2) Does neuroticism affect physical health and social functioning, either directly or indirectly through maladaptive coping? (3) Does more adaptive coping mediate the effect of cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) on outcome? Design Secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial (RCT) using additional data. Method We used yet unpublished data on neuroticism (measured with Temperament and Character Inventory, Revised) and coping (measured with Coping Strategies Questionnaire) together with already reported outcomes (physical health and social functioning measured with SF-36) from an RCT comparing group CBT with enhanced usual care in 120 patients with a range of FSS. Neuroticism was measured at referral, while coping and outcomes were measured at referral, baseline, 4 and 16 months after randomization. Our hypotheses were explored through a series of cross-sectional (linear regression and structural equation models) and longitudinal (mediation) analyses. Results Patients with FSS showed higher levels of neuroticism than two healthy comparison groups. At referral, symptom catastrophizing partly mediated the negative association between neuroticism and outcome. Reduction in symptom catastrophizing during group CBT partially mediated its long-term effect. Conclusions The results give support to a generic cognitive-behavioural model of FSS. Targeting symptom catastrophizing may be an essential component in CBT for patients with FSS, regardless of their specific diagnosis. Statement of contribution What is already known on this subject? Previous studies have found support for single components of the cognitive-behavioural model such as dysfunctional illness beliefs or avoidant coping. Most studies have investigated single functional somatic syndromes (FSS) such as fibromyalgia or irritable bowel syndrome. What does this study add? Predisposing neuroticism was linked to poor physical health through symptom catastrophizing across a range of FSS. Reduced symptom catastrophizing during group cognitive-behavioural therapy partially mediated its long-term effect. Addressing symptom catastrophizing may be a key element of the management of patients with FSS.

Fjorback LO, Arendt M, Ornbol E, Fink P, Walach H. Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy – a systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Objective: To systematically review the evidence for MBSR and MBCT. Method: Systematic searches of Medline, PsycInfo and Embase were performed in October 2010. MBSR, MBCT and Mindfulness Meditation were key words. Only randomized controlled trials (RCT) using the standard MBSR/MBCT programme with a minimum of 33 participants were included. Results: The search produced 72 articles, of which 21 were included. MBSR improved mental health in 11 studies compared to wait list control or treatment as usual (TAU) and was as efficacious as active control group in three studies. MBCT reduced the risk of depressive relapse in two studies compared to TAU and was equally efficacious to TAU or an active control group in two studies. Overall, studies showed medium effect sizes. Among other limitations are lack of active control group and long-term follow-up in several studies. Conclusion: Evidence supports that MBSR improves mental health and MBCT prevents depressive relapse. Future RCTs should apply optimal design including active treatment for comparison, properly trained instructors and at least one-year follow-up. Future research should primarily tackle the question of whether mindfulness itself is a decisive ingredient by controlling against other active control conditions or true treatments.

Objective: Individuals exposed to whiplash collisions have to cope with the stressful event as well as early physical symptoms. As in other chronic pain conditions, coping has been associated with outcome after whiplash. In this study, our aim was to examine whether initial coping preferences were associated with the development of chronic whiplash. Design: Prospective study. Setting: Primary care. Methods: 740 acute whiplash patients were recruited from emergency units and general practitioners after car collisions in Denmark. Within 10 days postinjury, participants were asked what they believed could help them get better. At 12-month follow-up, the level of neck pain and capability to work was obtained. Whether coping preferences (baseline) were associated with outcome was investigated using multiple regression analyses. Results: Persistent neck pain was most strongly associated with preferring medications (mean difference=1.24 (95% CI 0.67 to 1.82)) and sickness absence (mean difference=1.18 (95% CI 0.53 to 1.82)). Reduced work capability was most strongly associated with preferring medications (OR=3.53 (95% CI 2.13 to 5.86)), sickness absence (OR=3.05 (95% CI 1.80 to 5.17)) and being referred to a physiotherapist/chiropractor (OR=3.03 (95% CI 1.33 to 6.91)). Active coping was associated with better outcomes: Participants preferring to change their lifestyle were protected against reduced work capability (OR=0.11 (95% CI 0.01 to 0.78)). Individuals who wanted to keep living as usual only (no other preference reported) were protected against neck pain (mean difference −1.62 (95% CI −2.39 to −0.84)) and reduced work capability (OR=0.09 (95% CI 0.01 to 0.64)). Conclusions: A simple nine-item measure of coping preferences is associated with the development of chronic neck pain and reduced capability to work following whiplash trauma and may be used to identify individuals at risk of poor recovery. publishedVersion

Objective The objective of this study is to validate the eight-item dichotomised version of the Symptoms Check List (SCL-8d) as a screening tool for psychiatric disorders. Methods The study population included 198 consecutive new neurological inpatients and outpatients and 294 consecutive internal medical inpatients, aged 18 or older. All patients received the SCL-8d questionnaire, and a stratified subsample was interviewed using the Schedules for Clinical Assessment in Neuropsychiatry (SCAN) interview. We tested the external SCL-8d validity using the SCAN interview as gold standard. The test was performed based on weighted data to correct for the skewness introduced by stratification. Results The diagnostic performance of the SCL-8d was excellent in the internal medical setting but not quite as good in the neurological sample. It performed better among the older compared with the younger patients, whereas the scale was not affected by gender. In the combined sample at the cut point 0/1, the sensitivity (SE) of the SCL-8d was 0.73 (confidence interval [CI] 95% : 0.60–0.82), the specificity (SP) 0.61 (CI 95% : 0.53–0.68) and the positive predictive value (PPV) 0.42 (CI 95% : 0.34–0.50), using any International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) psychiatric disorder, excluding somatoform and substance abuse disorders, as gold standard. The risk of a patient having a mental disorder (except phobia, substance abuse or somatoform disorder) was less than 6% in case of a negative screening test. In patients with a current depressive disorder, 87.1% (27/31) were screening positive, and all except 1 (93.0%) of the 14 patients with a modest to severe depression scored 1 or higher on the SCL-8d. All 17 patients with an anxiety disorder, excluding phobias, were screening positive. Conclusion The study suggests that the SCL-8d is a valid, brief screening tool for use in nonpsychiatric medical settings, especially to detect emotional psychiatric disorders (EPDs).

OBJECTIVE: To investigate infancy predictors of impairing functional somatic symptoms (FSS) at child ages 5-7 years with a focus on problems with feeding, sleep, and tactile reactivity.STUDY DESIGN: This study is part of a longitudinal birth cohort study, Copenhagen Child Cohort CCC2000. Child health, development, and functioning were assessed by community health nurses at 4 home visits from birth to age 10 months. FSS at ages 5-7 years were measured by the Soma Assessment Interview in 1327 children. Sociodemographic data and information on maternal psychiatric illness were obtained from the Danish National Registers.RESULTS: Multiple logistic regression analysis controlled for maternal psychiatric illness and annual household income revealed that combined infancy regulatory problems (ie, at least 2 of 3 problems of feeding, sleeping, or tactile reactivity during the first 10 months of living) predicted impairing FSS at 5-7 years (aOR = 2.9, 95% CI: 1.3-6.6). Maternal psychiatric illness during the child's first year of living was also associated with later child FSS (aOR = 7.1, 95% CI: 1.8-27.8).CONCLUSION: Regulatory problems may be an early marker of disturbed sensory reactivity in young children, which together with maternal psychiatric problems, point to possible early risk mechanisms of impairing FSS in childhood.

Objective The objective of the present study is to estimate the economic consequences of somatization disorder and functional somatic syndromes such as fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome, defined as bodily distress syndrome (BDS), when mindfulness therapy is compared with enhanced treatment as usual. Methods A total of 119 BDS patients were randomized to mindfulness therapy or enhanced treatment as usual and compared with 5950 matched controls. Register data were analyzed from 10 years before their inclusion to 15-month follow-up. The main outcome measures were disability pension at the 15-month follow-up and a reduction in total health care costs. Unemployment and sickness benefit prior to inclusion were tested as possible risk factors. Results At 15-month follow-up, 25% from the mindfulness therapy group received disability pension compared with 45% from the specialized treatment group (p = .025). The total health care utilization was reduced over time in both groups from the year before inclusion (mean $5325, median $2971) to the year after inclusion (mean $3644, median $1593) (p = .0001). This overall decline was seen in spite of elevated costs due to assessment and mindfulness therapy or enhanced treatment as usual. The BDS patients accumulated significantly more weeks of unemployment and sickness benefit 5 and 10 years before inclusion (p Conclusions Mindfulness therapy may prevent disability pension and it may have a potential to significantly reduce societal costs and increase the effectiveness of care. Accumulated weeks of unemployment and sickness benefit are possible risk factors for BDS.

article i nfo Objective: To conduct a feasibility and efficacy trial of mindfulness therapy in somatization disorder and func- tional somatic syndromes such as fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome, and chronic fatigue syndrome, de- fined as bodily distress syndrome (BDS). Methods: We randomized 119 patients to either mindfulness therapy (mindfulness-based stress reduction and some cognitive behavioral therapy elements for BDS) or to enhanced treatment as usual (2-hour special- ist medical care and brief cognitive behavioral therapy for BDS). The primary outcome measure was change in physical health (SF-36 Physical Component Summary) from baseline to 15-month follow-up. Results: The study is negative as we could not demonstrate a different development over time for the two groups (F(3,2674)=1.51, P=.21). However, in the mindfulness therapy group, improvement was obtained toward the end of treatment and it remained present at the 15-month follow-up, whereas the enhanced treatment as usual group achieved no significant change until 15-month follow-up. The change scores aver- aged half a standard deviation which amounts to a clinically significant change, 29% changed more than 1 standard deviation. Significant between-group differences were observed at treatment cessation. Conclusion: Mindfulness therapy is a feasible and acceptable treatment. The study showed that mindfulness therapy was comparable to enhanced treatment as usual in improving quality of life and symptoms. Never- theless, considering the more rapid improvement following mindfulness, mindfulness therapy may be a po- tentially useful intervention in BDS patients. Clinically important changes that seem to be comparable to a CBT treatment approach were obtained. Further research is needed to replicate or even expand these findings.

BackgroundMany specialty-specific functional somatic syndrome diagnoses exist to describe people who are experiencing so-called medically unexplained symptoms. Although cognitive–behavioural therapy can be effective in the management of such syndromes, it is rarely available. A cognitive–behavioural therapy suitable for group treatment of people with different functional somatic syndromes could address this problem.AimsTo test the efficacy of a cognitive–behavioural therapy (Specialised Treatment for Severe Bodily Distress Syndromes, STreSS) designed for patients with a range of severe functional somatic syndromes.MethodA randomised controlled trial (clinicaltrials.gov, NCT00132197) compared STreSS (nine 3.5 h sessions over 4 months, n = 54) with enhanced usual care (management by primary care physician or medical specialist, n = 66). The primary outcome was improvement in aggregate score on subscales of the 36-item Short Form Health Survey (physical functioning, bodily pain and vitality) at 16 months.ResultsParticipants receiving STreSS had a greater improvement on the primary outcome (adjusted mean difference 4.0, 95% CI 1.4–6.6, P = 0.002) and on most secondary outcomes.ConclusionsIn the management of functional somatic syndromes, a cognitive–behavioural group treatment was more effective than enhanced usual care.

Patients with multiple functional somatic symptoms (MFS) often express cognitive complaints. The aim of this descriptive study was to investigate whether these patients have cognitive deficits and whether the patients' cognitive functioning relates to their experience of physical and psychological distress and to their use of pain-related coping strategies.Neuropsychological assessment of verbal ability, psychomotor speed, attention, working memory, perceptual organization and memory, was conducted on 22 MFS patients and 27 healthy age- and gender-matched controls. Psychological distress, health anxiety, health status and pain coping were measured with questionnaires [Symptom Checklist 90-Revised (SCL-somatization, SCL-depression, SCL-anxiety), the Whiteley-7 scale, the Short Form (SF-36) and the Coping Strategies Questionnaire (CSQ)].For patients, a high score on the SCL-somatization subscale was associated with poor performance on tests of attention and psychomotor speed, and with a high score on the coping scale Increasing behavioural activities. A high score on this coping scale was associated with poor performance on tests of verbal ability and executive functioning. After controlling for years of education, controls performed significantly better than patients on verbal as well as performance IQ scales but not on tests of memory.In the present study, we found that physical complaints are related to deficits in attention and psychomotor speed. Moreover, our results suggest that poor verbal skills may play a role in the development of MFS because of an increased tendency to apply behavioural/avoidant coping strategies. We suggest that treatment of MFS should involve training of attention as well as practicing the use of cognitive coping strategies.

Objective We sought to examine (1) whether the patients' and the family physicians' (FPs') beliefs about the nature of a health problem predict health outcomes and (2) whether the FPs were aware of their patients' beliefs. Methods A 2-year follow-up study of 38 FPs and 1131 patients presenting with well-defined physical disease (n=922) or medically unexplained symptoms (MUS) (n=209) according to the FPs was conducted. Before the consultation, patients categorized their health problem as being either physical or both physical and psychological. After the consultation, the FPs judged their patients' understanding of the health problem. Outcome measures were (1) patient satisfaction (seven-item Patient Satisfaction Consultation Questionnaire), (2) self-perceived mental and physical health (component summaries of the Medical Outcome Study's Short Form: SF-36) and (3) health care use extracted from patient registers. Main results Patients with MUS according to the FPs and patients who believed that the nature of their health problem was both physical and psychological had higher health care use and worse self-rated health than patients in cases where both the FP and the patient had a physical understanding. Patients presenting MUS were more dissatisfied with the consultation than patients with well-defined physical disease. Overall, the FPs' perceptions of their patients' understanding were accurate in 82% of the consultations, but when the patients had a both physical and psychological understanding of their health problem, the FPs were right in only 26% of the consultations. Conclusions Both FPs' diagnoses and patients' beliefs predict important health outcomes such as patient satisfaction, use of health care and self-rated health.