Comparing Problem-Solving Skills and Cognitive Emotion Regulation in Patients with Psychosomatic Symptoms and Control Population in Isfahan City, Iran

Background: Mental disorders can have physical manifestation and are prevailed as psychosomatic signs. Studies about cognitive skills in psychosomatic patient are clinical trials in order to understand somatotization of mental disorder. This study aimed to compare problem-solving skills and cognitive emotion regulation strategies in patients with psychosomatic symptoms and control population. Methods: This was a causal-comparative study during the third simester of 2016, and study sample included 68 people, 34 with and 34 without psychosomatic symptoms, in Isfahan City, Iran. They were selected via convenience sampling from the clients of Psychosomatic Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, and their relatives. The research tools included the Problem-Solving Inventory (PSI) and the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (CERQ). Findings: The Multivariant ANCOVA test showed that a significant difference between problem-solving skills (except avoid the tendency style) and cognitive emotion regulation strategies in patients with psychosomatic symptoms and control population (P < 0.05 for all). Conclusion: We found that problem-solving skills (except avoid the tendency style) and cognitive emotion regulation strategies play a significant role in presence or absence of psychosomatic symptoms.