Somatization: the concept and its clinical application. 1988

Z J Lipowski
Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto School of Medicine, Canada.

Somatization, a tendency to experience and communicate somatic distress in response to psychosocial stress and to seek medical help for it, poses a major medical, social, and economic problem. It is most often associated with depressive and anxiety disorders and constitutes the core of somatoform disorders. Its persistent form is especially costly and difficult to prevent and manage. The author discusses the prevalence, clinical manifestations, etiology, and treatment of somatization and presents a critical review of somatoform disorders.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D003866 Depressive Disorder An affective disorder manifested by either a dysphoric mood or loss of interest or pleasure in usual activities. The mood disturbance is prominent and relatively persistent. Depression, Endogenous,Depression, Neurotic,Depression, Unipolar,Depressive Syndrome,Melancholia,Neurosis, Depressive,Unipolar Depression,Depressions, Endogenous,Depressions, Neurotic,Depressions, Unipolar,Depressive Disorders,Depressive Neuroses,Depressive Neurosis,Depressive Syndromes,Disorder, Depressive,Disorders, Depressive,Endogenous Depression,Endogenous Depressions,Melancholias,Neuroses, Depressive,Neurotic Depression,Neurotic Depressions,Syndrome, Depressive,Syndromes, Depressive,Unipolar Depressions
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D001008 Anxiety Disorders Persistent and disabling ANXIETY. Anxiety Neuroses,Anxiety States, Neurotic,Neuroses, Anxiety,Anxiety Disorder,Anxiety State, Neurotic,Disorder, Anxiety,Disorders, Anxiety,Neurotic Anxiety State,Neurotic Anxiety States,State, Neurotic Anxiety,States, Neurotic Anxiety
D013001 Somatoform Disorders Disorders having the presence of physical symptoms that suggest a general medical condition but that are not fully explained by another medical condition, by the direct effects of a substance, or by another mental disorder. The MEDICALLY UNEXPLAINED SYMPTOMS must cause clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other areas of functioning. In contrast to FACTITIOUS DISORDERS and MALINGERING, the physical symptoms are not under voluntary control. (APA, DSM-V) Briquet Syndrome,Pain Disorder,Somatization Disorder,Medically Unexplained Syndrome,Medically Unexplained Syndromes,Disorder, Somatoform,Somatization Disorders,Somatoform Disorder,Syndrome, Briquet,Syndrome, Medically Unexplained,Unexplained Syndrome, Medically

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