Somatic symptom disorder
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A somatic symptom disorder is a mental condition in which a person has physical symptoms.
Overview
[change | change source]Symptoms of somatic symptom disorder can hardly be explained by a medical condition or substance abuse. Symptoms include shortness of breath, pain and weakness.[1]
History
[change | change source]Before 2013, somatic symptom disorders were called somatoform disorders.
Differential diagnosis
[change | change source]Symptoms can be similar to other conditions. They will sometimes last for years.[2]
Prevalence
[change | change source]Females report somatic problems almost ten times as often as males of the same or similar mental conditions. Symptoms often happen before age 50, but usual diagnoses are age 30 and earlier.[3] The disorder is very controversial because some individuals say that the name refers to mental illness.
References
[change | change source]- ↑ "What are the Somatic Symptom Disorders". The American Psychiatry Association. Retrieved April 2, 2022.
- ↑ Lafrance, W. (2009). "Somatoform Disorders". Thieme. 29 (3): 234–246. doi:10.1055/s-0029-1223875. PMID 19551600. Retrieved April 2, 2022.
- ↑ Frances, A. (2013). "A New Somatic Symptoms Disorder under DSM-V Risks Labeling People as Having Mental Illness". BMJ. 346: f1580. doi:10.1136/bmj.f1580. PMID 23511949. S2CID 206897269. Retrieved April 2, 2022.
