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Somatization disorder
Classification & external resources

ICD-10	F45.0
ICD-9	300.81

Somatization disorder (or Briquet's disorder) is a type of mental illness in which a patient manifests a psychiatric condition as a physical complaint. One prevalent general etiological explanation is that internal psychological conflicts are unconsciously expressed as physical signs.

Contents 1 Criteria 2 Prevalence 3 Treatment 4 References 5 See also 6 External links

Somatization disorder is characterized by repeated complaints of physical illness over an extended period of time, that are not related to actual organic illness or injury, and begins in early adulthood. It is a somatoform disorder. The DSM-IV establishes the following five criteria for the diagnosis of this disorder:

• a history of somatic symptoms prior to the age of 30
• pain in at least four different sites on the body
• two gastrointestinal problems other than pain such as vomiting or diarrhea
• one sexual symptom such as lack of interest or erectile dysfunction
• one pseudoneurological symptom similar to those seen in Conversion disorder such as fainting or blindness.

Such symptoms cannot be related to any medical condition. The symptoms do not all have to be occurring at the same time, but may occur over the course of the disorder. The person does not feel they have any specific illness that symptoms are a sign of, they are simply concerned with the symptoms themselves. If a medical condition is present, then the symptoms must be excessive enough to warrant a separate diagnosis. Two symptoms can not be counted for the same thing e.g.if pain during intercourse is counted as a sexual symptom it can not be counted as a pain symptom. Finally, the symptoms cannot be being feigned out of an effort to gain attention or anything else by being sick, and they can not be deliberately inducing symptoms.

Somatization disorder is about three to ten times more common among women than men. There is usually co-morbidity with other psychological disorders particularly mood or anxiety disorders. According to the DSM-IV, the disorder has a lifetime prevalence of 0.2% in males and 0.2% to 2% in females. This condition is chronic and has a poor prognosis.

No one treatment has been found to cure somatization disorder. However setting up a physician that screens complaints from patients before they are allowed to see a specialist significantly cuts down on cost of the disorder. Antidepressants and cognitive behavioral therapy have been shown to help treat the disorder.

1. American Psychiatric Association. (1994). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (4th ed.). Washington, DC.
2. Barlow, David H. and V. Mark Durand (2006). Essentials of Abnormal Psychology (4th ed.) Belmont, CA.
3. Bizer, J. (2003). "Somatization disorders in obstetrics and gynecology." Achieves of Women’s Mental Health, 6, 99-107.
4. Hakala, M. (2004). "Volumes of the caudate nuclei in women with somatization disorder and healthy women." Psychiatry Research, 131(1), 71-78.
5. Hakala, M., Karlsson, H., Ruotsalainen, U., Koponen, S., Bergman, J., Stenman, H., et al. (2002). "Severe somatization in women is associated with altered cerebral glucose metabolism." Psychological Medicine, 32(8), 1379-1385.
6. Holder-Perkins, V., & Wise, T.N. (2001). "Somatization Disorder." In J.M. Oldham & M.B. Riba (Series Eds.) & K.A. Phillips (Vol. Ed.), Review of Psychiatry: Vol. 20. Somatization and Factitious Disorder (pp 1-26). Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Publishing.
7. Looper, K.J., & Kirmayer, L.J. (2002). "Behavioral medicine approaches to somatoform disorders." Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 70(3), 810-827.
8. Martini, D.R. (Spring 1997). Somatoform disorders in the pediatric population. Journal of Children’s Memorial Hospital. Retrieved December 7, 2004 from http://www.childsdoc.org/spring97/martini/somatoformdis.asp
9. Niemi, P.M., Portin, R., Aalto, S., Hakala, M., & Karlsson, H. (2002). Cognitive functioning in severe somatization—a pilot study. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 106, 461-463.
10. Stahl, S.M. (2003). Antidepressants and somatic symptoms: Therapeutic actions are expanding beyond affective spectrum disorders to functional somatic syndromes. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 64(7), 745-746.
11. Temple, S. (2003). A case of multiple chemical sensitivities: Cognitive therapy for somatization disorder and Metaworry. Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy, 17(3), 267-277.

• Culture-bound syndrome
• Psychosomatic illness

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