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The reporting of specific physical symptoms for mental distress in general practice.
J Psychosom Res. 2005 Aug; 59(2):89-95.JP

Abstract

OBJECTIVE

Do patients report specific physical symptoms in the presence of mental distress, taking into account the presence of somatic disease?

METHODS

Cross-sectional data were collected from 1458 participants in eight general practices in The Netherlands. Electronic patient records provided information on somatic disease. Questionnaires included the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) to measure mental distress and the Physical Symptom Checklist (PSC).

RESULTS

Patients reporting mental distress reported all types of physical symptoms more often than did patients without mental distress. Multivariate analyses in women, corrected for the presence of somatic disease, did not substantially change the univariate pattern. Odds ratios were particularly high (>6) for feeling tired or having low energy, fatigue without exertion and forgetfulness.

CONCLUSION

It is the level of mental distress rather than gender or somatic disease that accounts for the reporting of any physical symptom. Fatigue might be an exception, but here, the classification as "physical" rather then "mental" is somewhat ambiguous.

Authors+Show Affiliations

de Waal MW
Department of General Practice and Nursing Home Medicine, Leiden University Medical Center, The Netherlands. m.w.m.de_Waal@lumc.nl
Arnold IA
No affiliation info available
Spinhoven P
No affiliation info available
Eekhof JA
No affiliation info available
van Hemert AM
No affiliation info available

MeSH

AdultAnxietyCross-Sectional StudiesDepressionFatigueFemaleHealth StatusHumansMaleMiddle AgedPrimary Health CareSensitivity and SpecificitySomatoform DisordersSurveys and Questionnaires

Pub Type(s)

Journal Article
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Language

eng

PubMed ID

16186004

Citation

de Waal, Margot W M., et al. "The Reporting of Specific Physical Symptoms for Mental Distress in General Practice." Journal of Psychosomatic Research, vol. 59, no. 2, 2005, pp. 89-95.
de Waal MW, Arnold IA, Spinhoven P, et al. The reporting of specific physical symptoms for mental distress in general practice. J Psychosom Res. 2005;59(2):89-95.
de Waal, M. W., Arnold, I. A., Spinhoven, P., Eekhof, J. A., & van Hemert, A. M. (2005). The reporting of specific physical symptoms for mental distress in general practice. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 59(2), 89-95.
de Waal MW, et al. The Reporting of Specific Physical Symptoms for Mental Distress in General Practice. J Psychosom Res. 2005;59(2):89-95. PubMed PMID: 16186004.
* Article titles in AMA citation format should be in sentence-case
TY - JOUR T1 - The reporting of specific physical symptoms for mental distress in general practice. AU - de Waal,Margot W M, AU - Arnold,Ingrid A, AU - Spinhoven,Philip, AU - Eekhof,Just A H, AU - van Hemert,Albert M, PY - 2004/11/08/received PY - 2005/02/01/accepted PY - 2005/9/28/pubmed PY - 2006/3/8/medline PY - 2005/9/28/entrez SP - 89 EP - 95 JF - Journal of psychosomatic research JO - J Psychosom Res VL - 59 IS - 2 N2 - OBJECTIVE: Do patients report specific physical symptoms in the presence of mental distress, taking into account the presence of somatic disease? METHODS: Cross-sectional data were collected from 1458 participants in eight general practices in The Netherlands. Electronic patient records provided information on somatic disease. Questionnaires included the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) to measure mental distress and the Physical Symptom Checklist (PSC). RESULTS: Patients reporting mental distress reported all types of physical symptoms more often than did patients without mental distress. Multivariate analyses in women, corrected for the presence of somatic disease, did not substantially change the univariate pattern. Odds ratios were particularly high (>6) for feeling tired or having low energy, fatigue without exertion and forgetfulness. CONCLUSION: It is the level of mental distress rather than gender or somatic disease that accounts for the reporting of any physical symptom. Fatigue might be an exception, but here, the classification as "physical" rather then "mental" is somewhat ambiguous. SN - 0022-3999 UR - https://www.unboundmedicine.com/medline/citation/16186004/The_reporting_of_specific_physical_symptoms_for_mental_distress_in_general_practice_ DB - PRIME DP - Unbound Medicine ER -