BACKGROUND Diagnostic criteria for somatization disorder emphasize its early onset and long-term stability. Research assessments of somatization disorder depend on lifetime recall of medically unexplained somatic symptoms. METHODS Longitudinal data from the World Health Organization Psychological Problems in General Health Care study were used to examine stability of somatization disorder and...

INTRODUCTION Secondary traumatic stress is a disorder which occurs in spouses and people with close relation to someone with posttraumatic stress disorder. Like PTSD, it seems that STS also occurs with other psychiatric problems like somatization and dissociation. This study aimed to determine the relationship between STS and somatization and dissociation symptoms. METHODS This cross-sectiona...

OBJECTIVE Despite of the suggested physiological relationship between somatoform disorder and disturbances in HPA axis function no volumetric study of pituitary volumes in somatization disorder has been carried out. Therefore, we aimed to use structural MRI to evaluate the pituitary volumes of the patients with somatization disorder. METHODS Eighteen female patients with somatization disorder...

Somatization is the psychological mechanism whereby psychological distress is expressed in the form of physical symptoms. The psychological distress in somatization is most commonly caused by a mood disorder that threatens mental stability. Conversion disorder occurs when the somatic presentation involves any aspect of the central nervous system over which voluntary control is exercised. Conver...

OBJECTIVE This paper reviews the present state of knowledge on the etiology, prevalence, diagnosis, and treatment of somatization disorder (SD). METHOD A comprehensive review of the literature on SD is described under the above headings. RESULTS SD is a common condition that is not well managed by many physicians. Patients with SD get caught between the cracks of the health care system, wit...