Somatic symptom disorder
442,938views
00:00 / 00:00
Videos
Notes
Somatic symptom disorder
Psychological disorders
Mood disorders
Major depressive disorder
Suicide
Bipolar disorder
Seasonal affective disorder
Premenstrual dysphoric disorder
Anxiety disorders
Generalized anxiety disorder
Social anxiety disorder
Panic disorder
Agoraphobia
Phobias
Obsessive-compulsive disorders
Obsessive-compulsive disorder
Body focused repetitive disorders
Body dysmorphic disorder
Stress-related disorders and abuse
Post-traumatic stress disorder
Physical and sexual abuse
Psychotic disorders
Schizoaffective disorder
Schizophreniform disorder
Delusional disorder
Schizophrenia
Cognitive and dissociative disorders
Delirium
Amnesia
Dissociative disorders
Eating disorders
Anorexia nervosa
Bulimia nervosa
Personality disorders
Cluster A personality disorders
Cluster B personality disorders
Cluster C personality disorders
Somatoform and factitious disorders
Somatic symptom disorder
Factitious disorder
Substance use disorders and drugs of abuse
Tobacco dependence
Opioid dependence
Cannabis dependence
Cocaine dependence
Alcohol use disorder
Sleep disorders
Bruxism
Nocturnal enuresis
Insomnia
Night terrors
Narcolepsy (NORD)
Sexual dysfunction disorders
Erectile dysfunction
Male hypoactive sexual desire disorder
Orgasmic dysfunction
Female sexual interest and arousal disorder
Genito-pelvic pain and penetration disorder
Pediatric disorders
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
Disruptive, impulse control, and conduct disorders
Learning disability
Fetal alcohol syndrome
Tourette syndrome
Autism spectrum disorder
Rett syndrome
Shaken baby syndrome
Enuresis
Encopresis
Psychiatric emergencies
Suicide
Serotonin syndrome
Neuroleptic malignant syndrome
Psychological disorders review
Mood disorders: Pathology review
Amnesia, dissociative disorders and delirium: Pathology review
Personality disorders: Pathology review
Eating disorders: Pathology review
Psychological sleep disorders: Pathology review
Psychiatric emergencies: Pathology review
Drug misuse, intoxication and withdrawal: Hallucinogens: Pathology review
Malingering, factitious disorders and somatoform disorders: Pathology review
Anxiety disorders, phobias and stress-related disorders: Pathology Review
Trauma- and stress-related disorders: Pathology review
Schizophrenia spectrum disorders: Pathology review
Drug misuse, intoxication and withdrawal: Stimulants: Pathology review
Drug misuse, intoxication and withdrawal: Alcohol: Pathology review
Developmental and learning disorders: Pathology review
Childhood and early-onset psychological disorders: Pathology review
Assessments
Somatic symptom disorder
Flashcards
0 / 7 complete
USMLE® Step 1 questions
0 / 4 complete
High Yield Notes
3 pages
Flashcards
Somatic symptom disorder
of complete
Questions
USMLE® Step 1 style questions USMLE
of complete
External References
First Aid
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
Hypochondriasis p. 589
Illness anxiety disorder p. 589
Somatic symptom disorder p. 589
External Links
Transcript
Content Reviewers
Rishi Desai, MD, MPHContributors
Tanner Marshall, MS
Somatic symptom disorder, which used to be called somatization or somatoform disorder, involves physical symptoms that aren’t explained by any known physical or mental disorder; in other words, their origins are unknown.
That said, individuals aren’t “faking” their symptoms; these symptoms are very real and often made worse by the fact that they cannot be scientifically explained.
This is pretty different from situations where an individual with a factitious disorder might fake an illness or injury in order to get attention.
A diagnosis of somatic symptom disorder requires that individuals experience some set of unexplained physical symptoms, called somatic symptoms, for a period of at least 6 months.
The symptoms experienced by individuals with this disorder can be incredibly varied, encompassing anything from pain to gastrointestinal problems to sexual symptoms.
Although the somatic symptoms being experienced are chronic, the exact location, kind, and severity of the symptoms typically changes over time.
The one symptom that does often persist over time is chronic pain, and because it’s persistent and has no clear underlying cause, it can be particularly hard to treat.
Somatic symptom disorder often leads to cognitive symptoms as well, with people having persistent thoughts and feelings about their symptoms, like worry and anxiety, and sometimes in particularly bad cases, catastrophic thoughts about death.
More often than not, it’s these cognitive symptoms felt in response to the physical symptoms, rather than the physical symptoms themselves, that are used as the basis for a diagnosis of somatic symptom disorder.
In fact, clinicians rate the severity of somatic symptom disorder based on the person’s experience with these cognitive symptoms, rather than the physical ones.
The condition is considered mild if there’s only one cognitive symptom, like ruminating a lot on the symptoms.
It would be considered moderate if there are two or more cognitive symptoms, like rumination and anxiety.
Summary
Somatic symptom disorder (SSD), formerly known as somatoform disorder, is a mental health condition characterized by somatic symptoms that are not fully explained by a medical condition and are followed by excessive thought, feeling, and behaviors related to somatic symptoms. People with SSD experience significant distress and impairment in daily functioning. The symptoms can range from pain, fatigue, and digestive problems to sexual dysfunctions and sensory symptoms. Treatment for SSD typically involves a combination of psychotherapy and medication. The goal of treatment is to help manage symptoms and improve quality of life.
Copyright © 2023 Elsevier, except certain content provided by third parties
Cookies are used by this site.
USMLE® is a joint program of the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) and the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME). COMLEX-USA® is a registered trademark of The National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners, Inc. NCLEX-RN® is a registered trademark of the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, Inc. Test names and other trademarks are the property of the respective trademark holders. None of the trademark holders are endorsed by nor affiliated with Osmosis or this website.
