The prognosis of bodily distress syndrome: a cohort study in primary care
Open accessAbstract
OBJECTIVE: Bodily distress syndrome (BDS) is a newly proposed diagnosis for functional disorders. The diagnosis is based on empirical research, but little is known about the course of the disease. We aimed to study the prognosis in terms of diagnosis stability over time. METHOD: A longitudinal study of 1356 primary care patients with 2-year follow-up was conducted in the Central Denmark Region. Data were obtained from family physician registration forms, patient questionnaires (including a BDS checklist) and nationwide registries. Complete data were available for 1001 patients (73.8%). RESULTS: Overall, 146 persons [14.6%, 95% confidence interval (CI): 12.5-16.9] fulfilled the criteria for BDS at baseline and 142 persons (14.2%, CI: 12.1-16.5) at follow-up. Among study participants with BDS at baseline, 56.8% (CI: 48.4-65.0) also had BDS at follow-up. Multiorgan BDS tended to be more persistent (81.8%, CI: 48.2-97.7) than single-organ BDS (54.8%, CI: 46.0-63.4). Patients with BDS had fewer socioeconomic resources, experienced more emotional distress, and used more opioids and medical services. CONCLUSIONS: BDS is a common clinical condition being prone to chronicity; one in seven primary care patients met the criteria for BDS, and more than half of these patients still suffered from BDS 2 years later.
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- Authors
- Budtz-Lilly, A., Vestergaard, M., Fink, P., Carlsen, A. H., & Rosendal, M.
- Affiliations
- Aarhus University (DK)
- Aarhus University Hospital (DK)
- Corresponding author
- Budtz-Lilly, Anna
- Venue
- General Hospital Psychiatry
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2015-11
- Volume
- 37
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- 560-566
- ISSN
- 0163-8343 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2127479911
- Cited by
- 41
- References
- 31
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 4 · 2019: 1 · 2018: 6 · 2017: 8 · 2015: 1
- FWCI
- 4.06
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- pure.au.dk
- Licence
- Locations
- General Hospital Psychiatry (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Danish Research Foundation for General Practice
- Committee for Quality Improvement and Continuing Medical Education in the Central Denmark Region
- Primary Health Care Foundation of the Central Denmark Region
- Health Research Fund of the Central Denmark Region
- TrygFonden
- Lundbeck Foundation (R155-2012-11280)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Psychosomatic Disorders and Their Treatments
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Research
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Epidemiology › Chronic Disease Management Strategies
- Keywords
- bodily distress syndrome, prognosis, functional disorders, chronicity, primary care patients, socioeconomic resources, emotional distress, opioid use, health care utilization
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adult, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Denmark, Female, Humans, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Middle Aged, Primary Health Care, Prognosis, Surveys and Questionnaires, Somatoform Disorders, Young Adult, Checklist
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