The DOI matches its Crossref record; 30 of the 30 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Physical symptom disorder: A simpler diagnostic category for somatization-spectrum conditions
Abstract
Objective To propose a simpler, more empiric, and patient-centered category for classifying physical symptoms that are "etiologically neutral," that is, not reliant on the assumption that symptoms that is poorly explained from a medical standpoint must de facto be psychological in origin.Methods Theoretical analysis, narrative review, and proposal.Results Studies have revealed several limitations in the current classification of somatoform disorders, including the poor reliability of lifetime symptom recall, the difficulty in adjudicating physical versus psychological explanations, and the stigma in assigning patients with medically unexplained symptoms to an Axis I psychiatric disorder. Physical symptom disorder (PSD) is proposed as a diagnostic category that would reside on Axis III (rather than Axis I) and replace somatization disorder, undifferentiated somatoform disorder, and pain disorder. PSD would consist of one or more physical symptoms currently present, not fully explainable by another medical or psychiatric disorder (with the exception of functional somatic syndromes), causing functional impairment. Duration must be at least 6 months, and severity could be graded as mild, moderate, or severe using a 15-symptom checklist (PHQ-15). Finally, the type of symptoms or symptom syndromes present in the patient could be specified.Conclusions PSD should be considered as a simpler and more inclusive diagnosis to replace several somatoform diagnoses currently in use.
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“Spijkerman M.P.J. et al. 2016 clinical review [42] and works by Braun V. and Kroenke K. from 2006 [43,44], each earning 75 citations, contribute significantly to psychological interventions and symptom assessment.”
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Metadata
- Authors
- Kroenke, K.
- Affiliations
- Regenstrief Institute (US)
- Corresponding author
- Kroenke, Kurt
- ORCID
- Kroenke, Kurt
- Venue
- Journal of Psychosomatic Research
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2006-04
- Volume
- 60
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 335-339
- ISSN
- 0022-3999 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2051975061
- Cited by
- 132
- References
- 30
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 5 · 2020: 4 · 2019: 4 · 2018: 2 · 2017: 2 · 2016: 4 · 2015: 3 · 2014: 5 · 2013: 6 · 2012: 8
- FWCI
- 10.19
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Psychosomatic Research (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- 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
- Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › History and Philosophy of Science › Medicine, History, and Philosophy
- Keywords
- somatization, somatoform disorders, diagnostic classification, medically unexplained symptoms, somatization disorder, undifferentiated somatoform disorder, pain disorders, PHQ-15, functional disability, stigma
- MeSH terms
- Affective Symptoms, Terminology as Topic, Somatoform Disorders, World Health Organization, Reproducibility of Results, Prevalence
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