Abstract
Somatoform disorders are a group of widely prevalent disorders situated in the borderland between primary care, medicine and psychiatry. It is often believed that they are found more frequently in developing countries, whereas patients in the Western world would be more prone to “psychologise” their emotional distress, whether it be depression or anxiety. It is also often believed that somatic symptoms are frequently seen during the course of these two same disorders.
This paper discusses findings resulting from an on-going WHO International Study performed in five different centres in five different continents: patients received an accurate assessment of somatic symptoms by means of a new diagnostic instrument specifically designed for trans-cultural diagnosis of somatoform disorders; patients also received a thorough diagnostic evaluation by an experienced psychiatrist to assess coexisting psychiatric disorders.
The results from this study are analysed in terms of comorbidity rates for various conditions across the five centres. A characterization will also be produced of the type of settings in which these disorders are seen and of the treatment these disorders commonly receive in the different cultures.
Article PDF
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Tacchini, G., Altamura, C. & Forgione, A. Comorbidity and Treatment Aspects of Somatoform Disorders in Different Cultures. Neuropsychopharmacol 11, 262 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.npp.1380124
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.npp.1380124