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Somatoform disorders

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Introduction top

Somatoform disorders are characterised by the presence of physical complaints which would otherwise suggest a physical disorder but symptoms are not, or not sufficiently, explained by a physical disorder. Absence of a physical disorder should not be considered proof of a psychological cause. Physical complaints can be caused, maintained, or aggravated by psychological factors. In the treatment of unexplained physical symptoms, the consequences of the symptoms are more important than the causes.
The DSM-IV distinguishes the following somatoform diagnoses:
• somatization disorder;
• differentiated somatoform disorder;
• conversion disorder;
• pain disorder;
• hypochondriasis;
• body dysmorphic disorder.
The amount of professional information available on the Internet is growing every day. However, it is not the quantity but the quality that counts. The links are organised into five categories: pages with links, PubMed literature searches, articles from professional journals, Internet publications, and organisations and professional publications.
Pages with links
Collections of links make searching the net more effective. We have tried to offer pages with relevant links that are frequently updated. We have evaluated the relevance of the contents of the links only on a global level.
PubMed literature searches
We have formulated a PubMed search strategy for each of the diagnostic categories. By clicking on the link you can search the recent literature regarding the subject. An ideal search strategy should yield all but only relevant articles. In practice that is impossible. We have strived for a balance between 'sensitivity' and 'specificity'. We chose a configuration by which the search is limited to the last three months. You can change this search interval by clicking on the limits button.
Articles from professional journals
A limited number of 'peer reviewed' journals provide a full text articles free of charge. For somatoform disorders, the British Medical Journal is an interesting resource. Topic relevance is the most important criterion for inclusion.
Internet publications
Various organisations provide texts that are relevant to this topic. These texts can be compared to chapters in a textbook. There are a number of internet publications for readers interested in this topic. Content of the articles has been checked for relevance and the reliability of the source.
Organisations and professional journals
Many of the professional organisations and journals are accessible via the Internet. Our objective is to provide their Internet addresses.
Contact
We welcome suggestions for interesting links. Send your comments to somatisatie@psychiatrienet.nl.


Generaltop


Somatisation disordertop


Undifferentiated somatoform disordertop


Conversion disordertop


Pain disordertop


Hypochondriasistop


Body dysmorphic disordertop


Journalstop

  • European Journal of Pain

    Journal of the EFIC, the European subsidiary of the International Association for the Study of Pain.

  • General Hospital Psychiatry

    Journal with articles relating to the intersection of psychiatry, hospital medicine, and primary care. It emphasises a biopsychological approach to illness and health, and emphasises the importance of psychiatry in general medicine. Unfortunately the link provides only a table of contents but you can request a free sample copy.

  • International Journal of Psychiatry in Medicine

    This journal provides a forum for the advancement of psychosocial and biological theory, methods, and treatment adapted to patient care.

  • Journal of Psychosomatic Research

    Multidisciplinary journal which publishes research about all aspects of the relationship between psychology and medicine.

  • Pain

    Published by the International Association for the Study of Pain, this journal is one of the most important international journals in pain research.

  • Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics

    Publishes editorials, review articles, and research relating to the junction between psychotherapy and medicine.

  • Psychosomatic Medicine

    Multidisciplinary international Journal of the American Psychosomatic Society. Publisher experimental and clinical research about diverse aspects of the relationship between social, psychological, and behavioural factors in relationship to physical processes in humans and animals.

  • Psychosomatics

    Journal of the Academy of Psychosomatic Medicine. Publishes articles on the subject of psychiatry and general medicine.


Associationstop


Patient/client organisations and informationtop