Definition
The common feature of somatoform disorders is the presence of physical symptoms that could indicate a general medical condition, but the physical symptoms are not fully explained by a well-known biomedical disease, by the direct effects of a substance, or by another mental disorder. Somatoform disorders have been replaced by somatic symptom disorders in DSM-5. This group includes somatic symptom disorder, conversion disorder, illness anxiety disorder, and others.
Description
The term “somatoform disorder” has been introduced by DSM-III (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, third version) as a category for a group of diagnoses. The common feature of somatoform disorders is the presence of physical symptoms that could indicate a general medical condition, but the physical symptoms are not fully explained by a well-known biomedical disease, by the direct...
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References and Further Readings
Barsky, A. J. (1992). Amplification, somatization, and the somatoform disorders. Psychosomatics, 33, 28–34.
Henningsen, P., Gundel, H., Kop, W. J., Lowe, B., Martin, A., Rief, W., Rosmalen, J. G. M., Schroder, A., van der Feltz-Cornelis, C., Van den Bergh, O., & Grp, Euronet-Soma. (2018). Persistent physical symptoms as perceptual dysregulation: A Neuropsychobehavioral model and its clinical implications. Psychosomatic Medicine, 80(5), 422–431. https://doi.org/10.1097/psy.0000000000000588.
Rief, W., & Martin, A. (2014). How to use the new DSM-5 diagnosis somatic symptom disorder in research and practice? A critical evaluation and a proposal for modifications. Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, 10, 339–367.
Wittchen, H. U., & Jacobi, F. (2005). Size and burden of mental disorders in Europe – a critical review and appraisal of 27 studies. European Neuropsychopharmacology, 15, 357–376.
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Rief, W. (2020). Somatoform Disorders. In: Gellman, M.D. (eds) Encyclopedia of Behavioral Medicine. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-39903-0_62
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-39903-0_62
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