Somatoform disorder

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Overview
Somatoform disorders are physical ailments (such as pain, nausea, depression, dizziness) or concerns for which no adequate medical explanation has been found. Somatoform disorders are physical symptoms that seem as if they are part of a general medical condition. However, no general medical condition, other mental disorder, or substance is present. The complaints are serious enough to cause significant emotional distress and impairment of social and/or occupational functioning.

A diagnosis of a somatoform disorder implies that psychological factors are a large contributor to the symptoms' onset, severity and duration. It is important to note that somatoform disorders are not the result of conscious malingering or factitious disorders.

Recognized somatoform disorders
The somatoform disorders recognized by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders of the American Psychiatric Association are:
 * Conversion disorder
 * Somatization disorder
 * Hypochondriasis
 * Body dysmorphic disorder
 * Pain disorder
 * Undifferentiated somatoform disorder - only one unexplained symptom is required for at least 6 months
 * Somatoform disorder NOS

Proposed somatoform disorders
Additional proposed somatoform disorders are:
 * Abridged somatization disorder - at least 4 unexplained somatic complaints in men and 6 in women
 * Multisomatoform disorder - at least 3 unexplained somatic complaints from the PRIME-MD scale for at least 2 years of active symptoms

These disorders have been proposed because the recognized somatoform disorders are either too restrictive or too broad. In a study of 119 primary care patients, the following prevalences were found :
 * Somatization disorder - 1%
 * Abridged somatization disorder - 6%
 * Multisomatoform disorder - 24%
 * Undifferentiated somatoform disorder - 79%