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The natural course of DSM-IV somatoform disorders and syndromes among adolescents and young adults: a prospective-longitudinal community study

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 April 2020

Roselind Lieb ,
Petra Zimmermann ,
Robert H Friis ,
Michael Höfler ,
Sven Tholen  and
Hans-Ulrich Wittchen
Roselind Lieb*
Affiliation:
Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Clinical Psychology and Epidemiology Unit, Kraepelinstr 2, 80804, Munich, Germany
Petra Zimmermann
Affiliation:
Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Clinical Psychology and Epidemiology Unit, Kraepelinstr 2, 80804, Munich, Germany
Robert H Friis
Affiliation:
Department of Health Science, California State University, Long Beach, A, USA
Michael Höfler
Affiliation:
Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Clinical Psychology and Epidemiology Unit, Kraepelinstr 2, 80804, Munich, Germany
Sven Tholen
Affiliation:
Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Clinical Psychology and Epidemiology Unit, Kraepelinstr 2, 80804, Munich, Germany
Hans-Ulrich Wittchen
Affiliation:
Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Clinical Psychology and Epidemiology Unit, Kraepelinstr 2, 80804, Munich, Germany Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Technical University Dresden, Dresden, Germany
*
*E-mail address:lieb@mpipsykl.mpg.de (R. Lieb).
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Summary

Objective.

Although somatoform disorders are assumed to be chronic clinical conditions, epidemiological knowledge on their natural course based on representative samples is not available.

Method.

Data come from a prospective epidemiologic study of adolescents and young adults in Munich, Germany. Respondents’ diagnoses (N = 2548) at baseline and follow-up on average 42 months later are considered. The follow-up incidence, stability as well as selected baseline risk factors (sociodemographics, psychopathology, trauma exposure) for the incidence and stability of somatoform disorders and syndromes are prospectively examined. Diagnostic information was assessed by using the standardized Munich-Composite International Diagnostic Interview (M-CIDI).

Results.

Over the follow-up period, incidence rate for any of the covered somatoform diagnoses was 25.7%. Stability for the overall group of any somatoform disorder/syndrome was 48%. Female gender, lower social class, the experience of any substance use, anxiety and affective disorder as well as the experience of traumatic sexual and physical threat events predicted new onsets of somatoform conditions, while stability was predicted by being female, prior existing substance use, affective and eating disorders as well as the experience of a serious accident.

Conclusions.

At least for a substantial proportion of individuals, the overall picture of somatization seems to be relatively stable, but with fluctuation in the symptom picture over time. Being female, the experience of substance use as well as anxiety disorder seem to constitute risk factors for the onset of new somatoform conditions as well as for a stable course over time.

Keywords

Somatoform disordersAdolescenceEpidemiology
Type
Original article
Information
European Psychiatry , Volume 17 , Issue 6 , October 2002 , pp. 321 - 331
Copyright
Copyright © Éditions scientifiques et médicales Elsevier SAS 2002

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