Somatic symptoms in schizophrenia: Association with socio-demographic and clinical characteristics, disability and quality of life

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: There is lack of research on somatic symptoms in schizophrenia. We aimed at finding prevalence and types of somatic symptoms in patients with schizophrenia and assessed their association with socio-demographic and clinical characteristics. METHODS: We assessed somatic symptoms using Patient Health Questionnaire–15 (PHQ-15) in 93 patients with schizophrenia diagnosed on ICD10-DCR. Scale for Assessment of Positive Symptoms and Scale for Assessment of Negative Symptoms, WHO Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0, WHO Quality of Life (BREF) Hindi version and Liverpool University Neuroleptic Side-Effect Rating Scale were used to assess psychopathology, disability, quality of life and side effects. RESULTS: Significant somatic symptoms (n ≥5 on PHQ-15) were present in 62 (67.7%) patients with schizophrenia. Forty three (69.4%) had mild (n = 5-9 on PHQ-15), 17 (27.4%) had moderate (n = 10-14 on PHQ-15), and only 2 (3.2%) had severe (n = ≥15 on PHQ -15) somatic symptoms. Mean somatic symptoms score on PHQ-15 was 7.28 (± 3.83); 96.8% reported feeling tired, 76.3% had constipation or diarrhoea, 67.7% trouble in sleeping, 61.3% nausea or indigestion, 52.7% back pain and 51.6% headache. Patients with somatic symptoms were older in age, had longer duration of illness and treatment, and had more negative symptoms. They had higher disability and poor quality of life especially in physical domain. CONCLUSION: Somatic symptoms are common in patients with schizophrenia and are associated with chronicity, refractoriness and negative symptoms, significant disability and poor quality of life. Thus during routine clinical practice, somatic symptoms should be assessed and managed in these patients.