SOMATIZERS IN PSYCHIATRIC CARE

Somatic symptoms are commonly reported by psychiatric patients. Sixty consecutively selected patients with predominant presenting complaints of somatic (bodily) symptoms were assessed using the Scale for Assessment of Somatic Symptoms. Physical and psychiatric examinations were performed. Somatisation cases were more often from 26-45 years age group, higher education, married and from urban background. Neurotic depression was the commonest diagnosis (62%), another 10% had M.D.P. Depression. Average numbers of somatic symptoms per patient was 4.65. Five or more symptoms were reported by 42% cases. Many cases had severe somatic complaints. The findings are compared with those of other studies on somatisation.