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BMC Primary Care
Published in: BMC Primary Care 1/2010

Open Access 01-12-2010 | Research article

Patients presenting with somatic complaints in general practice: depression, anxiety and somatoform disorders are frequent and associated with psychosocial stressors

Authors: Nader Haftgoli, Bernard Favrat, François Verdon, Paul Vaucher, Thomas Bischoff, Bernard Burnand, Lilli Herzig

Published in: BMC Primary Care | Issue 1/2010

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Abstract

Background

Mental disorders in primary care patients are frequently associated with physical complaints that can mask the disorder. There is insufficient knowledge concerning the role of anxiety, depression, and somatoform disorders in patients presenting with physical symptoms. Our primary objective was to determine the prevalence of depression, anxiety, and somatoform disorders among primary care patients with a physical complaint. We also investigated the relationship between cumulated psychosocial stressors and mental disorders.

Methods

We conducted a multicentre cross-sectional study in twenty-one private practices and in one academic primary care centre in Western Switzerland. Randomly selected patients presenting with a spontaneous physical complaint were asked to complete the self-administered Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ) between November 2004 and July 2005. The validated French version of the PHQ allowed the diagnosis of mental disorders (DSM-IV criteria) and the analyses of exposure to psychosocial stressors.

Results

There were 917 patients exhibiting at least one physical symptom included. The rate of depression, anxiety, and somatoform disorders was 20.0% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 17.4% to 22.7%), 15.5% (95% CI = 13.2% to 18.0%), and 15.1% (95% CI = 12.8% to 17.5%), respectively. Psychosocial stressors were significantly associated with mental disorders. Patients with an accumulation of psychosocial stressors were more likely to present anxiety, depression, or somatoform disorders, with an increase of 2.2 fold (95% CI = 2.0 to 2.5) for each additional stressor.

Conclusions

The investigation of mental disorders and psychosocial stressors among patients with physical complaints is relevant in primary care. Psychosocial stressors should be explored as potential epidemiological causes of mental disorders.
Appendix
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Metadata
Title
Patients presenting with somatic complaints in general practice: depression, anxiety and somatoform disorders are frequent and associated with psychosocial stressors
Authors
Nader Haftgoli
Bernard Favrat
François Verdon
Paul Vaucher
Thomas Bischoff
Bernard Burnand
Lilli Herzig
Publication date
01-12-2010
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Primary Care / Issue 1/2010
Electronic ISSN: 2731-4553
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2296-11-67

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