Somatoform disorders

The nosology of somatoform disorders continues to provoke debate amongst those involved both in its research and in its management. Classification remains problematic and current systems provide little basis for optimism. The move towards a more integrated model, however, with an emphasis on the interplay between psychological and biological factors, has led to advances in our understanding of the aetiology of somatoform disorders and has facilitated the development of effective treatments. Curr Opin Psychiatry 12:163-168. (C) 1999 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.