The prevalence of somatoform disorders among internal medical inpatients

Objective: To find the prevalence of somatoform disorders (SDs) among internal medical inpatients and to study the comorbidity with other psychiatric disorders. Methods: Of 392 eligible consecutive medical inpatients, 294 (75%) accepted to participate and, using a two-phase design, were assessed for ICD and DSM-IV somatoform diagnoses and for ICD-10 psychiatric diagnoses. Results: A total of 18.1% (95% CI: 12.8-24.9%) of the patients fulfilled the diagnostic criteria for an ICD-10 disorder, and 20.2% (95% CI:14.7-27.2%) for a DSM-IV SD. The prevalence of specified disorders revealed marked differences between the two diagnostic systems, e.g., concerning somatisation disorder (SD), which was more prevalent in the ICD-10 (5%) than in the DSM-IV (1.5%) equivalent. Quite the contrary was found in undifferentiated SD (0.7% in ICD-10 and 10% in DSM-IV). According to ICD-10 criteria, 3.5% had hypochondriasis, 2.6% a dissociative disorder, 3.2% a somatoform autonomic dysfunction, 1.5% had neurasthenia or persistent somatoform pain disorder, and 5% had an SD, unspecified. SDs were more prevalent among younger females. Thirty-six percent of the patients with SDs also had another psychiatric disorder, 11% a depression, and 25% an anxiety disorder. The physicians detected about 1/3 of the cases. Conclusion: Somatoform disorders were prevalent among internal medical inpatients especially among younger women. (C) 2004 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.