Journal Article

Somatic symptom disorder: a scoping review on the empirical evidence of a new diagnosis

Depping, Miriam, Kohlmann, Sebastian, Löwe, Bernd, Toussaint, Anne, Weigel, Angelika, Shedden-Mora, Meike, Uhlenbusch, Natalie, Levenson, James, Hüsing, Paul, Lehmann, Marco

2022

Overview

In 2013, the diagnosis of somatic symptom disorder (SSD) was introduced into the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). This review aims to comprehensively synthesize contemporary evidence related to SSD. A scoping review was conducted using PubMed, PsycINFO, and Cochrane Library. The main inclusion criteria were SSD and publication in the English language between 01/2009 and 05/2020. Systematic search terms also included subheadings for the DSM-5 text sections; i.e., diagnostic features, prevalence, development and course, risk and prognostic factors, culture, gender, suicide risk, functional consequences, differential diagnosis, and comorbidity. Eight hundred and eighty-two articles were identified, of which 59 full texts were included for analysis. Empirical evidence supports the reliability, validity, and clinical utility of SSD diagnostic criteria, but the further specification of the psychological SSD B-criteria criteria seems necessary. General population studies using self-report questionnaires reported mean frequencies for SSD of 12.9% [95% confidence interval (CI) 12.5-13.3%], while prevalence studies based on criterion standard interviews are lacking. SSD was associated with increased functional impairment, decreased quality of life, and high comorbidity with anxiety and depressive disorders. Relevant research gaps remain regarding developmental aspects, risk and prognostic factors, suicide risk as well as culture- and gender-associated issues. Strengths of the SSD diagnosis are its good reliability, validity, and clinical utility, which substantially improved on its predecessors. SSD characterizes a specific patient population that is significantly impaired both physically and psychologically. However, substantial research gaps exist, e.g., regarding SSD prevalence assessed with criterion standard diagnostic interviews.

• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Subject: Anxiety / Anxiety disorders / Comorbidity / Criteria / Cross-sectional studies / Cultural change / Cultural factors / Culture / Developmental aspects / Diagnostic and Statistical Manual / Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders / Differential diagnosis / Disorders / English language / Functional impairment / Gender / Humans / Interviews / Invited Review / Medical diagnosis / Medical prognosis / Medically Unexplained Symptoms / Mental depression / Mental disorders / Patients / Population / Population studies / Quality of life / Quality of Life - psychology / Reliability / Remission (Medicine) / Reproducibility of Results / Risk / Risk factors / Self report / Sociocultural factors / Somatoform disorders / Somatoform Disorders - diagnosis / Specification / Suicide / Suicides & suicide attempts / Surveys and Questionnaires / Symptoms