Somatization in patients with dissociative disorders

OBJECTIVE: This study attempted to determine the prevalence of somatic symptoms, somatization disorder, and medical interventions in patients with dissociative disorders. METHOD: Fourteen psychiatric inpatients with a DSM-III dissociative disorder were matched for age and gender with a comparison group of inpatients who reported few dissociative symptoms. All subjects were interviewed in a blind manner with the Dissociative Disorders Interview Schedule (this semistructured interview schedule includes a section on somatization disorder), and their hospital charts were reviewed to determine somatic symptoms and medical histories. RESULTS: Sixty-four percent of the patients with dissociative disorders met DSM-III criteria for somatization disorder and reported an average of 12.4 somatic symptoms. None of the comparison patients met DSM-III criteria for somatization disorder, and these patients reported an average of 3.1 somatic symptoms. These differences between the two groups were significant. Significant differences were also found in the number of medical hospitalizations and consultations between the two groups. A significant correlation was found between the degree of dissociation and degree of somatization in patients with dissociative disorders. CONCLUSIONS: The authors conclude that somatization disorder is a frequent and serious comorbid disorder among patients with dissociative disorders.