TY - JOUR
KW - Adult
KW - Comorbidity
KW - Cost of Illness
KW - Female
KW - Humans
KW - Illness Behavior
KW - Male
KW - Middle Aged
KW - Pain/epidemiology/etiology
KW - Prevalence
KW - Primary Health Care/methods/statistics & numerical data
KW - Psychological Techniques
KW - Qatar/epidemiology
KW - Questionnaires
KW - Risk Factors
KW - Severity of Illness Index
KW - Socioeconomic Factors
KW - Somatoform Disorders/classification/complications/epidemiology
KW - Stress, Psychological/epidemiology/etiology
KW - Symptom Assessment/methods/statistics & numerical data
AU - A. Bener
AU - E. E. Dafeeah
AU - S. K. Chaturvedi
AU - D. Bhugra
A1 - 
AB - Although somatic complains are the predominant reasons for seeking general medical care, there has been limited research on the clinical presentation of somatic symptoms in primary care settings in developing countries. The frequency of somatic symptoms in primary care in Qatar and its relationship to comorbidities of mental disorders is presented here. A total of 2,320 Arab patients were approached, of whom 76% agreed to participate for the survey conducted among primary healthcare (PHC) centre patients. The study was conducted with the help of general practitioners (GPs), using the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12), Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ)-8 for depression, the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD)-7 for anxiety, PHQ-15 for somatic symptoms and the Psychological Stress Measure (PSM)-9 for stress. Of the subjects with somatic symptoms (229 cases), most were Qataris (57.2%). Poor hearing (52.1%), palpitation (47.1%) and stomach pain (43.8%) were the most common in men, whereas constipation (54.6%), feeling depressed (50.9%), and poor hearing (50.6%) were the most common in women; 48.5% had more than four somatic symptoms. Somatic symptoms were severe in 31.9%. Somatic symptoms were associated with depression (15.3%), anxiety (8.7%) and stress disorders (19.2%). The study findings revealed that somatic symptoms were significantly associated with socio-economic status. Somatic symptoms were significantly associated with depression, anxiety and stress disorders.
BT - International review of psychiatry (Abingdon, England)
C5 - Medically Unexplained Symptoms
CP - 1
CY - England
DO - 10.3109/09540261.2012.730993
IS - 1
JF - International review of psychiatry (Abingdon, England)
N2 - Although somatic complains are the predominant reasons for seeking general medical care, there has been limited research on the clinical presentation of somatic symptoms in primary care settings in developing countries. The frequency of somatic symptoms in primary care in Qatar and its relationship to comorbidities of mental disorders is presented here. A total of 2,320 Arab patients were approached, of whom 76% agreed to participate for the survey conducted among primary healthcare (PHC) centre patients. The study was conducted with the help of general practitioners (GPs), using the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12), Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ)-8 for depression, the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD)-7 for anxiety, PHQ-15 for somatic symptoms and the Psychological Stress Measure (PSM)-9 for stress. Of the subjects with somatic symptoms (229 cases), most were Qataris (57.2%). Poor hearing (52.1%), palpitation (47.1%) and stomach pain (43.8%) were the most common in men, whereas constipation (54.6%), feeling depressed (50.9%), and poor hearing (50.6%) were the most common in women; 48.5% had more than four somatic symptoms. Somatic symptoms were severe in 31.9%. Somatic symptoms were associated with depression (15.3%), anxiety (8.7%) and stress disorders (19.2%). The study findings revealed that somatic symptoms were significantly associated with socio-economic status. Somatic symptoms were significantly associated with depression, anxiety and stress disorders.
PP - England
PY - 2013
SN - 1369-1627; 0954-0261
SP - 100
EP - 106
EP - 
T1 - Somatic symptoms in primary care and psychological comorbidities in Qatar: neglected burden of disease
T2 - International review of psychiatry (Abingdon, England)
TI - Somatic symptoms in primary care and psychological comorbidities in Qatar: neglected burden of disease
U1 - Medically Unexplained Symptoms
U2 - 23383671
U3 - 10.3109/09540261.2012.730993
VL - 25
VO - 1369-1627; 0954-0261
Y1 - 2013
ER -