TY - JOUR
KW - Adult
KW - Age Factors
KW - Aged
KW - Case-Control Studies
KW - Community Health Centers
KW - Diagnosis, Differential
KW - Female
KW - Humans
KW - Incidence
KW - Male
KW - Middle Aged
KW - Primary Health Care/utilization
KW - Sex Factors
KW - Somatoform Disorders/diagnosis/epidemiology/psychology
AU - S. Jyvasjarvi
AU - M. Joukamaa
AU - E. Vaisanen
AU - P. Larivaara
AU - S. Kivela
AU - S. Keinanen-Kiukaanniemi
A1 - 
AB - OBJECTIVE: The aim of this case-control study was to investigate the association of somatization with frequent attendance in primary health care. METHODS: Frequent attenders in a health center (FAs) (N=112) and age- and sex-matched controls (COs) (N=105) constituted the study series. Data were collected from annual statistics, medical records, postal questionnaires and personal interviews. Psychological distress was assessed using Symptom Checklist-36 (SCL-36), alexithymia was measured with Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20 (TAS-20) and hypochondriasis was screened with Whiteley Index (WI). RESULTS: About one-third of FAs were somatizers when a cut-off point of eight symptoms on the SCL-36 somatization subscale was used as a criterion. The significant association of somatization with frequent attendance disappeared in multivariate analyses when adjusted for age, sex and chronic somatic illnesses. Hypochondriacal beliefs and psychiatric comorbidity were connected with FAs' somatization. Hypochondriacal beliefs explained somatizers' frequent attendance. A significant interaction effect between somatization and hypochondriacal beliefs was found when explaining frequent attendance. CONCLUSION: The results emphasize the need to use a comprehensive approach of somatization, including hypochondriacal beliefs, when treating somatizing FA patients in primary health care.
BT - Journal of psychosomatic research
C5 - Financing & Sustainability; Medically Unexplained Symptoms
CP - 4
CY - England
IS - 4
JF - Journal of psychosomatic research
N2 - OBJECTIVE: The aim of this case-control study was to investigate the association of somatization with frequent attendance in primary health care. METHODS: Frequent attenders in a health center (FAs) (N=112) and age- and sex-matched controls (COs) (N=105) constituted the study series. Data were collected from annual statistics, medical records, postal questionnaires and personal interviews. Psychological distress was assessed using Symptom Checklist-36 (SCL-36), alexithymia was measured with Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20 (TAS-20) and hypochondriasis was screened with Whiteley Index (WI). RESULTS: About one-third of FAs were somatizers when a cut-off point of eight symptoms on the SCL-36 somatization subscale was used as a criterion. The significant association of somatization with frequent attendance disappeared in multivariate analyses when adjusted for age, sex and chronic somatic illnesses. Hypochondriacal beliefs and psychiatric comorbidity were connected with FAs' somatization. Hypochondriacal beliefs explained somatizers' frequent attendance. A significant interaction effect between somatization and hypochondriacal beliefs was found when explaining frequent attendance. CONCLUSION: The results emphasize the need to use a comprehensive approach of somatization, including hypochondriacal beliefs, when treating somatizing FA patients in primary health care.
PP - England
PY - 2001
SN - 0022-3999; 0022-3999
SP - 185
EP - 192
EP - 
T1 - Somatizing frequent attenders in primary health care
T2 - Journal of psychosomatic research
TI - Somatizing frequent attenders in primary health care
U1 - Financing & Sustainability; Medically Unexplained Symptoms
U2 - 11369023
VL - 50
VO - 0022-3999; 0022-3999
Y1 - 2001
ER -