V Duddu1, S K Chaturvedi, M K Isaac. 1. National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, India. duddu_venu@yahoo.com
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: The present investigation aimed to study attribution styles and somatosensory amplification among patients suffering from somatoform and depressive disorders. METHODS: Two groups of 30 patients with diagnoses of somatoform disorder and depressive disorder, respectively (ICD-10 DCR), and one group of 30 normal controls were recruited. The study patients were assessed using the symptom interpretation questionnaire, somatosensory amplification scale, and scales for assessing alexithymia and illness attitudes. RESULTS: The somatoform and depressive disorder patients had greater recent symptom experience than the normal group. The somatoform disorder group had higher somatic attribution scores, the depressive disorder sample had higher psychological attribution scores, and the normal group had higher normalizing attribution scores than the two other groups. Somatoform disorder patients had higher mean amplification scores than depressed patients, who in turn had higher scores than normals. Correlation analyses showed somatic attribution and certain illness attitudes to be closely associated in all three groups. Recent symptom experience was associated with amplification in the somatoform disorder group alone. Recent symptom experience, a diagnosis of somatoform disorder and lower normalizing attribution scores predicted amplification. DISCUSSION: These findings indicate that somatoform and depressive disorder patients and normals differ from each other in their attribution styles. There is a clustering of attributes among somatoform disorder patients that include greater symptom experience, which is somatically attributed, and is associated with excessive illness worry, concern and preoccupation with bodily symptoms, and a fear of having or developing a disease. On the other hand, depressed patients and normal subjects who do have a somatic attribution style (though, as a group, they have lower somatic attribution scores than the somatoform disorder group), also harbor hypochondriacal beliefs and related attitudes. Copyright 2003 S. Karger AG, Basel
OBJECTIVE: The present investigation aimed to study attribution styles and somatosensory amplification among patients suffering from somatoform and depressive disorders. METHODS: Two groups of 30 patients with diagnoses of somatoform disorder and depressive disorder, respectively (ICD-10 DCR), and one group of 30 normal controls were recruited. The study patients were assessed using the symptom interpretation questionnaire, somatosensory amplification scale, and scales for assessing alexithymia and illness attitudes. RESULTS: The somatoform and depressive disorderpatients had greater recent symptom experience than the normal group. The somatoform disorder group had higher somatic attribution scores, the depressive disorder sample had higher psychological attribution scores, and the normal group had higher normalizing attribution scores than the two other groups. Somatoform disorderpatients had higher mean amplification scores than depressedpatients, who in turn had higher scores than normals. Correlation analyses showed somatic attribution and certain illness attitudes to be closely associated in all three groups. Recent symptom experience was associated with amplification in the somatoform disorder group alone. Recent symptom experience, a diagnosis of somatoform disorder and lower normalizing attribution scores predicted amplification. DISCUSSION: These findings indicate that somatoform and depressive disorderpatients and normals differ from each other in their attribution styles. There is a clustering of attributes among somatoform disorderpatients that include greater symptom experience, which is somatically attributed, and is associated with excessive illness worry, concern and preoccupation with bodily symptoms, and a fear of having or developing a disease. On the other hand, depressedpatients and normal subjects who do have a somatic attribution style (though, as a group, they have lower somatic attribution scores than the somatoform disorder group), also harbor hypochondriacal beliefs and related attitudes. Copyright 2003 S. Karger AG, Basel