Somatic Symptom Disorder

Somatic symptom disorders = excessive or maladaptive response to physical symptoms or health concerns
Soma = Body
- Preoccupation with health or symptoms
- Physical complaints
- Usually no identifiable medical condition
First identified by French doctor who noticed patients coming to him with numerous complaints with no medical basis
Formerly called Briquet’s syndrome
Presence of one or more somatic symptoms
- Symptom is often medically unexplained
Excessive thoughts, feelings, and behaviors related to the symptoms
- (e.g., excessive thoughts about seriousness of the symptom, frequent complaints and requests for help, health-related anxiety, excessive research)
Substantial impairment in social or occupational functioning

A. One or more somatic symptoms that are distressing and/or result in significant disruption of daily life.
B. Excessive thoughts, feelings, and behaviors related to the somatic symptoms or associated health concerns as manifested by at least one of the following:
- 1. Disproportionate and persistent thoughts about the seriousness of one’s symptoms.
- 2. High level of health-related anxiety.
- 3. Excessive time and energy devoted to these symptoms or health concerns.
C. Although any one symptom may not be continuously present, the state of being symptomatic is persistent (typically more than 6 months).
Specify if:
- With predominant pain (previously pain disorder): This specifier is for individuals whose somatic complaints predominantly involve pain.
Specify current severity:
- Mild: Only one of the symptoms in Criterion B is fulfilled.
- Moderate: Two or more of the symptoms specified in Criterion B are fulfilled.
- Severe: Two or more of the symptoms specified in Criterion B are fulfilled, plus there are multiple somatic complaints (or one very severe somatic symptom).