Development of a screening method for probable somatizing syndromes

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Abstract
"Somatizing syndromes" is proposed to describe all conditions in which patients present with somatic complaints but without signs of organic disease. Fifty consecutive G.P. [general practitioner] patients were given a Swedish version of the 52-item Illness Behavior Questionnaire (IBQ) to test whether this questionnaire identifies those with signs of somatizing syndromes. The patients were also independently categorized by the G.P. into 7 clinical groups reflecting the presence or absence of somatic disease, social/psychological problems and various combinations there of. The test-retest reliability of the IBQ expressed as Pearson''s r was 0.89. Patients presenting with concern over non-existing somatic disease and apparently unaware of any related psychological problem had significantly higher mean IBQ scores than did other patients. The IBQ was a satisfactory instrument for primary identification of patients with probable somatizing syndromes.

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