Asad Nizami, Mariam Hayat, Fareed A Minhas, Najma Najam.
Psycho-social stressors in patients with somatoform disorders.
J Pak Psych Soc Jan ;2(1):20-3.

Objectives: To identify and compare the various psychosocial stressors in patients presenting with somatoform disorders during the last one year Design: A retrospective (ex post facto) study. Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted in the Inpatient and out patient departments of the Institute of Psychiatry, Rawalpindi General Hospital, from January 2004 to April 2004. Subjects And Methods: The sample consisted of 80 patients (40 male and 40 female) with somatoform disorders. Life Events Scale (LES) and Axis-IV of DSM were used as instruments to study the various psychosocial stressors. Results: The findings suggested that female patients (M = 356.15, SD = 138.01) experience more life events as compared to male patients (M = 317.6, SD = 103.48). There were non-significant differences between males and females in terms of problems with the primary support group, social environment and economic difficulties. However mean scores indicated that female patients (M=1.43, SD=. 87) experience more problems with primary support group as compared to males (M =2.35, SD =1.09) whereas male patients (M= 1.50, SD=. 87) have more problems with the social environment as compared to females (M=1.43, SD=. 87). Both male (M=. 87, SD=. 88) and female (M = .75, SD=. 59) patients showed preponderance with economic problems. Majority of the patients presenting with somatization belonged to the younger age groups. Somatoform disorders were more common among housewives and in males who were unemployed. There was a significant variation within the educational status of the patients. Conclusion: Psychosocial stressors are important causal factors for Somatoform disorders. People having problems with the primary support group and social environment are twice likely to present with somatoform disorders.

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