Abstract Background: The relationship between somatoform and dissociative disorders is complex, involving overlapping influences of personality traits, illness perception, emotional processing, familial influences, stress, and coping. Aim: The aim of this study was to assess and compare stressful life events, personality profile, emotional maturity, coping strategies, expressed emotions, and vulnerability in patients with somatoform disorder and dissociative disorder. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional comparative study was conducted on 106 patients (53 each with somatoform and dissociative disorders) using consecutive sampling. Participants were assessed using the Presumptive Stressful Life Event Scale (PSLES), International Personality Disorder Examination-International Classification of Diseases-10 th Revision screening questionnaire, Emotional Maturity Scale, Brief Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced, Family Emotional Involvement and Criticism Scale (FEICS), Illness Behavior Questionnaire, and 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20). Results: Groups were demographically comparable, except for age and marital and educational status. The dissociative disorder group had significantly higher PSLES scores (1.21 ± 0.72), FEICS scores (50.49 ± 12.69), and TAS-20 scores (55.17 ± 11.02), indicating greater stress, familial expressed emotions, and alexithymia. Avoidant coping was significantly higher in the somatoform disorder group (41.26 ± 9.52). Emotional maturity levels were comparable between the groups. Conclusion: Patients with dissociative disorder experience more stressful life events, dependent personality traits, expressed emotions, and alexithymia, particularly difficulty identifying feelings. Somatoform disorder patients exhibit higher avoidant coping. Early identification of these psychosocial constructs can inform more effective management and therapeutic strategies for both conditions.
Singroha et al. (Fri,) studied this question.