Psychosocial and Clinical Correlates of Somatic Symptom Disorder in Patients With and Without Somatic Comorbidities: Cross-sectional Findings from the SOMA.SSD Study

Key Points

• This research aims to explore the relationship between psychosocial factors and clinical severity in Somatic Symptom Disorder (SSD), focusing on individuals with and without somatic comorbidities.
• Conducted a cross-sectional analysis
• Compared severity and psychosocial profiles in SSD patients with and without somatic comorbidities
• Assessed health anxiety levels
• Somatic comorbidities were frequent in SSD but did not impact the severity of symptoms or psychosocial profile
• Health anxiety was identified as a significant correlate of SSD severity
• Insights support the validity of SSD diagnosis independent of physical illness

Abstract