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This study examined the prevalence of somatic symptoms and psychiatric characteristics of major depression in a Japanese psychosomatic outpatient clinic. A total of 2,215 outpatients referred for mind/body complaints were assessed by DSM-III-R or DSM-IV. Somatic symptoms were rated using the Cornell Medical Index Questionnaire. Ninety-one outpatients (4.1%) were diagnosed with major depression. Prevalence of fatigue (86%), insomnia (79%), nausea/vomiting (50%), and back pain (36%) as well as degrees of psychosocial stress (DSM-III-R axis IV) were higher (all p < 0.05) and scores of global assessment of psychosocial functioning (DSM-III-R/DSM-IV axis V) were lower (p < 0.001) in the major depressive patients compared to the remaining outpatients. Among the major depressive patients, the total number of somatic symptoms was larger (p < 0.05) in patients with 'severe' major depressive episodes than in those with 'mild' depressive episodes. These findings suggest that the level of depression is closely linked to the reporting of somatic symptoms in a psychosomatic medicine population.
Nakao et al. (2001) studied this question.