Abstract
In the field of psychosomatic medicine, there are many cases where patients enter the hospital with somatized symptoms as well as psychosomatic diseases. Among them, there exist cases which are diagnosed as somatoform disorders based on the DSM-III classification. Because of many similarities between psychosomatic diseases and somatoform disorders, it is not always easy to differentiate between the these two groups. Therefore, the distinguishing characteristics of both groups were investigated from the DSM-III standpoint. As the objects of investigation, those cases which were diagnosed as having psychological factors (psychosomatic diseases) affecting their physical conditions and as those having somatoform disorders were selected from among inpatients at Toho University's Psychosomatic Medicine Ward, based on the DSM-III classification. As to the investigation method, a comparison of both groups was made by paying close attention to the stress intensity and social adaptability levels which were relevant in the DSM=III diagnosis, and a comparison of the overall ego-states was also made by paying close attention to distortion of the ego-structure. As a result, when psychc, logical and social stress was compared with the ratio occupying that of idiocy and more, that is, that of Code 5 or more, psychosomatic diseases were found to have a significant difference in eruption frequency as compared with somatoform disorders, whereas psychosomatic diseases were proven to manifest themselves due to strong and excessive stress as compared with somatoform disorders. On the other hand, a comparison regarding the socia; adaptation level did not show a significant difference between the two groups. Comparison of ego-grams showed that psychosomatic cases had a tendency of showing a significantly high value in the Adapted Child (AC) and also in the Critical Parent (CP). These results were thought to be helpful in differentiating the symptoms of both groups, and consequently it was confirmed to be clinically useful to grasp the psychological and social and stress intensities and to analyze egostates utilizing an ego-gram.
