The Retrospective Study for the Characteristics of the Outpatients with Pain as Comorbid in the Department of Psychosomatic Medicine

Abstract

Objectives : The aim of this study is to reveal the importance of assessing the pain which is not complained through identifying the characteristics of the patients who have pain as a comorbidity of other somatic symptoms. Methods : The participants were 155 outpatients for the department of psychosomatic medicine. They were categorized into three groups which had pain as a main symptom (MS), a comorbid symptom (CS), and no pain (NP), and then the groups were compared in the Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) rating severity of chief symptoms, Profile of Mood States (POMS), and Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI). Since there were significant differences between psychosomatic disease and panic disorder on the aspect of the characteristics of the patients, the comparison was applied to 123 patients with psychosomatic disease. Results : The comparison between the participants who had pain (MS and CS) and NP indicated no significant difference in NRS and POMS, but significant elevation in MMPI scales 1, 2, 3, and 8 on participants having pain. Furthermore, the group CS was revealed to be similar to MS with the exception of scale 5 of MMPI in females. Conclusion : The patients with physical pain have tendency to be hypochondriac, depressive, somatizing, and socially isolated. Pain which is one of the important vital signs should be assessed regardless of the complaint on all patients. We should consider the patients who have pain not as chief complaint to have the similar characteristics of the patients complaining physical pain.