Reference Paper
One-year Treatment Outcomes in Outpatients with Somatic Symptom Disorder
2023 Volume 63 Issue 2 Pages 138-147
Details
2023 Volume 63 Issue 2 Pages 138-147
Background : Although somatic symptom disorder (SSD) is generally considered an incurable condition with poor prognosis, few studies have investigated its treatment outcomes. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the treatment outcomes in patients with SSD after one year in our outpatient setting.
Methods : In this retrospective study, the medical records of 35 outpatients (26 women ; mean age=54.5 years) with SSD specified as persistent (duration ≥ 6 months), who visited our department between April 2018 and March 2019 were examined for treatment outcomes.
Results : Of these patients, 16 (48.5%) showed improvement in symptoms, five (15.2%) were refractory to the treatment, and 16 (45.7%) discontinued the treatment.
Conclusion : SSD is not a disease with poor treatment outcomes as previously considered. In the treatment of SSD, however, a psychiatrist (or a psychosomatic physician) alone may not always be able to provide sufficient treatment. We believe that in the future, a collaborative approach with psychotherapists to develop treatments for SSD would be warranted.
