somatic symptom disorder

category of mental disorder

Key facts

Specialty: Psychiatry , psychology
Symptoms: Maladaptive thoughts, feelings, and behaviors in response to chronic physical symptoms
Complications: Reduced functioning, unemployment , financial stress, interpersonal difficulties
Usual onset: Childhood
Duration: At least six months
Causes: Heightened awareness of bodily sensations and the tendency to misinterpret bodily sensations
Risk factors: Childhood neglect and abuse , chaotic lifestyle, history of substance and alcohol abuse , psychosocial and biopsychosocial stressors
Diagnostic method: Physical exam , Psychiatric assessment
Differential diagnosis: Adjustment disorder , body dysmorphic disorder , obsessive–compulsive disorder , hypochondriasis
Treatment: Cognitive behavioral therapy , medication , interpersonal psychotherapy
Medication

Article

Somatic symptom disorder (SSD) is a mental health condition characterised by an excessive focus on physical symptoms—such as pain or shortness of breath—that cause significant distress or impairment. Individuals with SSD experience disproportionate thoughts, emotions, and behaviors related to their symptoms. The symptoms themselves are not deliberately produced or feigned (as they are in malingering and factitious disorders), and their underlying cause—whether organic, psychogenic or unexplained—is irrelevant to the diagnosis.

Manifestations of somatic symptom disorder are variable; symptoms can be widespread, specific, and often fluctuate. Somatic symptom disorder corresponds to how an individual views and reacts to symptoms rather than the symptoms themselves, and it can develop in the setting of existing chronic illness or newly onset conditions.