Somatic symptoms: beyond 'medically unexplained'

Br J Psychiatry. 2013 Nov;203(5):320-1. doi: 10.1192/bjp.bp.112.122523.

Abstract

Somatic symptoms may be classified as either 'medically explained' or 'medically unexplained' - the former being considered medical and the latter psychiatric. In healthcare systems focused on disease, this distinction has pragmatic value. However, new scientific evidence and psychiatric classification urge a more integrated approach with important implications for psychiatry.

Publication types

  • Editorial

MeSH terms

  • Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
  • Humans
  • Somatoform Disorders / classification*