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3 Epidemiology of Somatoform Disorders
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Published:December 2007
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Abstract
Chapter 2 reviews issues of concern regarding definitions of somatization and somatoform disorders. The epidemiology of somatization is obviously tied to the definitions used in clinical and research contexts. Accordingly, there is substantial variability in terms of prevalence estimates of somatization and specific somatoform disorders. Among the lowest prevalence ratings are those found in the actual DSM-IV (American Psychiatric Association, 1994). As noted in chapter 2, this likely has to do with the fact that DSM-IV somatoform disorders have much more restrictive criteria than those employed by many researchers and clinicians.
As a quick reminder, two basic concepts cited in epidemiological studies are incidence and prevalence. Incidence refers to the number of new cases of a disorder or disease within a population during a specified period of time, or the risk of acquiring a particular disorder or disease. Incidence figures are cited frequently in broad epidemiological studies of common health problems such as influenza or chickenpox. The time frame and population under study are important in considering incidence because these allow a more precise characterization of risk. In neuropsychiatric diagnoses, incidence rates are typically low and not really of great interest for our purposes. Prevalence refers to the proportion or percentage of individuals within a population affected by particular disorder or disease, within a specific time frame. Thus, we commonly see references to six-month, one-year, or lifetime prevalence (LTP) of a disorder. Prevalence refers to a proportion or percentage of individuals in a particular sample. In this very basic discussion of epidemiology, I refer mainly to prevalence statistics.
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