This special issue is devoted to the topic of medically unexplained symptoms (MUS),
a heterogeneous group of conditions characterized by persistent physical symptoms
that cannot be explained by medical illness or injury. Although psychological factors
have long been regarded as central to these problems, patients with MUS have typically
been managed within medical settings and referrals to mental health services have
been relatively rare. In recent years, however, interest in the psychological nature
and treatment of MUS has expanded, culminating in the development of tailored psychological
interventions for these conditions. This, coupled with the increasing willingness
of practitioners to diagnose conditions such as chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia
and irritable bowel syndrome, has led to an increase in the number of patients who
are referred for psychological treatment. At present, however, many psychological
therapists are unfamiliar with the literature on MUS. With this in mind, this special
issue presents a series of papers that provide an overview of what is known about
the nature, aetiology and treatment of medically unexplained illness. This introductory
paper provides general information about the clinical presentation, diagnosis, classification,
terminology and epidemiology of MUS in adults, and concludes with an examination of
important areas for future development in the field. Subsequent papers address the
psychological mechanisms [Deary, V., Chalder, T., & Sharpe, M. (2007-this issue).
The cognitive behavioural model of medically unexplained symptoms: A theoretical and
empirical review. Clinical Psychology Review; Iverson, A., Chalder, T., & Wessely,
S. (2007-this issue). Gulf war illness: Lessons from medically unexplained illness.
Clinical Psychology Review; Rief, W., & Broadbent, E. (2007-this issue). Explaining
medically unexplained symptoms: Models and mechanisms. Clinical Psychology Review;
Roelofs, K., & Spinhoven, P. (2007-this issue). Trauma and medically unexplained symptoms:
Towards an integration of cognitive and neuro-biological accounts. Clinical Psychology
Review] and management [Deary, V., Chalder, T., & Sharpe, M. (2007-this issue). The
cognitive behavioural model of medically unexplained symptoms: A theoretical and empirical
review. Clinical Psychology Review] of these conditions. A separate overview of the
literature on MUS in children and adolescents is provided by Eminson [Eminson, J.
(2007-this issue). Medically unexplained symptoms in children and adolescents. Clinical
Psychology Review].