A CLINICAL STUDY OF SOMATISING PATIENTS ATTENDING PSYCHIATRIC OUTPATIENT CLINIC

SUMMARY

Patients presenting with bodily symptoms without any demonstrable physical basis were studied. Somatisation was observed in more than 80% of the sample studied. A higher percentage of somatisers were found in females, age groups 35-44 and above 55, unmarried and illiterate groups. Housewives formed the largest group of somatisers amongst different occupations. Common diagnoses amongst somatisers were neurotic depression, hysterical neurosis, anxiety neurosis and endogenous depression.