Prevalence of persistent physical symptoms and association with depression, anxiety and health anxiety in Iceland, Flovenz et al, 2021

[Andy]

Introduction: Persistent physical symptoms that are medically unexplained can result in significant functional impairment. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of persistent physical symptoms among people seeking primary healthcare in Reykjavík, Iceland, how they relate to functional impairment, symptoms of depression, general anxiety and health anxiety, and estimate the proportion of people with such symptoms who would likely benefit from psychological treatment.

Materials and methods: Questionnaires measuring persistent physical symptoms, functional impairment, and symptoms of depression, general anxiety and health anxiety were administered to 106 patients attending two primary healthcare clinics.

Results: The prevalence of persistent physical symptoms was 27.4% among the primary care patients and they had a strong relationship to symptoms of mental disorders. Participants with persistent physical symptoms were 8 times more likely to have clinical levels of depression and general anxiety than participants without such symptoms, 4 times more likely to have clinical levels of health anxiety and 13 times more likely to have clinical levels of functional impairment. At least two-thirds of participants with persistent physical symptoms would likely benefit from psychological treatment.

Conclusion: The prevalence of persistent physical symptoms among health care patients in the capital area of Iceland is in line with previous studies. Similarly, the strong relationship between persistent physical symptoms and symptoms of depression and anxiety corresponds to previous studies. It is likely that at least two out of three patients with persistent physical symptoms would benefit from psychological treatment. Transdiagnostic cognitive behavioural therapy for persistent physical symptoms might be particularly useful as is focuses on the interplay between physical and mental symptoms.

Pubmed (abstract in English only), https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33501920/
DOI (article in Icelandic), https://doi.org/10.17992/lbl.2021.02.620 (not yet working at time of posting)

 

[shak8]

Transdiagnostic CBT, now that's a turn of phrase.

 

[Snowdrop]

Transdiagnostic CBT (for anyone like me not clued up):

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29080593/

 

[Hutan]

The abstract is quite vague. It starts by dividing persistent physical symptoms into those that are medically unexplained and those that are not:

Persistent physical symptoms that are medically unexplained can result in significant functional impairment. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of persistent physical symptoms among people seeking primary healthcare in Reykjavík, Iceland,

It does not, however, create a separate term for persistent physical symptoms that are medically unexplained. So, the rest of the abstract could actually be talking about, literally, 'persistent physical symptoms', regardless of whether they are medically unexplained or not.

I don't know if it is or not, but, if it is, then the paper is quite misleading. It would be appearing to make 'persistent physical symptoms that are medically unexplained' a much bigger problem than they are.

The prevalence of persistent physical symptoms was 27.4% among the primary care patients

Of course anyone with significant ongoing physical symptoms, medically explained or not, is more likely to be sad and worried about things, perhaps even their financial situation, than people without such symptoms. Of course they will have 'health anxiety', as in, be concerned about their symptoms. And, it's hardly surprising that people with persistent physical symptoms are a lot more likely to be functionally impaired than those who don't have persistent physical symptoms.

Edited for grammar.

 

[alktipping]

another paper created solely for the purpose of empire building . until these parasites are kicked out of medicine altogether patients will be harmed by their gross inability to place cause first and effect second .