title: The nonspecific symptom screening method. Detection of nonpsychotic morbidity based on nonspecific symptoms.
abstract: Detection of nonpsychotic morbidity in primary care patients presenting with nonspecific and somatic symptoms has been difficult because of several factors related to the patients, primary care clinicians, and working conditions of the over-crowded clinic. The available standardized screening questionnaires do not overcome many of these difficulties when used for routine clinical purposes. A screening method based only on nonspecific symptoms, which could be easily incorporated into the routine initial clinical work-up of a patient, was developed in this study and has been found to have good validity and reliability for screening nonpsychotic morbidity. The method of construction of the screen and its clinical applicability and limitations are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Sri Ramachandra Medical College, Tamil Nadu Arasu Medical Sciences and Research Institute (TAMARAI), Madras, India.
authors.forename: T N
authors.initials: TN
authors.lastname: Srinivasan
authors.forename: T R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Suresh
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D005194:Family Practice; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009497:Neurotic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D010556:Personality Tests; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011602:Psychophysiologic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D012803:Sick Role; D013001:Somatoform Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology