Patients with psychogenic abdominal pain: six years' observation in the medical setting.
The author presents data on 24 patients with psychogenic abdominal pain who were followed by nonpsychiatric physicians for up to 6 years. Twenty were women, many of whose symptoms related to loss. Several personality patterns were observed, including histrionic personality, depression, pain-prone personality, and hypochondriasis. No patient sought psychiatric care, although 4 patients eventually required psychiatric hospitalization. Two patients had medical disorders that contributed to the symptoms, and 1 patient died of carcinoma. Pain resolved in only 1 of the patients, but psychosocial functioning improved in half. Those with a shorter duration of pain and no abnormal personality patterns had a better prognosis.
D000005:Abdomen; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006998:Hypochondriasis / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care; D010146:Pain / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D010554:Personality Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology; D010821:Physicians, Family; D011379:Prognosis; D011570:Psychiatry; D011602:Psychophysiologic Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D012737:Sex Factors