title: Somatisation in primary care in Spain: I. Estimates of prevalence and clinical characteristics. Working Group for the Study of the Psychiatric and Psychosomatic Morbidity in Zaragoza.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This is the first attempt to study the prevalence and clinical characteristics of somatisation (ST) in a representative primary care sample in Spain.
  
  
  METHODS
  The sample consisted of 1559 consecutive patients attending eight randomly selected health centres in Zaragoza, Spain, examined by two-phase screening. First phase (lay interviewers): Spanish versions of GHQ-28, CAGE questionnaire, substance abuse, Mini-Mental State Examination. Second phase (research clinicians and psychiatrists): Standardised Polyvalent Psychiatric Interview, which permits the reliable coding of Bridges & Goldberg's ST criteria.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of somatisers was 9.4% (34.5% of the cases) and most patients (68.7%) were diagnosed in the depression or anxiety DSM-IV categories. The severity was moderate in 401% and 66.6% were chronic (six or more months). No significant demographic differences were found with non-cases. Backache was the most frequent somatic presentation (71.4+%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  ST in primary care is a much broader phenomenon than categories such as somatoform disorders reflect. It may be less influenced by sociodemographic factors, but more chronic than previously reported.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lobo
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Garcia-Campayo
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Campos
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Marcos
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Perez-Echeverria
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D017533:Marital Status; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011320:Primary Health Care; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D013001:Somatoform Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology