Psychiatric symptoms and dissociation in conversion, somatization and dissociative disorders.
OBJECTIVE
Conversion, dissociation and somatization are historically related in the long established concept of hysteria. Somewhere along the way they were separated due to the Cartesian dualistic view. The aim of the present study was to compare these pathologies and investigate whether symptoms of these pathologies overlap in their clinical appearance in a Portuguese sample.


METHODS
Twenty-six patients with conversion disorder, 38 with dissociative disorders, 40 with somatization disorder, and a comparison group of 46 patients having other psychiatric disorders answered questions about dissociation (Dissociative Experiences Scale), somatoform dissociation (Somatoform Dissociation Questionnaire), and psychopathological symptoms (Brief Symptom Inventory).


RESULTS
Dissociative and somatoform symptoms were significantly more frequent in dissociative and conversion disorder than in somatization disorder and controls. There were no significant differences between dissociative and conversion patients.


CONCLUSIONS
Conversion disorder is closely related to dissociative disorders. These results support the ICD-10 categorization of conversion disorder among dissociative disorders and the hypothesis of analogous psychopathological processes in conversion and dissociative disorders versus somatization disorder.
Espirito-Santo
Helena
H
Departmento de Psicologia, Instituto Superior Miguel Torga, Coimbra, Largo da Cruz de Celas, Coimbra, Portugal. helenum@gmail.com
Pio-Abreu
Jose Luis
JL
D000328:Adult; D015897:Comorbidity; D003291:Conversion Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004213:Dissociative Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007046:Hysteria / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010555:Personality Inventory / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011174:Portugal; D011594:Psychometrics; D013001:Somatoform Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult