title: Prevalence of somatoform pain complaints in the German population.
abstract: The prevalence of somatoform pain complaints was assessed in a representative sample of 2050 persons in Germany in the age range from 18 to 92 years by the Screening for Somatoform Symptoms questionnaire [57]. A high percentage of the study participants turned out to complain of serious somatoform pains. Most frequently, back pain (30.5%), joint pain, pain in the arms and/or legs (19.9%) and headache or facial pain (19.5%) were reported. Women complained of more somatoform pain symptoms than men. Pain was higher with an increasing age, lower education, lower income, rural residency, and residency in Eastern Germany. While the prevalence of somatoform pain is high, the majority of patients does not receive adequate psychotherapeutic care but is inadequately treated by somatic treatments.
authors.affiliation: Universität Leipzig, Klinik und Poliklinik für Psychotherapie und Psychosomatische Medizin, Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Aike
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hessel
authors.forename: Manfred
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Beutel
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Geyer
authors.forename: Jörg
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schumacher
authors.forename: Elmar
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Brähler