title: Symptom presentation, interventions, and outcome of emotionally-distressed patients in primary care.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Patients with psychosocial problems often present somatic symptoms in primary care.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The authors compare interventions and outcomes of emotionally-distressed patients by presenting physical disease, somatoform symptoms, or psychological symptoms.
  
  
  METHODS
  General practitioners (N=191) documented data from 1,286 patients with psychosocial problems. Experts rated the presented reasons for encounter.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Somatoform symptoms, as well as physical disease, result in patients' receiving physical treatments. Psychologically-oriented treatment is more likely with psychological presentation, but not significantly related to somatoform symptoms.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings underline the importance of a specific treatment approach for patients with somatoform symptoms, so as to avoid inappropriate treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany. kurt.fritzsche@uniklinik-freiburg.de
authors.forename: Kurt
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fritzsche
authors.forename: Hagen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sandholzer
authors.forename: Edda
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Wetzler-Burmeister
authors.forename: Armin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hartmann
authors.forename: Manfred
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cierpka
authors.forename: Hans-Christian
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Deter
authors.forename: Rainer
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Richter
authors.forename: Bettina
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Härter
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Höger
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wirsching
mesh_terms: D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003710:Demography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007406:Interview, Psychological; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D011320:Primary Health Care; D025341:Principal Component Analysis; D011602:Psychophysiologic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013001:Somatoform Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome