title: Non-specific symptoms as clues to changes in emotional well-being.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Somatic symptoms are a common reason for visits to the family physician. The aim of this study was to examine the relation between non-specific symptoms and changes in emotional well-being and the degree to which the physician considers the possibility of mental distress when faced with such patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients who complained of two or more symptoms including headache, dizziness, fatigue or weakness, palpitations and sleep disorders over one year were identified from the medical records of a random sample of 45 primary care physicians. A control group matched for gender and age was selected from the same population. Emotional well-being was assessed using the MOS-SF 36 in both groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study group and the control group each contained 110 patients. Completed MOS questionnaires were obtained from 92 patients, 48 patients with somatic symptoms and 44 controls. Sixty percent of the patients with somatic symptoms experienced decreased emotional well being compared to 25% in the control group (p = 0.00005). Symptoms of dizziness, fatigue and sleep disturbances were significantly linked with mental health impairments. Primary care physicians identified only 6 of 29 patients (21%) whose responses revealed functional limitations due to emotional problems as suffering from an emotional disorder and only 6 of 23 patients (26%) with a lack of emotional well being were diagnosed with an emotional disorder.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Non-specific somatic symptoms may be clues to changes in emotional well-being. Improved recognition and recording of mental distress among patients who complain of these symptoms may enable better follow up and treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, 69978, Israel.
authors.forename: Andre
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Matalon
authors.forename: Andy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kotliroff
authors.forename: Gari
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Blumberg
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yaphe
authors.forename: Eliezer
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kitai
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013001:Somatoform Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult