title: Anniversary reactions in medical patients.
abstract: The aim of this study was to explore the prevalence and characteristics of anniversary reactions (somatic symptoms occurring at the anniversary of specific events) in a large sample of 1498 medical patients from different medical settings who underwent the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID) and the Structured Interview for Diagnostic Criteria for Psychosomatic Research (DCPR), which provide definition of anniversary reactions. In 54 (3.6%) of the 1498 patients for whom anniversary reaction was identified, 61.1% had a concurrent DSM-IV diagnosis. Other syndromes related to somatization, abnormal illness behavior, irritable mood, demoralization, and alexithymia were present in 9 of 10 cases. Symptoms of the conversion syndrome were found in 6 (0.4%) patients with the SCID and in 67 (4.5%) patients with the DCPR, 20% of whom also had anniversary reaction. The results should alert physicians to enquire about the timing of symptoms in relation to meaningful personal events.
authors: Psychosomatic Unit, IRCCS De Bellis Hospital, Castellana Grotte, Bari, Italy. porcellip@media.it
authors: Piero
authors: P
authors: Porcelli
authors: Giovanni Andrea
authors: GA
authors: Fava
authors: Chiara
authors: C
authors: Rafanelli
authors: Antonello
authors: A
authors: Bellomo
authors: Silvana
authors: S
authors: Grandi
authors: Luigi
authors: L
authors: Grassi
authors: Paolo
authors: P
authors: Pasquini
authors: Angelo
authors: A
authors: Picardi
authors: Roberto
authors: R
authors: Quartesan
authors: Marco
authors: M
authors: Rigatelli
authors: Nicoletta
authors: N
authors: Sonino
mesh_terms: D000275:Adjustment Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000523:psychology; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D007406:Interview, Psychological; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology; D010361:Patients / Q000523:psychology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012871:Skin Diseases / Q000523:psychology; D013997:Time Factors