title: Social characteristics and care needs of older persons with medically unexplained symptoms: a case-control study.
abstract: Research in younger patients with medically unexplained symptoms (MUS) has shown impairments in social functioning, such as loneliness and a reduced quality of the patient-doctor relationship. As far as we know, no studies have been performed on social functioning in older MUS patients; self-reported care needs of older MUS patients remain unknown.
  
  
  
  To explore social characteristics and care needs of older persons with chronic MUS, when compared to older persons with chronic medically explained symptoms (MES).
  
  
  
  Patient characteristics of 107 older persons (>60 years) with chronic MUS were compared to 150 older persons with chronic MES in a case-control design. Participants were recruited via advertisements, general practices and a specialized clinic. All participants completed questionnaires on social functioning; the Camberwell Assessment of Need for the Elderly was used to draw up care needs. Linear regression analyses were performed to explore the association between social characteristics and group (MUS/MES), adjusted for demographic and physical determinants. Multiple chi-square tests were performed to detect between-group differences regarding care needs.
  
  
  
  After adjustments, older MUS patients were slightly but significantly lonelier, reported a somewhat lower quality of their patient-doctor relationship, but reported equal social support levels when compared to MES patients. MUS patients more often reported unmet care needs regarding health and information provision about their health status.
  
  
  
  Only small differences in social functioning were found between older MUS and MES patients. Possibly, training future doctors in giving acceptable explanations for the patient's complaints could improve the unmet care need of information provision in older MUS patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Radboud Institute for Health Sciences, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands, D.Hanssen@psy.umcn.nl.
authors.forename: Denise J C
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Hanssen
authors.affiliation: Interdisciplinary Center for Psychopathology of Emotion Regulation (ICPE), University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Richard C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Oude Voshaar
authors.affiliation: Department of Old-Age Psychiatry, GGNet, Apeldoorn, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Naarding
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology and Artificial Intelligence, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands and.
authors.forename: Inge M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Rabeling-Keus
authors.affiliation: Department of Primary and Community Care, Radboud Institute for Health Sciences, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Tim C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Olde Hartman
authors.affiliation: Department of Primary and Community Care, Radboud Institute for Health Sciences, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Peter L B J
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Lucassen
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D008132:Loneliness; D008297:Male; D000071896:Medically Unexplained Symptoms; D008875:Middle Aged; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D012944:Social Support; D013001:Somatoform Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Aged; aged 80 and over; loneliness; needs assessment; physician–patient relations; somatoform disorders.