Health Attitude Survey. A scale for assessing somatizing patients

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• General Medicine
• Psychological Assessment

Background:

• Somatization is a common presentation in general medicine clinics.
• Accurate assessment of somatization is crucial for effective patient management.
• Existing instruments may not be suitable for rapid clinical screening.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a new instrument, the Health Attitude Survey (HAS).
• To assess the HAS's utility in identifying somatizing patients in a primary care setting.
• To evaluate the HAS's speed, acceptability, and predictive value.

Main Methods:

• Development of a 27-item Health Attitude Survey.
• Administration of the HAS to over 1,000 patients in a general medicine clinic.
• Comparison of HAS results with other somatization measures and control groups.

Main Results:

• The 27-item HAS was rapidly administered and well-accepted by patients.
• The HAS demonstrated validity in measuring attitudes of somatizing patients.
• The instrument successfully distinguished somatizing patients from control subjects.
• The HAS showed acceptable predictive value for somatization.

Conclusions:

• The Health Attitude Survey is a valid and reliable tool for assessing somatization.
• The HAS is suitable for rapid screening in clinical settings.
• This instrument can aid in the early identification and management of somatizing patients.