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Individual differences in the temporal variability of medically unexplained symptom reporting
Eamonn Ferguson1, Helen J Cassaday, James Erskind
1School of Psychology, University of Nottingham, UK. eamonn.ferguson@nottingham.ac.uk
British Journal of Health Psychology
|May 6, 2004
Summary
Daily symptom severity is perceived cyclically and influenced by personality traits like intellect and surgency. Understanding these patterns can help interpret medically unexplained symptoms.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Health Psychology
- Behavioral Medicine
Background:
- Medically unexplained symptoms represent a significant portion of outpatient referrals (up to 35%).
- Limited research exists on how individuals perceive daily symptoms and the role of individual differences.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate patterns in daily symptom severity and frequency reporting.
- To explore the influence of personality traits on symptom perception.
Main Methods:
- Conducted three 8-day diary studies and one cross-sectional survey with ill Gulf War veterans and healthy undergraduates.
- Assessed daily symptom severity and frequency, and Big Five personality traits.
- Analyzed data using auto-correlations and hierarchical multivariate linear modeling.
Main Results:
- Identified cyclical patterns in daily symptom severity reporting across both ill and healthy samples.
- Observed consistent symptom reporting frequency in veterans.
- Found that intellect and surgency personality traits moderated the relationship between reported symptom severity.
Conclusions:
- Daily symptom severity is experienced and reported in relation to prior experiences.
- Personality traits significantly influence how individuals frame and report their symptoms.
- Findings have implications for understanding and managing medically unexplained symptoms.