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Somatization in abused women.
Lotta Samelius1, Barbro Wijma, Gun Wingren
1Unit of Health Psychology, Linköping University, S-581 83 Linköping, Sweden.
Journal of Women'S Health (2002)
|August 7, 2007
Summary
Women who experienced psychological or adult abuse reported higher somatization. The perception of abuse, not just its severity, is key in developing somatization symptoms in abused women.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Psychology
- Public Health
Background:
- The link between abuse and somatization requires further investigation due to inconsistent findings.
- Previous research has not systematically explored the association between various forms of abuse and somatization outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between somatization and lifetime exposure to physical, sexual, and psychological abuse in women.
- To identify specific types and durations of abuse associated with somatization.
Main Methods:
- A population-based study included 547 women (70% response rate) who completed somatization and abuse questionnaires.
- Participants were drawn from a previous randomized study, with 400 reporting abuse and 400 reporting no abuse.
Main Results:
- Psychological abuse (limited and prolonged) and sexual abuse without penetration were significantly associated with somatization.
- Adult abuse, and abuse in both adulthood and childhood, were linked to somatization, unlike childhood-only abuse.
- Physical abuse showed no association with somatization after adjusting for other abuse types.
Conclusions:
- Abuse is a significant factor associated with somatization in women.
- A woman's perception of her experience as abuse may be more critical than abuse severity in developing somatization.
- Clinicians should consider a history of abuse when treating women presenting with somatization symptoms.
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