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The prevalence of conversion symptoms in women from a general Turkish population
Vedat Sar1, Gamze Akyüz, Orhan Dogan
1Department of Psychiatry, Medical Faculty of Istabul, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey. vsar@istanbul.edu.tr
Background:
Conversion symptoms have historically be seen to be related to dissociative disorders and early trauma.
Objective:
This study sought to determine the prevalence of conversion symptoms among women in the general Turkish population.
Method:
Participants (N=628) were administered The Dissociative Disorders Interview Schedule, the Borderline Personality Disorder section of the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-III-R Personality Disorders, and the PTSD Module of the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-III-R; 48.7% of participants had a lifetime history of a conversion symptom. They reported various types of childhood abuse and neglect more frequently than nonconversion subjects.
Results:
Lifetime diagnosis of major depression, dissociative disorder, and childhood physical abuse predicted a conversion symptom. Effects of childhood neglect and emotional and sexual abuse among subjects with conversion symptoms were mediated by comorbid lifetime diagnosis of major depression and dissociative disorders.
Conclusion:
The authors suggest revisions to the DSM-V regarding conversion and somatization disorders.
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