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A New Method for Inducing a Depression-Like Behavior in Rats

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Functional somatic complaints in depression: An overview.

Kaustav Chakraborty¹, Ajit Avasthi, Sandeep Grover

¹Department of Psychiatry, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh 160012, India.

Asian Journal of Psychiatry

|October 12, 2012

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Functional somatic complaints are common in depression, often leading to misdiagnosis and increased healthcare use. Recognizing these symptoms is crucial for accurate depression diagnosis and effective treatment.

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Area of Science:

Psychiatry
Neuroscience
Public Health

Background:

Depression is a significant public health issue.
Functional somatic complaints are universal and present in approximately two-thirds of depression cases.
These complaints can lead to misrecognition of depression and increased healthcare utilization.

Purpose of the Study:

To explore the presentation and correlates of functional somatic complaints in depression.
To highlight the impact of functional somatic complaints on depression diagnosis and management.
To discuss the neurobiological underpinnings and treatment implications of functional somatic complaints in depression.

Main Methods:

Review of international and cross-cultural studies on functional somatic complaints in depression.
Analysis of reported correlates including demographics, psychological factors, and neurobiology.
Examination of treatment efficacy, particularly Serotonin Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors.

Main Results:

Functional somatic complaints are homogeneous across cultures despite varying organ system involvement.
Key correlates include female gender, depression severity, anxiety, alexithymia, somatosensory amplification, and hypochondriacal worry.
Serotonin and norepinephrine pathways are implicated, with Serotonin Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors showing effectiveness.

Conclusions:

Functional somatic complaints are a significant, often overlooked, manifestation of depression.
Accurate recognition of these symptoms is vital for appropriate diagnosis and treatment.
Future diagnostic systems should consider incorporating these somatic symptoms more prominently.