Somatization Disorder in Elderly Patients

Little is known about the prevalence, characteristics, or natural history of somatization disorder in elderly patients. The authors evaluated 353 adult women (from outpatient psychiatric and medical clinics) for somatization disorder. Twenty-four percent of patients were 55 years old or older. The sample of older women did not differ from younger women in the proportion who were positive for somatization disorder, the number of somatic symptoms, or characteristics of the disorder. The authors compare these findings with prior literature and make suggestions for future prospectively designed studies.