Developing a screening index for community studies of somatization disorder

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Epidemiology
• Psychological assessment

Background:

• Somatization disorder diagnosis is challenging due to lengthy interview schedules.
• Existing diagnostic tools for hysteria and Briquet's syndrome are also time-consuming.
• There is a need for efficient screening methods for somatization disorder.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate a novel somatization disorder screening index.
• To assess the index's validity and reliability across multiple research sites.
• To provide a concise screening tool for somatization disorder.

Main Methods:

• Development of an 11-symptom screening index from the Diagnostic Interview Schedule.
• Replication of the index across Duke, Johns Hopkins, Yale, and Washington University sites.
• Validation of the index using data from the NIMH Epidemiologic Catchment Area program.

Main Results:

• The 11-symptom index correctly identified 97.6% of individuals with somatization disorder.
• The index achieved 99.0% accuracy in correctly classifying individuals without the disorder.
• A threshold of five out of 11 symptoms proved effective across all study sites.

Conclusions:

• The developed somatization disorder screening index is a promising tool.
• The index offers a more efficient alternative to current lengthy diagnostic interviews.
• This screening device has potential utility in both clinical and community-based research settings.