Related Experiment Videos
Is Briquet's syndrome a heterogeneous disorder?
The American Journal of Psychiatry
|May 1, 1986
Summary
Most female psychiatric outpatients diagnosed with Briquet's syndrome also meet criteria for other psychiatric disorders. This highlights the heterogeneous nature of Briquet's syndrome and the need to consider co-occurring conditions in treatment planning.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Clinical Psychology
Background:
- Briquet's syndrome, also known as Somatic Symptom Disorder, is characterized by multiple unexplained physical complaints.
- Previous research suggests potential overlap with other psychiatric conditions, but the extent is not fully elucidated.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the diagnostic overlap between Briquet's syndrome and other psychiatric disorders in a cohort of female outpatients.
- To assess the heterogeneity of Briquet's syndrome.
Main Methods:
- A structured interview was administered to 78 female psychiatric outpatients diagnosed with Briquet's syndrome.
- Diagnostic criteria for other psychiatric syndromes were assessed for each participant.
Main Results:
- A significant majority (77 out of 78) of patients diagnosed with Briquet's syndrome also met the diagnostic criteria for at least one other psychiatric syndrome.
- This finding indicates a high degree of comorbidity.
Conclusions:
- Briquet's syndrome appears to be a heterogeneous disorder with substantial overlap with other psychiatric conditions.
- Clinicians should be aware that a diagnosis of Briquet's syndrome does not exclude other treatable psychiatric illnesses.