Diagnostic patterns of family physicians for somatoform, depressive, and anxiety disorders

Somatic complaints are a common feature of somatoform, depressive, and anxiety disorders. The distinction of these disorders is difficult in the primary care setting when somatic complaints are the presenting symptom. This study compared the characteristics and diagnostic consistency of 142 patients diagnosed by family physicians as having one of these three disorders. Patients were identified by chart diagnoses from 12,900 individuals in a university-based family practice. The results demonstrate that the diagnostic terms hysteria and hypochondriasis (now included under somatoform disorders) are infrequently recorded and poorly distinguished from depression and anxiety. Future research on prevention and treatment will be impeded unless family physicians are provided with improved training in practical and nonstigmatizing means of diagnosing and recording somatoform diagnoses.