Psychosomatic disorders in a rural family practice in israel

A survey carried out in the Shimshon family health centre in the rural area of Jerusalem revealed that 24 per cent of new patient-doctor contacts were for psychosomatic disorders.The three major. disorders-back pain, headache and abdominal pain-were present in almost 79 per cent of all psychosomatic contacts. Other common disorders were chest pains, palpitations, malaise and nocturnal enuresis. Classic illnesses such as peptic ulcer or asthma were less common. The incidence of peptic ulcer, asthma, atopic dermatitis and chest pains was higher among males than females; rates for headache, palpitations and malaise were higher for females than males. Back pain, headache and abdominal pains occurred differently among the five ethnic groups of the study population. Therapeutic care is carried out through assessment and study of the patient and his or her family.