TY - JOUR
T1 - Medically unexplained physical symptoms in elderly people
T2 - A pilot study of psychiatric geriatric characteristics
AU - Hilderink, Peter H.
AU - Benraad, Caroline E.M.
AU - Van Driel, Dorine
AU - Buitelaar, Jan K.
AU - Speckens, Anne E.M.
AU - Olde Rikkert, Marcel G.M.
AU - Oude Voshaar, Richard C.
PY - 2009/12
Y1 - 2009/12
N2 - OBJECTIVE: To examine the somatic complaints, functional impairment, and psychiatric comorbidity in elderly patients with medically unexplained symptoms (MUSs). METHOD: A consecutive case series of 37 patients referred for MUS to a multidisciplinary, outpatient clinic at a secondary care mental health center in the Netherlands. All patients underwent a standardized examination by a geriatrician, psychiatrist, and psychologist. RESULTS: For three patients, a somatic explanation was found, and in two, their symptoms spontaneously resolved before a diagnosis could be made. Of the remaining 32 patients with MUS, depressive disorders were present in 18 (56%), anxiety disorders in 10 (31%), and substance use disorders in 6 patients (19%). Compared with nondepressed patients with MUS, depressed patients had more severe somatic symptoms, more psychological symptoms, and more functional impairment. CONCLUSIONS: As the authors found a high comorbidity with other psychiatric disorders in elderly patients with MUSs, a systematic psychiatric examination should be part of their multidisciplinary assessment.
AB - OBJECTIVE: To examine the somatic complaints, functional impairment, and psychiatric comorbidity in elderly patients with medically unexplained symptoms (MUSs). METHOD: A consecutive case series of 37 patients referred for MUS to a multidisciplinary, outpatient clinic at a secondary care mental health center in the Netherlands. All patients underwent a standardized examination by a geriatrician, psychiatrist, and psychologist. RESULTS: For three patients, a somatic explanation was found, and in two, their symptoms spontaneously resolved before a diagnosis could be made. Of the remaining 32 patients with MUS, depressive disorders were present in 18 (56%), anxiety disorders in 10 (31%), and substance use disorders in 6 patients (19%). Compared with nondepressed patients with MUS, depressed patients had more severe somatic symptoms, more psychological symptoms, and more functional impairment. CONCLUSIONS: As the authors found a high comorbidity with other psychiatric disorders in elderly patients with MUSs, a systematic psychiatric examination should be part of their multidisciplinary assessment.
KW - Aged
KW - Depression
KW - Depressive disorder
KW - Elderly
KW - Medically unexplained symptoms (MUS)
KW - Somatoform disorder
U2 - 10.1097/JGP.0b013e3181b975a1
DO - 10.1097/JGP.0b013e3181b975a1
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:74349099123
SN - 1064-7481
VL - 17
SP - 1085
EP - 1088
JO - American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry
JF - American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry
IS - 12
ER -