PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE OF SOMATIZING PATIENTS ATTENDING THE INTEGRATIVE CLINIC

Objective: A clinic to evaluate and treat referred somatizing patients was established in the medicine clinic of a university medical center. Method: Fifty-four patients were evaluated and compared to an age- and sex-matched non-somatizing patient group. Results: Somatizing patients had increased rates of psychiatric and alcohol and substance abuse histories. Somatizing patients scored high on all subscales of the SCL-90 and were most frequently found in the Anxious/Moody Cluster of the MBHI. These patients also endorsed highly beliefs in medical problems as a focus of their lives. Conclusions: These patients' psychological beliefs set the stage for conflict in the medical setting. The implications of these results are discussed in relation to liaison clinics, early identification, and treatment approaches.