Somatization, dissociation, and tension-reducing behaviors in psychiatric outpatients

Background: Conceptual and methodological difficulties exist in assessing coping behaviors. Methods: This study investigated coping behaviors in 102 psychiatric outpatients. We used the Dissociative Experiences Scale, a 17-item posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) checklist; 2 measures of somatization (the Wahler Physical Symptom Inventory and the Physical Symptom Questionnaire), and 21 questions about subject involvement in positive and pathologic tension-reducing behaviors. Results: Preliminary data suggest that dissociative symptoms, PTSD-like symptoms, and somatization are associated with a variety of positive and pathologic tension-reducing behaviors. Conclusions: The results suggest that psychiatric outpatients have an array of coping behavior: some are health-promoting, others are relatively self-destructive.