Psychotherapy of somatoform disorders

Strategies for the psychotherapy of somatoform disorders have been developed during the past years mainly from cognitive-behavioral models. This article summarizes some recent findings and describes a controlled inpatient study with 251 patients from the Roseneck Center in Germany. We found significant improvements in patients with somatoform disorders concerning the severity of somatic symptoms, hypochondriacal fears, depression, dysfunctional cognitions, and psychosocial disabilities. The rationale of cognitive-behavioral treatment is outlined and some principal techniques are described. It seems essential in the future to provide effective training programs for medical and mental health specialists in order to enhance the efficacy of psychotherapeutic approaches.