Comparative study of the anxiety, depression and complaience of patients with somatoform disorders before and after treatment

Abstract

Somatoform disorders are a widely spread group in the category of neurotic diseases, which expressed polymorphism, difficulty of diagnosis. They are important for financial health policy, patients with somatoform disorders make up 25 % of all patients with somatic disorders, «absorbing» up to 20 % of all funds spent on health. Somatoform disorders are characterized by recurrent somatic symptoms, the requirement of regular medical examinations. Somatoform disorders are characterized by the apparent lack of instrumental confirmed organic disorders, a predominance of complex psycho-vegetative disorders and the relative reversibility of symptoms. The purpose of this study is to compare the quality of patients’ life with somatoform disorders before and after treatment in a psychiatric department. At admission the patients were given to fill in a specialized questionnaire 1, developed during that investigation by psychiatrist Navasardyan E.V., with which help was estimated the duration and quality of treatment somatoform disorders by doctors of other specialties before admission to a psychiatric department. It was estimated frequency assignment psychotropic drugs by doctors of other specialties, premorbid personality characteristics of such patients, the incidence of acute and chronic stress before the onset of the disease, the patients’ attitude to their disease. Also, at admission the patients were given to fill in the questionnaire MMPI edited Berezin. At admission and discharge from psychiatric department the patients were assessed the level of anxiety (using the Spielberger questionnaire) and depression (using Beck questionnaire). Also, at discharge from the psychiatric department the patients were given to fill in the questionnaire Level of subjective control. Also the patients were given to fill in specialized questionnaire 2 developed during these study with which help were assessed the patients’ condition at discharge from the psychiatric department, future plans of the patients for treatment and the patients’ attitude to their disease. In a result of initial questioning at admission were identified that after detect the first signs of disease the majority of patients went to the doctors another specialties who treated their somatoform disorder from 1 up to 3 months, half of the patients were prescribed psychotropic therapy, which the most of patients no effect was. Most often a neurologist prescribed psychotropic drugs, and from the neurologist most patients received a recommendation to contact a psychiatrist. Also most of the patients were in a chronic stress before disease onset. Most patients associate their disease with nervous shocks, consider themselves to be anxious and paranoid. At admission most patients had strong fixation on their condition, as well as high indicators on scales of depression, anxiety and hypochondria (by questionnaire MMPI). At admission most patients are revealed a moderate degree of anxiety and depression respectively. Most patients are revealed the low level of General internality that corresponds to a low subjective control. In a result of treatment with secondary questioning by questionnaire 2 most patients indicated lower levels of anxiety and depression, as well as reducing hypochondriacal fixation on their condition, a significant decrease in the severity of somatoform disorders. Most patients were satisfied with the treatment, patients agreed that their disease psychologically caused, patients also agreed to continue to take psychotropic drugs after discharge.