Somatiske symptomer uten vesentlig medisinsk forklaring: bakgrunn, nosologi og kliniske
betraktninger med relevans for psykologer
Sammanfattning
Somatic symptoms without medical explanations are common, but difficult to understand. Until
recently they have been labeled as Somatoform Disorders (SD) in the «International Classification of
Disorders» (ICD) -10 and «Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders» (DSM)-IV-TR.
However, from May 2013, the somatoform disorder concept was rephrased into «Somatic Symptom
and Related Disorders» when it appeared in DSM-5. The WHO’s ICD classification is expected to
change as well, with its ICD -11 revision coming in 2017 probably advancing the term Bodily distress
syndrome (BDS). This field of somatoform and related disorders is an etiological and nosological
challenge for both psychology and medicine, and it is constantly debated among psychologists,
physicians and other health care professionals how these patients should be effectively and
adequately managed. For psychologists to be able to treat these illnesses/disorders in a good way, it
is necessary that they receive better education and training than has been customary up to now. This
article gives a «state of the art» briefing of the so-called «somatoform disorders», with history,
nosological considerations and their current status, as well as comments on the clinical relevance for
psychologists when treating somatic symptom disorders.