Sections
Introduction | 300.81 Somatization Disorder | 300.82 Undifferentiated
Somatoform Disorder | 300.11 Conversion Disorder | Pain Disorder | 300.7 Hypochondriasis | 300.7 Body Dysmorphic Disorder | 300.82 Somatoform Disorder
Not Otherwise Specified
Excerpt
The common feature of the Somatoform Disorders is the presence
of physical symptoms that suggest a general medical condition (hence,
the term somatoform) and are not
fully explained by a general medical condition, by the direct effects of
a substance, or by another mental disorder (e.g., Panic Disorder).
The symptoms must cause clinically significant distress or impairment
in social, occupational, or other areas of functioning. In contrast
to Factitious Disorders and Malingering, the physical symptoms are
not intentional (i.e., under voluntary control). Somatoform Disorders
differ from Psychological Factors Affecting Medical Condition in
that there is no diagnosable general medical condition to fully
account for the physical symptoms. The grouping of these disorders
in a single section is based on clinical utility (i.e., the need
to exclude occult general medical conditions or substance-induced
etiologies for the bodily symptoms) rather than on assumptions regarding
shared etiology or mechanism. These disorders are often encountered
in general medical settings.