Somatic Symptoms and Related Disorders in Clinical Practice

Somatic symptom disorders are a group of psychiatric somatoform disorders that cause clinically significant but unexplained physical symptoms. These disorders cannot be fully explained by a general medical condition or by the direct effect of a substance and are not attributable to another mental disorder. The symptoms can involve one or more different organs and body systems such as neurologic problems, cardiovascular disorders, gastrointestinal complaints, endocrinological dysfunctions, pain, and sexual symptoms. This book explores the complexity of somatoform disorders, highlighting diagnostic methods and management approaches. Chapters discuss functional neurological disorders such as psychogenic nonepileptic seizures, somatic symptoms in cancer survivors, and somatic symptoms in cosmetic dermatology. The authors provide recommendations and advice for medical evaluation in clinical practice and discuss appropriate pharmacological and psychotherapeutic interventions.