Why is it Important to Evaluate the Associations Between Somatoform Disorders and Anxiety and Depressive Disorders?
The limited but consistent population-based knowledge on the associations between somatoform disorders and anxiety and depressive disorders reported so far has concerned the lifetime or 12-month comorbidity. We have shown, on the basis of a few cross-sectional population-based surveys in which DSM-somatoform disorders were assessed using standardized diagnostic interviews, that individuals who met the diagnostic criteria for some somatoform disorders (subclinical form SSI4,6 and pain disorder) showed high comorbidity rates with depressive and anxiety disorders. What does this mean and why is it important to look into the associations between somatoform and anxiety and depressive disorders? The occurrence of more than one disorder in the same individual may have clinical implications because treatment strategies may be different in patients affected by a single disorder rather than several disorders. Not only the comorbidity between different mental disorders but also the comorbidity wi
