Our continuing exploration of medically unexplained symptoms

Abstract

In this issue, the reader will find three articles examining different but converging perspectives on medically unexplained symptoms (MUS). In the first article, Gates, Petterson, Wingrove, Miller, and Klink (2016) examined 110,000 office visits to primary care providers between 2002 and 2010. In the second article, Clarke (2016), an internist and gastroenterologist, presents a model for diagnosing and treating MUS. The person most referenced in the first two articles and author of the landmark study-Kroenke (2016) writes the third article, an invited commentary. Kroenke eloquently reviews the major issues confronting health care clinicians dealing with MUS. We hope that readers of the three articles on MUS in this issue will reflect on their own practice, share these articles and their impressions with colleagues, and consider ways to improve the service and consultation designs in their practice settings. Those who teach behavioral health clinicians and physicians will surely be reinforced or reinvigorated to focus on ways to help patients and colleagues. (PsycINFO Database Record