Body image in patients with somatoform disorder

M Scheffers; H Kalisvaart; J T van Busschbach; R J Bosscher; M A J van Duijn; S A M van Broeckhuysen-Kloth; R A Schoevers; R Geenen

doi:10.1186/s12888-018-1928-z

Body image in patients with somatoform disorder

BMC Psychiatry. 2018 Oct 22;18(1):346. doi: 10.1186/s12888-018-1928-z.

Authors

M Scheffers¹, H Kalisvaart^{2

3}, J T van Busschbach^{2

4}, R J Bosscher², M A J van Duijn⁵, S A M van Broeckhuysen-Kloth³, R A Schoevers^{4

6}, R Geenen^{3

7}

Affiliations

¹ Windesheim University of Applied Sciences, School of Human Movement and Education, Campus 2-6, 8017 CA, Zwolle, the Netherlands. wjscheffers@gmail.com.
² Windesheim University of Applied Sciences, School of Human Movement and Education, Campus 2-6, 8017 CA, Zwolle, the Netherlands.
³ Altrecht Psychosomatic Medicine, Vrijbaan 2, 3705 WC, Zeist, the Netherlands.
⁴ Department of Psychiatry, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, P.O. Box 30.001, CC72, 9700, RB, Groningen, the Netherlands.
⁵ Department of Sociology, University of Groningen, Grote Rozenstraat, 31 9712 TG, Groningen, the Netherlands.
⁶ Research School of Behavioural and Cognitive Neurosciences (BCN), Interdisciplinary, Center for Psychopathology and Emotion regulation (ICPE), P.O. Box 30.001, CC72, 9700, RB, Groningen, the Netherlands.
⁷ Department of Psychology, Utrecht University, Heidelberglaan 1, 3584CS, Utrecht, the Netherlands.

Abstract

Background: Although body-related problems are common in patients with somatoform disorder, research focusing on how patients with somatoform disorder perceive and evaluate their body is scarce. The present study compared differences in body image between patients with somatoform disorder and respondents from a general population sample. It also examined differences within the somatoform disorder group between men and women and between the diagnostic subgroups conversion disorder, pain disorder and undifferentiated somatoform disorder.

Methods: Data were obtained from 657 patients (67.5% female) with somatoform disorder (DSM-IV-TR 300.7, 300.11, 300.81, 300.82) and 761 participants (58.6% female) from the general population. The Dresden Body Image Questionnaire (DBIQ) was used to assess body image in five domains: body acceptance, vitality, physical contact, sexual fulfilment, and self-aggrandizement. Confirmatory factor analysis and analyses of variance were performed. Since differences in age and sex were found between the somatoform disorder sample and the comparison sample, analyses were done with two samples of 560 patients with somatoform disorder and 351 individuals from the comparison sample matched on proportion of men and women and age.

Results: Patients scored significantly lower than the comparison sample on all DBIQ domains. Men scored higher than women. Patients with conversion disorder scored significantly higher on vitality and body acceptance than patients with undifferentiated somatoform disorder and pain disorder.

Conclusions: The mostly large differences in body image between patients with somatoform disorder and the comparison sample as well as differences between diagnostic subgroups underline that body image is an important feature in patients with somatoform disorder. The results indicate the usefulness of assessing body image and treating negative body image in patients with somatoform or somatic symptom disorder.

Keywords: Body image; Dresden body image questionnaire; Somatic symptom disorder; Somatoform disorder.

MeSH terms

Adult
Aged
Body Image / psychology*
Chronic Pain / psychology*
Conversion Disorder / psychology*
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
Factor Analysis, Statistical
Female
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Somatoform Disorders / diagnosis
Somatoform Disorders / psychology*
Surveys and Questionnaires
Young Adult