LATENT VARIABLE MODELS OF FUNCTIONAL SOMATIC DISTRESS

Latent variable models of functional somatic symptoms were estimated f or a sample of 686 family medicine patients, Symptom items from the NI MH Diagnostic Interview Schedule were selected to approximate diagnose s of fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS), chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Confirmatory factor analysis demonstra ted that hypothesized latent variables of somatic depression, somatic anxiety, FM-like, CF-like, and IB-like syndromes fit the observed cova riations better than models hypothesizing fewer latent variables. Resu lts offer tentative confirmation of functional somatic syndromes as di screte entities and suggest that relaxing the diagnostic criteria for somatization may identify individuals with distress limited to a singl e functional system.