SOMATIZATION - A TRANSCULTURAL STUDY

The primary aim of this study was to investigate the comparative rates of somatic complaints between Asian and Caucasian patients in a prima ry care Setting and to characterize the factors associated with increa sed rates of somatization. One hundred and ninety-five individuals age d between 16 and 65 yr were interviewed with the Bradford Somatic Inve ntory (BSI) and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HAD) respec tively. The main finding was that the Asian patients reported signific antly more somatic and depressive symptoms than the Caucasian patients . Ethnicity was the most important variable determining this result.