EFFECT OF EARLY-LIFE EXPERIENCES AND PERSONALITY ON THE REPORTING OF PSYCHOSOCIAL DISTRESS IN GENERAL-PRACTICE - A PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION

Background. About 25% of primary care attenders are 'somatic presenter s'; individuals consulting for physically-attributed somatic symptoms in the presence of psychiatric morbidity. We tested the hypothesis tha t somatic presenters differed from psychological presenters on measure s of personality and childhood experience. Method. Case-control study of 'psychological presenters' and 'somatic presenters'. Results. Psych ological presenters reported significantly greater insecurity in intim ate relationships, and recalled their fathers as significantly less ca ring and more over-protective, than somatic presenters. These differen ces remained after adjusting for differences in the severity and durat ion of psychiatric symptoms. Conclusions. Personality and childhood ex periences may be associated with specific types of adult illness behav iour, independent of associations with the prevalence of psychiatric d isorder.