AGE, AFFECTIVE DISTRESS, AND ILLNESS DETECTION IN PATIENTS EVALUATED FOR GASTROINTESTINAL COMPLAINTS

A study of 260 patients was conducted in 1990 using a questionnaire th at was designed to measure and assess their recall of symptom patterns , symptom distress levels, symptom interpretation, and physician-recom mended treatment plans. The questionnaire was mailed 6-18 months after they had undergone a gastrointestinal workup for unexplained chest or abdominal pain. The authors found comparably high rates of both young er patients (age < 65) and older patients (age greater-than-or-equal-t o 65) reporting symptom patterns sufficient to meet DSM-III criteria f or panic, generalized anxiety, and depressive disorders. For younger b ut not older patients, the number of symptom complaints was related to their recall of a stress-related diagnosis made by the physician, whi ch was less frequent for older patients. The older patients less often identified their symptoms as tension-related. Further research is nee ded concerning symptom reporting, illness attribution, and physician r ecognition of emotional etiology among elderly and younger patients wi th somatizing disorders.