PSYCHOSOCIAL CHILDHOOD RISK-FACTORS IN PA TIENTS WITH SOMATOFORM DISORDERS

Prospective studies already prove, that those who were afflicted with distinct psychosocial childhood risk factors could have an impairment of mental health in their adulthood. Using a structural biographical i nterview (Mainz Structured Biographical Interview, MSBI) we examined s ystematically the relevance of 14 childhood risk factors, which alread y showed a great body of evidence, in two different kinds of somatizat ion disorder (ICD-10: F45.0), patients with a persistent somatoform pa in disorder (ICD-10: F45.4; n = 70) and patients (n = 47) with somatof orm autonomic dysfunction (ICD-10: F45.3; n = 25) or undifferentiated somatoform disorder or other somatoform disorders (ICD-10: F45.0/.1/.8 ; n = 22) in the second somatoform group. As comparison groups we sele cted patients with dysthymia (ICD-10: F34.1; n = 42) and patients with a somatic pain complaint (n = 70). Our results show, that the patient s in both groups with somatization disorders have a considerable highe r total risk score than patients with a somatic pain disorders, howeve r a considerable lower risk score than those with dysthymia. With rega rd to the single risk factors we found, that patients with a somatizat ion disorder compared to those with a somatic pain complaint have a si gnificant higher frequency of chronically ill or disabled parents, and a less sound relationship to their parents, a chronic familial dishar mony (hteir parents were frequently entangled in difficulties and verb al or physical quarrel with themselves), and a history of sexual or ph ysical abuse during their childhood (until age 14); those kinds of chi ldhood risk factors were even more frequent in patients with dysthymia . Also between the two groups with somatization disorders differences were found: while in patients with a persistent somatoform pain disord er sexual and physical abuse (43% vs. 21%) and occupationally highly e ngaged parents (66% vs. 34%) were significant more frequent, patients with other somatization disorders have more often a chronic ill parent (53% vs. 29%).