Abdominal pain as a guiding symptom of anxiety and depressive disorder - Successful treatment by in-patient psychotherapy

Objective: Though frequently misinterpreted, gastrointestinal complaints ar e among the most common psychosomatic syndromes. Case report: The following report describes the case-history of a 60-year old woman, hospitalized for recurrent abdominal pain and diarrhoea. During the course of parallel inte rnal and psychosomatic examinations an organic cause could be excluded and the psychogenesis of the complaints identified. Results: Once the diagnosis of a somatoform disorder had been established the symptoms were successful ly treated within the framework of in-patient psychotherapy. Conclusions: A nxiety and depressive disorder are often masked as abdominal pain. If detec ted, they can be successfully treated using a psychotherapeutic approach. T hus this article also points to the great importance of the availability of a psychosomatic consultation-liaison-service within general hospitals.