The aim of this study was to explore the prevalence and characteristics of anniversary reactions (somatic symptoms occurring at the anniversary of specific events) in a large sample of 1498 medical patients from different medical settings who underwent the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID) and the Structured Interview for Diagnostic Criteria for Psychosomatic Research (DCPR), which provide definition of anniversary reactions. In 54 (3.6%) of the 1498 patients for whom anniversary reaction was identified, 61.1% had a concurrent DSM-IV diagnosis. Other syndromes related to somatization, abnormal illness behavior, irritable mood, demoralization, and alexithymia were present in 9 of 10 cases. Symptoms of the conversion syndrome were found in 6 (0.4%) patients with the SCID and in 67 (4.5%) patients with the DCPR, 20% of whom also had anniversary reaction. The results should alert physicians to enquire about the timing of symptoms in relation to meaningful personal events.
Anniversary Reactions in Medical Patients / Piero Porcelli;Giovanni Andrea Fava;Chiara Rafanelli;Antonello Bellomo;Silvana Grandi;Luigi Grassi;Paolo Pasquini;Angelo Picardi;Roberto Quartesan;Marco Rigatelli;Nicoletta Sonino. - In: JOURNAL OF NERVOUS AND MENTAL DISEASE. - ISSN 0022-3018. - STAMPA. - 200:7(2012), pp. 603-606. [10.1097/NMD.0b013e31825bfb2e]
Anniversary Reactions in Medical Patients
FAVA, GIOVANNI ANDREA;RAFANELLI, CHIARA;GRANDI, SILVANA;
2012
Abstract
The aim of this study was to explore the prevalence and characteristics of anniversary reactions (somatic symptoms occurring at the anniversary of specific events) in a large sample of 1498 medical patients from different medical settings who underwent the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID) and the Structured Interview for Diagnostic Criteria for Psychosomatic Research (DCPR), which provide definition of anniversary reactions. In 54 (3.6%) of the 1498 patients for whom anniversary reaction was identified, 61.1% had a concurrent DSM-IV diagnosis. Other syndromes related to somatization, abnormal illness behavior, irritable mood, demoralization, and alexithymia were present in 9 of 10 cases. Symptoms of the conversion syndrome were found in 6 (0.4%) patients with the SCID and in 67 (4.5%) patients with the DCPR, 20% of whom also had anniversary reaction. The results should alert physicians to enquire about the timing of symptoms in relation to meaningful personal events.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
