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Somatic Symptoms in Depressive Illness

A Problem of Referral for General Practitioners

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 January 2018

R. H. Dowling
Affiliation:
Department of Mental Health, Windsor House, Belfast City Hospital
S. J. Knox
Affiliation:
Department of Mental Health, Queen's University, Belfast

Extract

It is widely recognized that somatic complaints are frequently encountered in depressive illness and in some instances these may predominate in the clinical presentation. Studies relating to the occurrence of such symptoms in depression have been reviewed by Cleghorn and Curtis (1959), who point out that in a number of patients mood disturbance may not be readily apparent. It is not unusual for these patients to be referred initially to a general medical or surgical clinic, where after investigation it is concluded that their complaints cannot be understood in terms of physical disease (Stoeckle and Davidson, 1962).

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1964 

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References

Cleghorn, R. A., and Curtis, G. C. (1959). “Psychosomatic accompaniments of latent and manifest depressive affect.” Canad. Psychiat. Ass. J., 4, 1323. Special supplement.Google Scholar
Gibson, J. G. (1962). “The patient's needs and the doctor's response.” Ulster Med. J., 31, 3543.Google Scholar
Rawnsley, K., and Loudon, J. B. (1962). “The attitudes of general practitioners to psychiatry.” In: The Sociological Review Monograph No. 5 (ed.: Halmos, ). University of Keele.Google Scholar
Stoeckle, J. D., and Davidson, G. E. (1962). “Bodily complaints and other symptoms of depressive reaction.” J. Amer. med. Ass., 180, 134139.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
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