Somatoform and dissociative disorders

Abstract

• The somatoform disorders are psychiatric illnesses that present as physical disorders.
• The somatoform disorders are not to be confused with malingering, which is the intentional production of symptoms to avoid some responsibility or duty.
• Somatisation is a method of expressing anxiety and distress and is found in all cultural groups.
• The distress and suffering experienced by clients with a somatoform disorder are real, although the medical basis for their symptoms is not.
• Clients with a somatoform disorder are most frequently encountered in primary health care settings.
• The dissociative disorders are marked by an abrupt, temporary change in consciousness, cognition, memory, identity or behaviour.