Academic Journal
Understanding General Somatic Symptom Burden: Insights from a Systematic Review of Factor Analyses Pertaining to the Patient Health Questionnaire 15 (PHQ-15) and Somatic Symptom Scale 8 (SSS-8).
| Τίτλος: | Understanding General Somatic Symptom Burden: Insights from a Systematic Review of Factor Analyses Pertaining to the Patient Health Questionnaire 15 (PHQ-15) and Somatic Symptom Scale 8 (SSS-8). |
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| Συγγραφείς: | Hybelius J; Division of Family Medicine and Primary Care, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.; Liljeholmen University Primary Health Care Centre, Academic Primary Health Care Centre, Region Stockholm, Stockholm, Sweden., Kosic A; School of Law, Psychology and Social Work, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden., Salomonsson S; Centre for Psychiatry Research, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, & Stockholm Health Care Services, Region Stockholm, Stockholm, Sweden., Wachtler C; Division of Family Medicine and Primary Care, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.; Liljeholmen University Primary Health Care Centre, Academic Primary Health Care Centre, Region Stockholm, Stockholm, Sweden., Wallert J; Centre for Psychiatry Research, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, & Stockholm Health Care Services, Region Stockholm, Stockholm, Sweden., Nordin S; Department of Psychology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden., Axelsson E; Division of Family Medicine and Primary Care, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. erland.axelsson@ki.se.; Liljeholmen University Primary Health Care Centre, Academic Primary Health Care Centre, Region Stockholm, Stockholm, Sweden. erland.axelsson@ki.se. |
| Πηγή: | International journal of behavioral medicine [Int J Behav Med] 2026 Apr; Vol. 33 (2), pp. 264-273. Date of Electronic Publication: 2025 Apr 23. |
| Τύπος έκδοσης: | Journal Article; Systematic Review; Review |
| Γλώσσα: | English |
| Στοιχεία περιοδικού: | Publisher: Informa Healthcare Country of Publication: England NLM ID: 9421097 Publication Model: Print-Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1532-7558 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 10705503 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Int J Behav Med Subsets: MEDLINE |
| Imprint Name(s): | Publication: London : Informa Healthcare Original Publication: Hillsdale, NJ : Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, c1994- |
| Ιατρικοί όροι (MeSH): | Somatoform Disorders*/diagnosis , Medically Unexplained Symptoms* , Patient Health Questionnaire*, Fatigue/diagnosis ; Humans ; Factor Analysis, Statistical ; Depression ; Anxiety |
| Περίληψη: | Background: Factor analyses have indicated that somatic symptom burden can be separated into local symptom domain factors (e.g., cardiopulmonary, fatigue, gastrointestinal, pain) and a general propensity toward being symptomatic. This study aimed to determine what specific physical symptoms, and correlates, that are most strongly associated with this general factor. Method: A systematic review was based on factor analyses of the Patient Health Questionnaire 15 (PHQ-15) and Somatic Symptom Scale 8 (SSS-8). Results: There was heterogeneity in the included studies, in terms of the exact specification of the factor structure, and to some extent regarding item inclusion for factor analysis. Among 11 analyses of the PHQ-15, the highest mean and median factor loadings on the general symptom burden factor were seen for fatigue (M = 0.65) followed by dizziness (0.63). Among three analyses of the SSS-8, the mean was highest for chest pain and shortness of breath (0.69), followed by fatigue (0.62). The PHQ-15 general factor exhibited variable, but usually moderate to strong, associations with anxiety and depression symptoms, health anxiety, somatosensory amplification, and functional somatic syndromes. Conclusions: Cardiopulmonary symptoms and fatigue appear to be especially closely associated with general somatic symptom burden. The close associations between this general factor and indicators of poor mental health and functional somatic syndromes allow for numerous interpretations; both causal and due to overlapping definitions. (© 2025. The Author(s).) |
| Competing Interests: | Declarations. Conflict of Interest: The authors declare no competing interests. |
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| Grant Information: | FoUI-1004039 Region Stockholm |
| Contributed Indexing: | Keywords: Factor analysis; Patient health questionnaire; Persistent physical symptoms; Somatic symptom burden; Systematic review |
| Entry Date(s): | Date Created: 20250423 Date Completed: 20260511 Latest Revision: 20260514 |
| Update Code: | 20260514 |
| PubMed Central ID: | PMC13160965 |
| DOI: | 10.1007/s12529-025-10365-y |
| PMID: | 40268773 |
| Βάση Δεδομένων: | MEDLINE |
| ISSN: | 1532-7558 |
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| DOI: | 10.1007/s12529-025-10365-y |