Somatoform Symptoms in a Japanese Community Population: PrevalencE and Association with Personality Characteristics
Yutaka Ono, Kimio Yoshimura, Keita Yamauchi, Masahiro Asai, Jerome Young, Shigeki Fujihara, Toshinori Kitamura
Faculty of Nursing and Medical Care
To investigate the prevalence rates and characteristics of poorly explained or unexplained somatic symptoms in the general population of Japan, questionnaires were administered to 132 people aged 18 years or older in a small community in the city of Kofu. The participants were then interviewed by trained interviewers using a semi-structured interview schedule. Of the 132 participants in our study, 55 (41%) reported somatic symptoms. Of these 55, nine (16%) were diagnosed with a specific DSM-IV somatoform disorder. Multiple regression analyses revealed that the number of poorly explained symptoms among women was related to the respondent's score on Neuroticism. These data suggest that poorly explained or unexplained somatic symptoms are related to personality characteristics. Moreover, our analysis also revealed a gender difference in the pattern of these relationships. None of the respondents who reported medically unexplained somatic symptoms had sought psychiatric care.
https://doi.org/10.1177/136346150003700204
psychological care
gender-specific factors
Surveys and Questionnaires
gender difference
somatization
Ono, Y., Yoshimura, K., Yamauchi, K., Asai, M., Young, J., Fujihara, S., & Kitamura, T. (2000). Somatoform Symptoms in a Japanese Community Population: PrevalencE and Association with Personality Characteristics. Transcultural Psychiatry, 37(2), 219-228. https://doi.org/10.1177/136346150003700204
Somatoform Symptoms in a Japanese Community Population : PrevalencE and Association with Personality Characteristics. / Ono, Yutaka; Yoshimura, Kimio; Yamauchi, Keita; Asai, Masahiro; Young, Jerome; Fujihara, Shigeki; Kitamura, Toshinori.
In: Transcultural Psychiatry, Vol. 37, No. 2, 2000, p. 219-228.
Ono, Y, Yoshimura, K, Yamauchi, K, Asai, M, Young, J, Fujihara, S & Kitamura, T 2000, 'Somatoform Symptoms in a Japanese Community Population: PrevalencE and Association with Personality Characteristics', Transcultural Psychiatry, vol. 37, no. 2, pp. 219-228. https://doi.org/10.1177/136346150003700204
Ono Y, Yoshimura K, Yamauchi K, Asai M, Young J, Fujihara S et al. Somatoform Symptoms in a Japanese Community Population: PrevalencE and Association with Personality Characteristics. Transcultural Psychiatry. 2000;37(2):219-228. https://doi.org/10.1177/136346150003700204
Ono, Yutaka ; Yoshimura, Kimio ; Yamauchi, Keita ; Asai, Masahiro ; Young, Jerome ; Fujihara, Shigeki ; Kitamura, Toshinori. / Somatoform Symptoms in a Japanese Community Population : PrevalencE and Association with Personality Characteristics. In: Transcultural Psychiatry. 2000 ; Vol. 37, No. 2. pp. 219-228.
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title = "Somatoform Symptoms in a Japanese Community Population: PrevalencE and Association with Personality Characteristics",
abstract = "To investigate the prevalence rates and characteristics of poorly explained or unexplained somatic symptoms in the general population of Japan, questionnaires were administered to 132 people aged 18 years or older in a small community in the city of Kofu. The participants were then interviewed by trained interviewers using a semi-structured interview schedule. Of the 132 participants in our study, 55 (41{\%}) reported somatic symptoms. Of these 55, nine (16{\%}) were diagnosed with a specific DSM-IV somatoform disorder. Multiple regression analyses revealed that the number of poorly explained symptoms among women was related to the respondent's score on Neuroticism. These data suggest that poorly explained or unexplained somatic symptoms are related to personality characteristics. Moreover, our analysis also revealed a gender difference in the pattern of these relationships. None of the respondents who reported medically unexplained somatic symptoms had sought psychiatric care.",
keywords = "Extraversion, gender difference, Neuroticism, somatization, somatoform disorder, values",
author = "Yutaka Ono and Kimio Yoshimura and Keita Yamauchi and Masahiro Asai and Jerome Young and Shigeki Fujihara and Toshinori Kitamura",
doi = "10.1177/136346150003700204",
journal = "Transcultural Psychiatry",
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T1 - Somatoform Symptoms in a Japanese Community Population
T2 - PrevalencE and Association with Personality Characteristics
AU - Ono, Yutaka
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AU - Yamauchi, Keita
AU - Asai, Masahiro
AU - Young, Jerome
AU - Fujihara, Shigeki
AU - Kitamura, Toshinori
N2 - To investigate the prevalence rates and characteristics of poorly explained or unexplained somatic symptoms in the general population of Japan, questionnaires were administered to 132 people aged 18 years or older in a small community in the city of Kofu. The participants were then interviewed by trained interviewers using a semi-structured interview schedule. Of the 132 participants in our study, 55 (41%) reported somatic symptoms. Of these 55, nine (16%) were diagnosed with a specific DSM-IV somatoform disorder. Multiple regression analyses revealed that the number of poorly explained symptoms among women was related to the respondent's score on Neuroticism. These data suggest that poorly explained or unexplained somatic symptoms are related to personality characteristics. Moreover, our analysis also revealed a gender difference in the pattern of these relationships. None of the respondents who reported medically unexplained somatic symptoms had sought psychiatric care.
AB - To investigate the prevalence rates and characteristics of poorly explained or unexplained somatic symptoms in the general population of Japan, questionnaires were administered to 132 people aged 18 years or older in a small community in the city of Kofu. The participants were then interviewed by trained interviewers using a semi-structured interview schedule. Of the 132 participants in our study, 55 (41%) reported somatic symptoms. Of these 55, nine (16%) were diagnosed with a specific DSM-IV somatoform disorder. Multiple regression analyses revealed that the number of poorly explained symptoms among women was related to the respondent's score on Neuroticism. These data suggest that poorly explained or unexplained somatic symptoms are related to personality characteristics. Moreover, our analysis also revealed a gender difference in the pattern of these relationships. None of the respondents who reported medically unexplained somatic symptoms had sought psychiatric care.
KW - Extraversion
KW - gender difference
KW - Neuroticism
KW - somatization
KW - somatoform disorder
KW - values
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DO - 10.1177/136346150003700204
JO - Transcultural Psychiatry
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10.1177/136346150003700204