Psychological and clinical correlates of functional somatic complaints in depression

Background: Studies have shown that functional somatic symptoms are common in patients of depression. However, very few studies have assessed the socio-demographic, psychological and clinical correlates of functional somatic complaints in depression.

Method: Fifty (50) patients of first-episode unipolar depression (except for severe depression with psychotic symptoms), aged 18 to 50 years, with duration of depression of more than one month, with no comorbid psychiatric disorders and comorbid medical illnesses, and with at least one symptom on Bradford Somatic Inventory were assessed on the Beck’s Depression Inventory, the Comprehensive Psychopathological Rating Scale – Anxiety Index, the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (Hindi version), the Somato-sensory Amplification Scale and the Whiteley Index.

Results: The most commonly reported functional somatic complaints were a lack of energy much of the time (98%) and feeling tired when not working (82%). A significant positive correlation (Pearson’s product moment value = 0.362, p < 0.01) was found between severity of depression and number of functional somatic complaints. Significant negative Spearman’s rank correlation (−0.346, p < 0.05) was found between Bradford Somatic Inventory total score and Toronto Alexithymia Scale severity grade. A significant positive correlation between Bradford Somatic Inventory total score and somato-sensory amplification emerged only when common items were taken care of. No correlation was found between Bradford Somatic Inventory total score and any of the socio-demographic variables, age at onset of illness, total duration of illness, melancholic symptoms, suicidality, level of anxiety and hypochondriacal worry. Beck’s Depression Inventory total score alone accounted for 11.3% of the variance in the Bradford Somatic Inventory total score.

Conclusion: Functional somatic complaints are more prevalent in patients with higher severity of depression, high somato-sensory amplification and less alexithymia. There is no correlation of functional somatic complaints with level of anxiety and hypochondriacal worry.