Archives of Family Medicine
Volume 4, Issue 7, 1995, Pages 637-646

Somatization in Primary Care, with a Focus on Immigrants and Refugees (Article)

Castillo R. , Waitzkin H.* , Ramirez Y. , Escobar J.I.
  • a Department of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, United States
  • b Department of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, United States
  • c Department of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, United States
  • d Department of Psychiatry, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Piscataway, United States

Abstract

An influx of immigrants and refugees into the United States has created challenges for family physicians and other primary care practitioners, including the recognition and treatment of somatization (symptoms for which no organic pathologic explanation can be found). In this structured review of the literature on somatization and its comorbidity, we focus on immigrants and refugees as well as on the clinical implications for primary care providers. Somatoform symptoms are common presenting complaints among refugees and immigrants who seek primary care services. Such symptoms may result from extremely stressful experiences before, during, or after migration and may co-occur with other mental health disorders. Varying cultural patterns also shape the presentation of somatoform symptoms in primary care. The relationship between posttraumatic stress disorder and somatization remains incompletely assessed. Culturally mediated somatoform complaints among immigrants and refugees should become a focus of further research and educational efforts in family medicine and primary care. © 1995, American Medical Association. All rights reserved.

Author Keywords

[No Keywords available]

Index Keywords

Minority Groups male case report female Emigration and Immigration Review adult refugee prevalence Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S. Somatoform Disorders minority group somatoform disorder human primary health care Refugees migration United States
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85047692397&doi=10.1001%2farchfami.4.7.637&partnerID=40&md5=b22868450b029c0a2520fa85938799db
DOI: 10.1001/archfami.4.7.637
ISSN: 10633987
Cited by: 36
Original Language: English