Dynamics of psychologycal state of patients with somatoform disorders

This article reflects the dynamics of psychological state of the patients, suffering from somatoform disorders. When a patient is admitted to a hospital, the level of anxiety is tested with Spielberger questionnaire, and depression with Beck questionnaire, also to detect main individual traits of the patient - MMPI. During discharge - Spielberger and Beck’s questionnaires, also testing the levels of subjective control. Noted, that according to MMPI tests, most of the examined patients had a pronounced fixation on their condition (that is what the high indicators on the hypochondriasis and rigidity scales show), also a high level of depression and anxiety. It was noted that patients had low levels of total internality, which complies to the low levels of subjective control. According to Spielberger and Beck’s questionnaire, when admitted, the scale of depression and anxiety showed modest results. As the result of treatment, the lower levels of depression and anxiety were noted, also decreasing of hypochondriasis fixation on their condition, which clinically developed to decrease the expression of somatoform disorders. Patients began to understand that their symptoms are psychologically caused, as a result they declined further doctor examinations from different specialties and agreed to take psychotropic drugs after discharge.

somatoform disorders, depression, anxiety, hypochondriasis, rigidness, level of subjective control, dynamic state evaluation