A 3-Month Naturalistic Follow-Up Treatment With Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors in Frequent Attenders of General Medical Practice: What Correlates With a Good Response?

Frequent attenders (FAs), defined as patients repeatedly attending general practitioners, frequently exhibit underdiagnosed psychiatric comorbidities, leading to the hypothesis that frequent attendance may be related to an undetected psychiatric burden. This study explores the role of psychiatric comorbidities and psychopharmacological treatment on the clinical outcomes of a cohort of FAs of the general medical practice in Italy. The study included 75 FAs assessed by the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5, Clinical Global Impression, Global Assessment Functioning, and Illness Behavior Inventory, administered at baseline (T0) and after 3 months (T1).

Relationships Between Somatic Symptoms and Panic-Agoraphobic Spectrum Among Frequent Attenders of the General Practice in Italy.

Frequent attenders (FAs) of general practitioners (GPs) often complain of nonspecific physical symptoms that are difficult to define according to typical medical syndromes criteria but could be acknowledged as atypical manifestations of mental disorders. We investigated the possible correlation between somatic symptoms and panic-agoraphobic spectrum symptoms in a sample of 75 FAs of GPs in Italy, with particular attention to the impact on functional impairment. Assessments included the Patient Health Questionnaire, Panic-Agoraphobic Spectrum-Self-Report (PAS-SR) lifetime version, Global Assessment of Functioning, and Clinical Global Impression.

Frequent attenders in general medical practice in Italy: a preliminary report on clinical variables related to low functioning.

Background: Frequent attenders (FAs), defined as patients reporting a disproportionate number of visits to general practitioners (GPs), may represent up to one-third of GP patients responsible for a high burden of care not always justified by the severity of the medical condition. The aim of this study was to explore sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of FAs of GP in Italy with particular attention to functional impairment.

Methods: A total sample of 75 FAs (defined as individuals who had consulted GPs 15 times or more during 2015) of GPs of three primary care centers (Pisa, Livorno, and Lucca) in Italy were enrolled and assessed by sociodemographic scale, Structured Clinical Interview for (SCID-5), global functioning (Global Assessment of Functioning [GAF]), illness behavior and perceived health (Illness Behavior Inventory), and somatic comorbidity (Cumulative Illness Rating Scale).

The complex interplay between gastrointestinal and psychiatric symptoms in irritable bowel syndrome: A longitudinal assessment.

Aims: The aims of this study were to better define the relationship between irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and psychiatric disorders and to examine the efficacy of paroxetine in the treatment of IBS patients.

Methods: One hundred fifty subjects with diagnosis of IBS (Roma III criteria) and relative sub-classification (constipated, diarrhea, and mixed) were assessed for psychopathological features and gastrointestinal symptoms using IBS Symptom Severity Score and were consecutively enrolled. Fifty patients assumed paroxetine for 16 weeks and were longitudinally evaluated.

Subthreshold Psychiatric Psychopathology in Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders: Can It Be the Bridge between Gastroenterology and Psychiatry?

Background And Aims: Functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGDs) are multifactorial disorders of the gut-brain interaction. This study investigated the prevalence of Axis I and spectrum disorders in patients with FGD and established the link between FGDs and psychopathological dimensions.

Methods: A total of 135 consecutive patients with FGD were enrolled.