Measuring professionals' attitudes toward persistent somatic symptoms: Development, validation, and reliability of the professionals' Attitude to Persistent Somatic Symptoms Questionnaire (PAPSS).

Objective: The healthcare professional's attitude toward persistent somatic symptoms (PSS) seems to play an important role in access to and quality of care for patients with PSS. To encourage research on PSS attitude, we developed and validated the Professionals' Attitude to Persistent Somatic Symptoms Questionnaire (PAPSS).

Methods: A list of items was developed through theory and a focus group with PSS experts, with response categories on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from "strongly disagree" to "strongly agree".

Latent profile analysis of biopsychosocial measures in older patients with (un)explained persistent somatic symptoms.

Patients with persistent somatic symptoms (PSS) often receive either somatic or psychiatric care, depending on whether symptoms are respectively medically explained (MES) or unexplained (MUS). This separation may not be as clinically relevant as previously assumed; however, research on data-driven subgroups within cohorts of older patients with PSS is not available. Our goal is to identify more clinically relevant homogeneous subgroups beyond the distinction of MUS and MES among older patients with PSS by using a data-driven approach.

Factors associated with having previously received a diagnosis of fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome and irritable bowel syndrome: A cross sectional DanFunD study.

Objectives: Fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, and irritable bowel syndrome are highly prevalent conditions and part of the functional somatic syndromes (FSS) diagnosis, that are classified under the unifying umbrella term functional somatic disorder (FSD). Multiple factors are associated with FSD symptom development; However, few studies have explored these associations in relation to the diagnosis status. This study aims to examine associations with a previously received FSS diagnosis from a physician in participants fulfilling the FSD diagnostic criteria in a population-based sample.

Strategies to improve implementation of collaborative care for functional disorders and persistent somatic symptoms: A qualitative study using a Research World Café design.

Introduction: Persistent somatic symptoms and functional disorders (PSS/FD) are often complex conditions requiring care from multiple disciplines. One way of bringing the different disciplines together is through collaborative care. Little is known about the implementation barriers faced and relevant strategies to tackle the barriers in this field.

Quality indicators for collaborative care networks in persistent somatic symptoms and functional disorders: a modified delphi study.

Background: Care for persistent somatic symptoms and functional disorders (PSS/FD) is often fragmented. Collaborative care networks (CCNs) may improve care quality for PSS/FD. Effectiveness likely depends on their functioning, but we lack a straightforward quality evaluation system.

Characteristics of collaborative care networks in functional disorders: A systematic review.

Objective: Functional disorders (FD) are complex conditions, for which multidisciplinary involvement is often recommended. Collaborative care networks (CCN) may unlock the potential of the multidisciplinary team (MDT) in FD care. To understand what characteristics should be part of CCNs in FD, we studied the composition and characteristics of existing CCNs in FD.

Effectiveness of Self-guided Tailored Implementation Strategies in Integrating and Embedding Internet-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in Routine Mental Health Care: Results of a Multicenter Stepped-Wedge Cluster Randomized Trial.

Background: Internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy (iCBT) services for common mental health disorders have been found to be effective. There is a need for strategies that improve implementation in routine practice. One-size-fits-all strategies are likely to be ineffective.

The Frail Depressed Patient: A Narrative Review on Treatment Challenges.

Although the public importance of frailty is widely acknowledged by the World Health Organization, physical frailty is still largely neglected in geriatric mental health care. Firstly in this narrative review, we summarize the knowledge on the epidemiology of the association between depression and frailty, whereafter implications for treatment will be discussed. Even though frailty and depression have overlapping diagnostic criteria, epidemiological studies provide evidence for distinct constructs which are bidirectionally associated.

Prevalence and correlates of alexithymia in older persons with medically (un)explained physical symptoms.

Objectives: Much is unknown about the combination of Medically Unexplained Symptoms (MUS) and alexithymia in later life, but it may culminate in a high disease burden for older patients. In the present study we assess the prevalence of alexithymia in older patients with either MUS or Medically Explained Symptoms (MES) and we explore physical, psychological and social correlates of alexithymia.

Methods And Design: A case control study was performed.

Barriers and facilitators to implementing interventions for medically unexplained symptoms in primary and secondary care: A systematic review.

Objective: To integrate existing literature on barriers and facilitators to implementing interventions for Medically Unexplained Symptoms (MUS) in primary and secondary care.

Method: Systematic review following PRISMA guidelines. A search of PsychINFO/Pubmed/Web of Science was performed to select studies focusing on MUS-interventions and implementation.

Barriers and facilitators to the implementation of interventions for medically unexplained symptoms in primary care: A modified Delphi study.

Objective: Medically Unexplained Symptoms (MUS) are physical symptoms that last for longer than several weeks and for which no (sufficient) somatic explanation can be found. Interventions for treating MUS in primary care are available, but their implementation in daily practice appears difficult. In the current study we aim to explore key barriers and facilitators to the implementation of MUS-interventions in primary care.

Tailored implementation of internet-based cognitive behavioural therapy in the multinational context of the ImpleMentAll project: a study protocol for a stepped wedge cluster randomized trial.

Background: Internet-based Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (iCBT) is found effective in treating common mental disorders. However, the use of these interventions in routine care is limited. The international ImpleMentAll study is funded by the European Union's Horizon 2020 programme.

Development of Grip self-help: An online patient-tailored self-help intervention for functional somatic symptoms in primary care.

Functional Somatic Symptoms (FSS) are somatic symptoms for which no somatic cause can be identified despite adequate diagnostic testing. FSS are common, costly, and disabling, and treatment options are limited. Psychotherapy is one of few evidence-based treatments for FSS.

Personalized, Web-Based, Guided Self-Help for Patients With Medically Unexplained Symptoms in Primary Care: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Medically unexplained symptoms (MUS) constitute a major health problem because of their high prevalence, the suffering and disability they cause, and the associated medical costs. Web-based interventions may provide an accessible and convenient tool for managing MUS. We developed a personalized, Web-based, guided self-help intervention for MUS in primary care (Grip self-help) and would compare its effectiveness with that of usual care.

Measuring social support in psychiatric patients and controls: Validation and reliability of the shortened Close Persons Questionnaire.

Although previous studies have underlined the protective role of social support for physical and psychological health, no self-report questionnaires are validated for measuring social support in large-scale psychiatric epidemiological studies. In the current study, we aim to validate the shortened version of the Close Persons Questionnaire (CPQ), a self-report questionnaire that is administered twice to measure social support received from the partner (CPQ-p) as well as from a close friend/family member (CPQ-f). Data of psychiatric patients (n = 1891) and controls (n = 1872) from three Dutch epidemiological studies that assessed determinants of psychopathology were used to validate the shortened CPQ.

Frailty and Somatic Comorbidity in Older Patients With Medically Unexplained Symptoms.

Objectives: To examine the level of frailty and somatic comorbidity in older patients with medically unexplained symptoms (MUS) and compare this to patients with medically explained symptoms (MES).

Design: Cross-sectional, comparative study.

Setting: Community, primary care, and secondary healthcare to recruit patients with MUS in various developmental and severity stages and primary care to recruit patients with MES.

Pain characteristics of older persons with medically unexplained symptoms, older persons with medically explained symptoms and older persons with depression.

Objectives: The main objective of the current study is to compare chronic pain characteristics of older patients with Medically Unexplained Symptoms (MUS), to those of patients with Medically Explained Symptoms (MES), and to those of patients with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD).

Method: By combining data from the OPUS and NESDO study, we compared pain characteristics of 102 older (>60 years) MUS-patients to 145 older MES-patients and 275 older MDD-patients in a case-control study design. Group differences were analyzed using ANCOVA, adjusted for demographic and physical characteristics.

Health-Related Quality of Life in Older Persons with Medically Unexplained Symptoms.

Objective: Research on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in older persons with medically unexplained symptoms (MUS) is scarce, and, in contrast with younger patients, interactions with chronic somatic diseases are more complex.

Design: In the current study we compared HRQoL between older persons with MUS and older persons with medically explained symptoms (MES). Our study sample consisted of 118 older MUS-patients and 154 older MES-patients.

Social characteristics and care needs of older persons with medically unexplained symptoms: a case-control study.

Background: Research in younger patients with medically unexplained symptoms (MUS) has shown impairments in social functioning, such as loneliness and a reduced quality of the patient-doctor relationship. As far as we know, no studies have been performed on social functioning in older MUS patients; self-reported care needs of older MUS patients remain unknown.

Objective: To explore social characteristics and care needs of older persons with chronic MUS, when compared to older persons with chronic medically explained symptoms (MES).

Illness cognitions in later life: Development and validation of the Extended Illness Cognition Questionnaire (ICQ-Plus).

Illness cognitions are mediators between illness and well-being in patients with physical symptoms. The Illness Cognitions Questionnaire (ICQ) explores these illness cognitions but has not been validated in older persons. This study aimed to validate the ICQ in adults aged 60 years and above and to develop an extended version (ICQ-Plus) suitable for older persons.

Physical, lifestyle, psychological, and social determinants of pain intensity, pain disability, and the number of pain locations in depressed older adults.

Late-life depression and pain more often co-occur than can be explained by chance. Determinants of pain in late-life depression are unknown, even though knowledge on possible determinants of pain in depression is important for clinical practice. Therefore, the objectives of the present study were 1) to describe pain characteristics of depressed older adults and a nondepressed comparison group, and 2) to explore physical, lifestyle, psychological, and social determinants of acute and chronic pain intensity, disability, and multisite pain in depressed older adults.