Is development and persistence of multiple physical symptoms associated with coping? A longitudinal study over a decade.

Objective: To examine the development and persistence of multiple physical symptoms (MPS) over a decade including the associations with sociodemographics and coping strategies.

Method: A longitudinal study of 16,405 individuals aged 20-64 years participating in the Danish Symptom Cohort (DaSC) was conducted in 2012 with follow-up data in 2022 (DaSC II). MPS were assessed according to the unifying diagnostic construct of bodily distress syndrome, and coping was measured with the Brief Approach/Avoidance Coping Questionnaire.

Multiple physical symptoms and coping strategies over the last decade - Knowledge from two Danish population-based cross-sectional studies in 2012 and 2022.

Objective: To compare the prevalence of multiple physical symptoms, coping scores, and associations between multiple physical symptoms and coping in two population-based surveys within a 10-year interval.

Methods: A nationwide study on symptoms and healthcare-seeking, the Danish Symptom Cohort, was carried out in 2012 and repeated in 2022. For each survey, 100,000 randomly selected individuals were invited, and individuals aged 20-64 years were eligible for inclusion.

Managing persistent physical symptoms when being social and active is the norm: a qualitative study among young people in Denmark.

Background: An increasing number of young people in Western countries report persistent physical symptoms (PPS). PPS may disturb everyday activities and they may have negative consequences for later adult mental and physical health. Still little is known about how young people handle PPS in their everyday lives.

Designing and Developing an eHealth Program for Patients With Persistent Physical Symptoms: Usability Study.

Background: Patients with persistent physical symptoms presenting in primary care are often affected by multiple symptoms and reduced functioning. The medical and societal costs of these patients are high, and there is a need for new interventions tailored to both the patients and health care system.

Objective: This study aimed to examine the usability of an unguided, self-help treatment program, "My Symptoms," developed to assist patients and general practitioners in symptom management.

Self-help interventions for persistent physical symptoms: a systematic review of behaviour change components and their potential effects.

Persistent physical symptoms (PPS) remain a challenge in the healthcare system due to time-constrained consultations, uncertainty and limited specialised care capacity. Self-help interventions may be a cost-effective way to widen the access to treatment. As a foundation for future interventions, we aimed to describe intervention components and their potential effects in self-help interventions for PPS.

Coping strategies among individuals with multiple physical symptoms: A general population-based cross-sectional study.

Objective: Coping has been suggested as a perpetuating factor for physical symptoms. The aim of this study was to examine the use of the coping strategies approach, resignation, and diversion in individuals with multiple physical symptoms according to the construct of Bodily Distress Syndrome (BDS).

Methods: This cross-sectional study was part of the nationwide web-based survey Danish Symptom Cohort (DaSC).

[Facts and myths about chronic fatigue syndrome].

Contrary to its precursor, the new NICE guidelines for myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) caution against graded exercise therapy for the severely ill, and cognitive behavioural therapy is only recommended for treating consequence of ME/CFS and not the condition itself. Instead, energy management is recommended. The recommendations are based on dismissing most current evidence from studies not using new diagnostic criteria introduced by NICE or not including patient viewpoints.

The BDS checklist as measure of illness severity: a cross-sectional cohort study in the Danish general population, primary care and specialised setting.

Objective: The bodily distress syndrome (BDS) checklist has proven to be useful in the diagnostic categorisation and as screening tool for functional somatic disorders (FSD). This study aims to investigate whether the BDS checklist total sum score (0-100) can be used as a measure of physical symptom burden and FSD illness severity.

Design: Cross-sectional.

General practitioners' management of patients with psychological stress: audit results from Denmark.

Background: In western countries, psychological stress is among the most common causes of long-lasting sick leave and a frequent reason to consult the general practitioner (GP). This study aimed to investigate how GPs manage patients with psychological stress and how the management is associated with the patient's sex, the GP's assessment of causality, and coexisting mental disorders.

Methods: We conducted an audit of consecutive cases in Danish general practice.

Multiple physical symptoms and individual characteristics - A cross-sectional study of the general population.

Objective: Multiple physical symptoms not attributable to known organic disease are common in all medical fields and associated with major personal and social consequences. This study investigated multiple physical symptoms according to the construct of bodily distress syndrome (BDS) and associated individual characteristics in the general adult population.

Methods: A nationwide, population-based study of 100,000 randomly selected individuals aged 20 years and older, conducted in 2012.

Prevalence of persons contacting general practice for psychological stress in Denmark.

Objective: The prevalence of psychological stress has previously been estimated based on self-reported questionnaires. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of persons who contact the general practitioner (GP) for psychological stress and to explore associations between psychological stress and characteristics relating to the patient, the GP, and area-specific socioeconomic factors.

Design: Cross-sectional computer assisted journal audit.

Primary care physicians' use of the proposed classification of common mental disorders for ICD-11.

Background: The World Health Organization is revising the classification of common mental disorders in primary care for ICD-11. Major changes from the ICD-10 primary care version have been proposed for: (i) mood and anxiety disorders; and (ii) presentations of multiple somatic symptoms (bodily stress syndrome). This three-part field study explored the implementation of the revised classification by primary care physicians (PCPs) in five countries.

Screening for anxiety, depression, and anxious depression in primary care: A field study for ICD-11 PHC.

Background: In this field study of WHO's revised classification of mental disorders for primary care settings, the ICD-11 PHC, we tested the usefulness of two five-item screening scales for anxiety and depression to be administered in primary care settings.

Methods: The study was conducted in primary care settings in four large middle-income countries. Primary care physicians (PCPs) referred individuals who they suspected might be psychologically distressed to the study.

"Medically unexplained" symptoms and symptom disorders in primary care: prognosis-based recognition and classification.

Background: Many patients consult their GP because they experience bodily symptoms. In a substantial proportion of cases, the clinical picture does not meet the existing diagnostic criteria for diseases or disorders. This may be because symptoms are recent and evolving or because symptoms are persistent but, either by their character or the negative results of clinical investigation cannot be attributed to disease: so-called "medically unexplained symptoms" (MUS).

Multiple somatic symptoms in primary care: A field study for ICD-11 PHC, WHO's revised classification of mental disorders in primary care settings.

Objective: A World Health Organization (WHO) field study conducted in five countries assessed proposals for Bodily Stress Syndrome (BSS) and Health Anxiety (HA) for the Primary Health Care Version of ICD-11. BSS requires multiple somatic symptoms not caused by known physical pathology and associated with distress or dysfunction. HA involves persistent, intrusive fears of having an illness or intense preoccupation with and misinterpretation of bodily sensations.

Long-Term Outcome of Bodily Distress Syndrome in Primary Care: A Follow-Up Study on Health Care Costs, Work Disability, and Self-Rated Health.

Objective: The upcoming International Classification of Diseases, 11th Revision for primary care use suggests inclusion of a new diagnostic construct, bodily (di)stress syndrome (BDS), for individuals with medically unexplained symptoms. We aimed to explore the long-term outcome of BDS in health care costs, work disability, and self-rated health.

Methods: Consecutive patients consulting their family physician for a new health problem were screened for physical and mental symptoms by questionnaires (n = 1785).

Multiple somatic symptoms in primary care patients: a cross-sectional study of consultation content, clinical management strategy and burden of encounter.

Background: Consultations involving patients with multiple somatic symptoms may be considered as challenging and time-consuming by general practitioners (GPs). Yet, little is known about the possible links between consultation characteristics and GP-experienced burden of encounter. We aimed to explore consultation content, clinical management strategies, time consumption and GP-experienced burden of encounters with patients suffering from multiple somatic symptoms as defined by the concept of bodily distress syndrome (BDS).

Symptoms as the main problem: a cross- sectional study of patient experience in primary care.

Background: Symptoms are common in primary care. Besides providing thorough assessment of possible severe disease, the general practitioner (GP) must ensure good health care to all patients, irrespective of diagnoses. We aimed to explore patient satisfaction with the provided care and how well expectations in patients were met when no diagnosis was made during the consultation.

Prognostic factors for disability and sick leave in patients with subacute non-malignant pain: a systematic review of cohort studies.

Objective: This systematic review aims to identify generic prognostic factors for disability and sick leave in subacute pain patients.

Setting: General practice and other primary care facilities.

Participants: Adults (>18 years) with a subacute (≤ 3-month) non-malignant pain condition.

Bodily distress syndrome: A new diagnosis for functional disorders in primary care?

Background: Conceptualisation and classification of functional disorders appear highly inconsistent in the health-care system, particularly in primary care. Numerous terms and overlapping diagnostic criteria are prevalent of which many are considered stigmatising by general practitioners and patients. The lack of a clear concept challenges the general practitioner's decision-making when a diagnosis or a treatment approach must be selected for a patient with a functional disorder.

The prognosis of bodily distress syndrome: a cohort study in primary care.

Objective: Bodily distress syndrome (BDS) is a newly proposed diagnosis for functional disorders. The diagnosis is based on empirical research, but little is known about the course of the disease. We aimed to study the prognosis in terms of diagnosis stability over time.