Paroxetine for patients with undifferentiated somatoform disorder: A prospective, open-label, 8-week pilot study.

Background: Forty-eight percent of somatic symptoms encountered in the primary care setting are medically unexplained. Such symptoms have been associated with negative impact on quality of life and with functional impairment.

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the potential utility and tolerability of paroxetine for the treatment of undifferentiated somatoform disorder (USD), using the 15-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-15) to assess the severity of somatic symptoms.