Home ❯ Somatic symptom disorder

Somatic symptom disorder

What is somatic symptom disorder in bipolar disorder?

Somatic symptoms are medically unexplained bodily sensations or basic physical dysfunctions such as appetite, digestion, or sleep dysfunction. They may be localised to a particular bodily region, or generalised, as in the case of excessive fatigue or loss of energy. Symptoms are not intentionally produced or feigned. For a diagnosis of somatic symptom disorder, the extent to which a person’s feelings, thoughts, and behaviours about their somatic symptoms must be distressing, excessive, or disproportionate, and persist for more than six months.

What is the evidence for somatic symptoms in people with bipolar disorder?

Moderate quality evidence finds a small, increased risk of more somatic symptoms in people with bipolar disorder compared to general population rates. People with depression report similar rates of somatic symptoms as people with bipolar disorder.

October 2021

Image: ©shidlovski – stock.adobe.com

Last updated at: 1:00 am, 21st October 2021
To view documentation related to this topic download the files below
Fact Sheet Technical Commentary

NeuRA Libraries

Title Colour Legend:
Green - Topic summary is available.
Orange - Topic summary is being compiled.
Red - Topic summary has no current systematic review available.