Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Email this article to a Colleague Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to My Articles & Searches Download to citation manager Citing Articles via Google Scholar Articles by Denninger, J. W. Articles by Fava, M. Search for Related Content PubMed Citation Articles by Denninger, J. W. Articles by Fava, M. Depression Somatoform Disorders

Somatic Symptoms in Outpatients With Major Depressive Disorder Treated With Fluoxetine

Received October 5, 2005; accepted October 7, 2005. From the Depression Clinical and Research Program, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA. Address correspondence and reprint requests to Dr. Denninger, Massachusetts General Hospital, Depression Clinical and Research Program, Dept. of Psychiatry, 50 Staniford St., Suite 401, Boston, MA 02114-2541. e-mail: jdenninger{at}partners.org

Among patients with major depressive disorder (MDD), physical and somatic symptoms are associated with a high degree of disability and healthcare utilization. However, little is known regarding the treatment of these symptoms with standard pharmacotherapy. To measure somatic symptoms of depression, the authors administered The Symptom Questionnaire (Kellner) before and after 8 weeks of open-label treatment with fluoxetine, 20 mg/day, in 170 MDD outpatients (mean age: 40.4 years). Somatic symptom scores decreased significantly after fluoxetine treatment. The degree of reduction in somatic symptoms was significantly and positively correlated with the degree of improvement in depressive symptoms as measured by the 17-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (Ham-D). Somatic symptom scores at baseline did not predict the degree of reduction in Ham-D scores during treatment. However, fluoxetine-remitters had significantly lower somatic symptom scores at end-point than responders who did not remit. Taken together, these findings suggest that developing treatment strategies that successfully target somatic symptoms of depression may further improve the ability to treat depression to remission.

Get information about faster international access.

Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2006 Academy of Psychosomatic Medicine. All rights reserved.

Home | Search | Current Issue | Past Issues | Subscribe | All APPI Journals | Help | Contact Us