Diagnosis and treatment of medically unexplained symptoms and chronic functional syndromes.

Medically unexplained symptoms and chronic functional syndromes are common but few health care professionals have had formal training about their connection to psychosocial issues. A systematic approach to diagnosis and treatment is described that is based on published evidence and detailed interviews with more than 7,000 of these patients. This approach is designed to meet the needs of primary care teams using techniques for assessing and treating current life stresses, the prolonged impact of adversity in childhood and somatic presentations of depression, posttraumatic stress, and anxiety disorders. (PsycINFO Database Record