IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/sae/socpsy/v62y2016i7p608-615.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

A qualitative analysis of explanatory models in medically unexplained physical symptoms presenting to a tertiary health care psychiatric facility in South India

Author

Listed:
  • Vikas Menon
  • Balasubramanian Shanmuganathan
  • Anand Babu Arun
  • Jaiganesh Selvapandian Thamizh
  • Nivedhitha Selvakumar
  • Siddharth Sarkar

Abstract

Background: Knowledge about subjective perceptions and explanatory models has the potential to inform clinical evaluation and lead to development of patient-friendly treatment models in medically unexplained physical symptoms (MUPS). Aim: To collect qualitative data about explanatory models in MUPS. Methods: A cross-sectional observational study was done among patients with MUPS presenting over a 2-year period to a specialty psychosomatic clinic. The Short Explanatory Model of Illness interview was used to gather qualitative data about explanatory models which were subsequently recoded using standard manuals. Results: A total of 123 subjects were evaluated. The nature of symptoms was most commonly reported as ‘non-specific’ ( n  = 102, 82.9%) but of moderate to severe intensity ( n  = 87, 73.8%). Getting cured or showing improvement was the most common expectation from treatment ( n  = 58, 47.9%). Moderate to severe impact of symptoms was reported on work output ( n  = 100, 84%), emotional life ( n  = 85, 71.4%) and physical mobility ( n  = 59, 49.1%). A considerable proportion was either dissatisfied ( n  = 61, 50%) or frankly unhappy ( n  = 38, 31.4%) with treatment received. Conclusion: There is a need to re-calibrate the clinical approach to people with MUPS to enhance treatment satisfaction. Our findings could assist in evolving culturally sensitive conceptualizations of illness and in developing patient-centred models for therapy in MUPS patients.

Suggested Citation

  • Vikas Menon & Balasubramanian Shanmuganathan & Anand Babu Arun & Jaiganesh Selvapandian Thamizh & Nivedhitha Selvakumar & Siddharth Sarkar, 2016. "A qualitative analysis of explanatory models in medically unexplained physical symptoms presenting to a tertiary health care psychiatric facility in South India," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 62(7), pages 608-615, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:socpsy:v:62:y:2016:i:7:p:608-615
    DOI: 10.1177/0020764016662294
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0020764016662294
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1177/0020764016662294?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Peters, Sarah & Stanley, Ian & Rose, Michael & Salmon, Peter, 0. "Patients with medically unexplained symptoms: Sources of patients' authority and implications for demands on medical care," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 46(4-5), pages 559-565, February.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Stockl, Andrea, 2007. "Complex syndromes, ambivalent diagnosis, and existential uncertainty: The case of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE)," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 65(7), pages 1549-1559, October.
    2. Lawrence, Vanessa & McCombie, Catherine & Nikolakopoulos, Georgios & Morgan, Craig, 2021. "Navigating the mental health system: Narratives of identity and recovery among people with psychosis across ethnic groups," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 279(C).
    3. Clemente, Ignasi & Lee, Seung-Hee & Heritage, John, 2008. "Children in chronic pain: Promoting pediatric patients' symptom accounts in tertiary care," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 66(6), pages 1418-1428, March.
    4. Madden, Sue & Sim, Julius, 2006. "Creating meaning in fibromyalgia syndrome," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 63(11), pages 2962-2973, December.
    5. Budych, Karolina & Helms, Thomas M. & Schultz, Carsten, 2012. "How do patients with rare diseases experience the medical encounter? Exploring role behavior and its impact on patient–physician interaction," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 105(2), pages 154-164.
    6. Ring, Adele & Dowrick, Christopher F. & Humphris, Gerry M. & Davies, John & Salmon, Peter, 2005. "The somatising effect of clinical consultation: What patients and doctors say and do not say when patients present medically unexplained physical symptoms," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 61(7), pages 1505-1515, October.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:sae:socpsy:v:62:y:2016:i:7:p:608-615. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: SAGE Publications (email available below). General contact details of provider: .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.