Catharsis-based Counseling and Relaxation Training as Intervention for Reducing the Symptoms of Undifferentiated Somatoform Disorder: A Case Study

DOI

10.2991/iciap-17.2018.31How to use a DOI?

Keywords

catharsis; emotional distress; relaxation training; somatoform disorder; undifferentiated somatoform.

Abstract

Somatoform disorder is a mental illness characterized by medically unexplained physical symptoms. The diagnosis of undifferentiated somatoform disorder is based on the occurrence of one or more physical complaints that persist for at least 6 months and that cannot be fully attributed to a medical condition. These complaints cause disproportionate levels of distress in the patient by inflicting long-term physical pain that cannot be alleviated through medical approaches. Many patients repeatedly change physicians to obtain a satisfying diagnosis only find that their symptoms cannot be fully attributed to a general medical condition. The psychological approach has a salient role in the treatment of somatoform disorder. Catharsis-based counseling therapy with relaxation training was originally designed to reduce the physical symptoms of undifferentiated somatoform disorder. This intervention was provided to a 26-year-old woman presenting the physical complaints of migraine, genital itching, back pain, abdominal pain, and arm pain. The subject was experiencing emotional distress related to family issues. Through a pre-post test assessment approach, this study evaluated a series of interventions for reducing the intensity of physical complaints associated with undifferentiated somatoform disorders. Interventions were conducted in five sessions (one pre-assessment session, one catharsis-based counseling session, and three relaxation training sessions). The Screening for Somatoform Symptoms-7 (SOMS-7) tool was used to measure the intensity of physical complaints before and after intervention and at 3 months follow-up. SOMS-7 scores obtained before and after intervention revealed that the intensity of physical complaints perceived by the participant decreased after receiving catharsis-based counseling therapy with relaxation training. In conclusion, catharsis-based counseling and relaxation training decrease the intensity of physical complaints associated with undifferentiated somatoform disorders in emotionally distressed adults.

Copyright

© 2018, the Authors. Published by Atlantis Press.

Open Access

This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/).

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TY  - CONF
AU  - Fath Fatheya
AU  - S. S. Budi Hartono
PY  - 2017/09
DA  - 2017/09
TI  - Catharsis-based Counseling and Relaxation Training as Intervention for Reducing the Symptoms of Undifferentiated Somatoform Disorder: A Case Study
BT  - Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on Intervention and Applied Psychology (ICIAP 2017)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 360
EP  - 371
SN  - 2352-5398
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/iciap-17.2018.31
DO  - 10.2991/iciap-17.2018.31
ID  - Fatheya2017/09
ER  -