Somatic Symptom Scale

Somatic symptoms are the core features of many medical diseases, and they are used to evaluate the severity and course of illness. The 8-item Somatic Symptom Scale (SSS-8) was developed as a brief, patient-reported outcome measure of somatic symptom burden.

Somatization and symptom reduction through a be...

Authors

Mutsuhiro Nakao, MD, MPH, Patricia Myers, Gregory Fricchione, MD, Patricia C. Zuttermeister, MA, Arthur J. Barsky, MD, Herbert Benson, MD

Journal

Behavioral Medicine

November 30, 2001

Ailments, Benson Technique, Somatic Symptom Scale

The authors assessed data from 1,148 outpatients in a 10-week medical symptom reduction program to determine the effectiveness of a behavioral medicine intervention among somatizing patients. The program included instruction in the relaxation response, cognitive restructuring, nutrition, and exercise. Before and after the intervention, the patients were evaluated on the Symptom Checklist-90 Revised (SCL-90R), the Medical Symptom Checklist, and the Stress Perception Scale. They were di […]