Mental disorders can manifest through physical symptoms
Mental disorders frequently manifest through various physical complaints, such as somatization, pain, sleep disturbances, and gastrointestinal symptoms.
The retrieved literature robustly supports the claim that mental disorders can manifest through physical symptoms, with multiple studies highlighting the comorbidity and overlapping mechanisms of somatization, anxiety, depression, and PTSD.
Y. Nesterko, David Jäckle, M. Friedrich, Laura Holzapfel, H. Glaesmer. Factors predicting symptoms of somatization, depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, self-rated mental and physical health among recently arrived refugees in Germany. 2020. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13031-020-00291-z
Paper 0 establishes that mental health conditions like depression, anxiety, and PTSD are significantly predicted by or co-occur with somatization symptoms in recently arrived refugees.
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Laurence Astill Wright, N. Roberts, K. Barawi, Natalie Simon, S. Zammit, E. McElroy, J. Bisson. Disturbed Sleep Connects Symptoms of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Somatization: A Network Analysis Approach. 2020. https://doi.org/10.1002/jts.22619
Paper 1 demonstrates that post-traumatic stress disorder is closely linked with somatic symptom disorder through bridging symptoms such as disturbed sleep.
Viviana Lo Buono, L. Bonanno, F. Corallo, Davide Cardile, G. D'Aleo, C. Rifici, E. Sessa, A. Quartarone, M. D. De Cola. The Relationship between Body Image, Disability and Mental Health in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis. 2023. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm12103606
Paper 2 finds significant positive correlations between multiple sclerosis-related body image changes and somatization, depression, and anxiety.
M. Nadi Sakhvidi, M. Namdari, Samira Shayegh, Tahereh Abbaslou, Mina Bozorg, T. Sadeghiyeh, Bonnie Bozorg. The Relationship Between Mental Health and Coping Strategies in Primary Caregivers of ADHD Patients. 2024. https://doi.org/10.1177/10443894241287897
Paper 3 indicates that emotion-focused coping and somatization of problems are strongly correlated with somatic complaints, anxiety, and depression in caregivers.
Guidi J, Sonino N, Fava GA. Thirty Years of the Diagnostic Criteria for Psychosomatic Research (DCPR): A Systematic Review and Discussion of Clinical Implications.. 2026. https://doi.org/10.4088/jcp.25r16276
Paper 5 reviews various psychosomatic research criteria, confirming that manifestations of somatization and stress are extremely common in clinical settings.
Dunalska A, Jakubczyk A, Szulc A, Szejko N. Dissociative symptoms in depressive and anxiety disorders: prevalence and clinical correlates in a real-world outpatient sample.. 2026. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychires.2026.01.032
Paper 6 notes that dissociative symptoms, including somatoform dissociation, frequently complicate the clinical presentation of depressive and anxiety disorders.
E. Prasetya, Intan Afifah, Muhammad Hanun Mahyuddin, Ulaa Haniifah, Khadijah Hasanah Abang Abdullah. Physical Complaints of Pain and Heartburn as Part of The Symptoms of Somatization. 2023. https://doi.org/10.20473/jps.v12i2.39192
Paper 7 discusses how somatization disorders commonly manifest through physical complaints of pain and heartburn despite normal medical test results.
M. Khosravi, Ahoora Kavoosi, R. Rezapour-Nasrabad, Melody Omraninava, Alireza Nazari Anamagh, S. Asl. Integrating psychological assessment in achalasia management: addressing mental health to enhance patient outcomes. 2024. https://doi.org/10.4081/ejtm.2024.12727
Paper 8 highlights that individuals suffering from chronic digestive disorders often experience intersecting mental health issues like depression, anxiety, and somatization.
Su Z, Kong Y, Zhong Y, Wang R, Zhang Q, Chen J, Hong S, Kuang L. Aggression and emotional distress in adolescents: a cross-sectional chain mediation model of internet addiction and somatization.. 2026. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2026.1828955
Paper 9 shows that somatization acts as a key mediating mechanism linking behavioral distress with depressive and anxiety symptoms in adolescents.
Feriante J, Torrico TJ, McArthur J, Bernstein B. Separation Anxiety Disorder. 2026. https://europepmc.org/article/MED/32809628
Paper 11 explains that anxiety disorders routinely produce physical manifestations such as somatization and somatic complaints.
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