Somatic symptom disorder (SSD) is a mental health condition that causes people to intently focus on their physical symptoms. This may cause distress or interfere with their daily activities.

Other older names for somatic symptom disorder (SSD) may include somatoform disorder or somatization disorder.

People with SSD have very intense thoughts, behaviors, and feelings about their physical symptoms.

Researchers are still investigating the causes of SSD. However, some factors may make a person more likely to develop it.

Healthcare professionals can use several methods to treat SSD, including medications and psychotherapy.

SSD refers to when a person’s concerns about their symptoms could be considered excessive or out of proportion. It does not refer to when there is no medical cause for their symptoms.

SSD is a mental health condition where a person focuses significantly on their physical symptoms. This focus then leads to major distress. It can also interfere with their usual functioning.

A person with SSD may have many thoughts, feelings, or behaviors about their symptoms. Healthcare professionals often consider these excessive or out of proportion to their actual physical symptoms.

A person with SSD may spend a lot of time or energy on behaviors connected with their symptoms. Their physical symptoms may or may not have a medical explanation.

However, people with SSD experience real symptoms. These can include pain and other problems.

Share on Pinterest
Cavan Images/Getty Images

People with SSD experience excessive worry about symptoms that:

  • may or may not be related to a specific medical condition
  • may relate to any part of their body
  • may or may not be physical symptoms
  • can lead to significant distress

They may have more than one symptom related to SSD, called a somatic symptom. Some people may only have one severe somatic symptom, usually pain.

People with SSD typically have persistent somatic symptoms. These may change in severity over time.

People with SSD may have worries or concerns about specific medical conditions after they fully recover from them. They may also:

  • have a lot of worries about the consequences of their symptoms
  • find worries about their health concerns take up a lot of their time or interfere with their daily life
  • find it hard to gain reassurance from others or medical professionals
  • feel a need to find treatment or information from several different healthcare professionals
  • examine themselves repeatedly
  • have more concerns about the possible implications of their symptoms than the symptoms themselves

SSD is not the same as illness anxiety disorder (IAD). IAD is a separate mental health condition. People with IAD have excessive worry about having or developing a serious undiagnosed medical condition.

IAD is the newer and preferred term for hypochondria.

Experts do not yet know for sure what causes SSD.

However, they believe it may arise when a person has the following factors:

  • a heightened awareness of various bodily sensations
  • being more inclined to see these sensations as a sign of medical conditions

A note about sex and gender

Sex and gender exist on spectrums. This article will use the terms “male,” “female,” or both to refer to sex assigned at birth. Click here to learn more.

Although experits do not know what causes SSD, people may be more likely to develop it if they:

  • have a family history of SSD
  • are female
  • are in primary care
  • are unemployed
  • have a history of childhood neglect or sexual abuse
  • have impaired occupational functioning, a medical term for differences in a person’s ability to carry out work and employment
  • have some personality disorders, including obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
  • have other conditions, such as:

People with SSD usually experience symptoms by the time they are 30 years old. However, they may sometimes experience symptoms earlier in life.

Researchers estimate 5% to 7% of people have SSD.

To diagnose SSD, healthcare professionals first rule out other conditions by performing exams to check a person’s physical health and mental health and reviewing or taking a person’s medical history.

Healthcare and mental health professionals then use the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition, text revision (DSM-5-TR) criteria to diagnose SSD.

These criteria include:

  • having one or more somatic symptoms, which cause a person significant distress or disruption in their daily life
  • having one or more thoughts, feelings, and or behaviors related to the person’s somatic symptoms that are:
    • persistent
    • excessive
    • come with high levels of anxiety
    • cause the person to devote a lot of time and energy to them
  • having symptoms that last for more than 6 months

Healthcare professionals aim to help people with SSD manage their physical symptoms to improve their daily functioning and quality of life.

They normally recommend regular healthcare interactions with a professional who will:

  • offer support and reassurance
  • monitor the person’s health and symptoms
  • help avoid unnecessary tests and treatments

They may also recommend treatments that include medication and psychotherapy.

Medications

Healthcare professionals may prescribe some medications if a person also has other mental health conditions. These may include antidepressant medications, such as:

  • selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)
  • serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs)

Psychotherapy

Psychotherapy, such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), can help reduce SSD symptoms and improve quality of life.

It can help people with SSD:

  • manage their pain or other symptoms
  • manage their stress
  • improve their daily functioning

Mental health resources

Visit our dedicated hub for more research-backed information and resources on mental health and well-being.

Somatic symptom disorder (SSD) is a mental health condition in which a person has significant thoughts, feelings, or behaviors about their physical symptoms. These thoughts, feelings, and behaviors can interfere significantly with a person’s daily activities and functioning by taking up a lot of their time.

Healthcare professionals consider the level of SSD thoughts, feelings, and behaviors to be excessive for the individual’s actual physical symptoms.

SSD may relate to one or more physical symptoms or pain.

Experts do not yet know the cause of SSD. Several factors may make a person more likely to develop it, such as having some mental or physical conditions.

Treatment options for SSD aim to help a person manage the condition. They include medication, psychotherapy, and regular contact with a healthcare professional.