Somatic Symptom Disorder in Caregivers

Key things to know What the evidence shows
How common is it? NE
Is it more common among caregivers? Caregiver stress can increase somatic symptoms but doesn't establish SSD
Are caregivers at higher risk? Some association via distress/somatic burden, not SSD-specific
How much higher is the risk? NE
How often can it be missed? High
Does it show up differently among caregivers? Contextually
How might it look different? Physical exhaustion/pain from caregiving may be genuine; repeated health worry/checking may coexist
What commonly occurs alongside it? Depression; anxiety
What can it be confused with? Burnout; medical illness; depression
Common screening tool SSD-12 — Somatic Symptom Disorder–B Criteria Scale
Separate screening tool for caregivers None
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