Somatic Symptom Disorder in People living with Chronic illness
| Key things to know | What the evidence shows |
|---|---|
| How common is it? | WMH shows modest association with common chronic physical conditions; no universal SSD prevalence |
| Is it more common among people living with chronic illness? | SSD explicitly can coexist with real medical disease |
| Are people living with chronic illness at higher risk? | Yes — chronic conditions modestly associated in WMH |
| How much higher is the risk? | WMH: significant but modest associations with arthritis, asthma, diabetes, hypertension, ulcer disease |
| How often can it be missed? | Extremely High |
| Does it show up differently among people living with chronic illness? | Very Strong Yes |
| How might it look different? | Actual disease and SSD are not mutually exclusive; excessive health-related thoughts, fear, checking, avoidance or repeated care-seeking are central |
| What commonly occurs alongside it? | Depression; GAD; panic; health anxiety |
| What can it be confused with? | Appropriate concern about real illness; illness anxiety disorder; adjustment disorder |
| Common screening tool | SSD-12 — Somatic Symptom Disorder–B Criteria Scale |
| Separate screening tool for people living with chronic illness | None universal |
Most often taken Self-Assessments
-
Self-Assessment: Anxiety
Take this quick self-assessment based on the GAD-7 to understand your current anxiety levels and how they may be impacting your life.
-
Self-Assessment: Porn Addiction
Reflect on your relationship with porn and whether it's affecting your mental, emotional, or relational well-being.
-
Self-Assessment: Overthinking
Reflect on persistent patterns of overanalyzing, second-guessing, or mental looping that may be affecting your clarity and peace of mind.
-
Self-Assessment: Depression
The clinically proven PHQ-7 self-assessment to help you gauge if you might be experiencing signs of depression.
-
Self-Assessment: Narcissistic Abuse
Check if you might be experiencing or recovering from narcissistic abuse in a relationship.
-
Self-Assessment: Impact of ADHD
This self-assessment helps identify how adult ADHD may be affecting your daily life and functioning.
-
Self-Assessment: Emotional Regulation
Discover how well you manage your emotions and cope with challenging situations.
-
Self-Assessment: Couple Relationships
A quick check-in to see how healthy and connected your romantic relationship feels right now.
-
Self-Assessment: PTSD
Use the PCL-5 scale to identify signs of lingering emotional and physiological distress from traumatic experiences.
-
Self-Assessment - Borderline Personality Disorder
Understand if you might be showing signs of Borderline Personality Disorder using the Mclean Screening Instrument.
-
Self-Assessment: Sleep
Assess if your sleep issues stem from deeper emotional patterns, rather than just irregular habits or lifestyle factors. Based on the Insomnia Severity Index.
-
Self-Assessment: Dating Fatigue
Explore whether the emotional exhaustion, frustration, or numbness you're feeling around dating is a sign of burnout.
-
Self-Assessment: Social Anxiety
Take this test based on the LSAS scale to find out if social situations are triggering anxiety or holding you back.
-
Self-Assessment: Retroactive Jealousy
Explore if thoughts about your partner’s past are affecting your current relationship.
