Home > Encyclopedia of Mental Disorders > Somatization and somatoform disorders

Definition

Somatization is a term that describes the expression of psychological or mental difficulties through physical symptoms. Somatization takes a number of forms, ranging from preoccupation with potential or genuine but mild physical problems to the development of actual physical pain, discomfort, or dysfunction. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR), the professional handbook clinicians use to diagnose mental disorders, describes seven disorders under the category of somatoform disorders. These disorders are somatization disorder, undifferentiated somatoform disorder,