Assessing Somatoform Disorders with the African American Client

Abstract

This chapter represents an attempt to provide an overview of most thoroughly evaluated and widely used assessment instruments in the field of the somatoform disorders (SFDs) in the African American (AA) population. Somatic symptoms are an associated feature of anxiety disorders that have received little research attention among non-white samples. In addition, most previous studies have examined the effects of somatic symptoms in a cross-sectional instead of prospective manner. Furthermore, it is not possible to assume the relationship between somatic complaints and psychosocial functioning. Evidence suggests that the prevalence of anxiety in AA youth is high and that these youth may have a significant tendency to express this anxiety in the form of physical symptoms. Anxiety sensitivity was previously measured in a sample of urban AA elementary school children and results indicated that they endorsed higher levels of anxiety sensitivity than their white counterparts. In addition, AA adults have been found to express symptoms of anxiety and depression in the form of somatic symptoms. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)