Negative Affect and Medically Unexplained Symptoms

Abstract

The idea that medically unexplained symptoms (MUS), i.e. physical symptoms that cannot be attributed to or adequately explained by an identifiable organic cause, are linked to our emotional lives is definitely not new. This chapter discusses the role of affective processes in biased symptom perception as observed in MUS. It first summarizes evidence that supports the link between negative affect and MUS, and then it describes the mechanisms proposed to explain this relationship and the evidence that supports them. Finally the chapter discusses questions still to be explored, as well as the importance of studying emotions in the context of MUS. Finally, an important conclusion from this line of research is that individuals with MUS do not always show biased symptom overreporting. Thus, trait characteristics interact with situational factors to produce MUS. Investigating further the situational factors that can influence the presence of biased symptom reporting may help in eliminating the dualistic thinking of symptoms as "psychological" or "imaginary", "organic" or "real", and the stigma against a group of patients that experience what can be rather debilitating symptomatology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved)