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European Concepts

  • Conference paper
Book cover Somatoform Disorders

Part of the book series: Keio University Symposia for Life Science and Medicine ((KEIO,volume 3))

Summary

Historical European concepts of the nature and causes of physical symptoms without clear explanation have caused considerable confusion. This chapter argues that, in recent years, there has been increasing awareness of the need for a broader approach based on understanding all unexplained symptoms in a general population and all medical settings. Aetiology should be viewed as an interaction of physical, psychological, and social factors. Current definitions of somatoform disorders are unhelpful and need to be revised in a manner not based on mind/body separation. There have been major advances in showing the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of treatments.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Warneford Hospital, Oxford, OX3 7JX, UK

    Richard Mayou

Authors
  1. Richard Mayou
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University School of Medicine, 35 Shinanomachi, 160-8582, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan

    Yutaka Ono M.D. (Assistant Professor) & Masahiro Asai M.D. (Professor and Chairman) (Assistant Professor) &  (Professor and Chairman)

  2. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Science, Medical Research Foundation Building, Royal Perth Hospital, 50 Murray Street, WA, 6000, Perth, Australia

    Aleksandar Janca M.D. (Associate Professor) (Associate Professor)

  3. Department of Psychiatry, University of Geneva, 1201, Geneva, Switzerland

    Norman Sartorius M.D. (Professor) (Professor)

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© 1999 Springer-Verlag Tokyo

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Mayou, R. (1999). European Concepts. In: Ono, Y., Janca, A., Asai, M., Sartorius, N. (eds) Somatoform Disorders. Keio University Symposia for Life Science and Medicine, vol 3. Springer, Tokyo. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-4-431-68500-5_4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-4-431-68500-5_4

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Tokyo

  • Print ISBN: 978-4-431-68502-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-4-431-68500-5

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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