ArticleBMC public health2009
Severe MUPS in a sick-listed population: a cross-sectional study on prevalence, recognition, psychiatric co-morbidity and impairment.
Article in BMC public health, 2009. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 18 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
18 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 40 citations in OpenAlex.
- Phenomena associated with sick leave among primary care patients with Medically Unexplained Physical Symptoms: a systematic review.Scandinavian journal of primary health care · 2012Pooled it
- Validity and responsiveness of the EQ-5D in assessing and valuing health status in patients with somatoform disorders.Health and quality of life outcomes · 2013Trial
- Symptom burden in middle-aged women, the role of immigrant status.BMC public health · 2025Article
- Non-Cardiac Chest Pain as a Persistent Physical Symptom: Psychological Distress and Workability.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2023Article
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- Comprehensive Treatment Module for Medically Unexplained Physical Symptoms - A Guide for General Practitioners.Cureus · 2021Article
- Assessing measurement equivalence of the Danish and Dutch Four-Dimensional Symptom Questionnaire using differential item and test functioning analysis.Scandinavian journal of public health · 2021Article
- The Relationship Between Symptoms of Anxiety and Somatic Symptoms in Health Professionals During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic.Neuropsychiatric disease and treatment · 2020Article
- Workplace Stress, Presenteeism, Absenteeism, and Resilience Amongst University Staff and Students in the COVID-19 Lockdown.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2020Article
- Identification of patients with moderate medically unexplained physical symptoms in primary care with a five years follow-up.BMC family practice · 2019Article
- Medically unexplained physical symptoms and work functioning over 2 years: their association and the influence of depressive and anxiety disorders and job characteristics.BMC family practice · 2016Article
- Medically unexplained symptoms and the risk of loss of labor market participation--a prospective study in the Danish population.BMC public health · 2015Article
- Somatoform disorders and medically unexplained symptoms in primary care.Deutsches Arzteblatt international · 2015Review
- Validation of the 4DSQ somatization subscale in the occupational health care setting as a screener.Journal of occupational rehabilitation · 2015Article
- Article
- Validation of the PHQ-15 for somatoform disorder in the occupational health care setting.Journal of occupational rehabilitation · 2012Article
- Sick-listed employees with severe medically unexplained physical symptoms: burden or routine for the occupational health physician? A cross sectional study.BMC health services research · 2010Article
- The contribution of high levels of somatic symptom severity to sickness absence duration, disability and discharge.Journal of occupational rehabilitation · 2010Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundMedically unexplained physical symptoms (MUPS) have a high prevalence in the general population and are associated with psychiatric morbidity. There are indications that MUPS are an important determinant of frequent and long-term disability. The primary objective was to assess the prevalence of MUPS in sick-listed-employees and its associations with depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, health anxiety, distress and functional impairment. Secondary objectives were to investigate the classification of the occupational health physicians (OHPs), their opinions about the causes as well as the attributions of the employee.
methodsIn a cross-sectional study of 489 sick-listed employees from 5 OHP group practices, MUPS, depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, health anxiety, distress and functional impairment were assessed with the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ), the Whitely Index (WI), the Four-Dimensional Symptom Questionnaire (4DSQ) and the Short-Form 36 Health Survey (SF-36). We used a cut off score of 15 on the PHQ for the categorisation of severe MUPS. The opinions of the OHPs were evaluated by means of a separate questionnaire with regard to the presence of employees physical symptoms, and the symptoms attributions, and the diagnoses of the OHPs.
resultsSevere MUPS had a prevalence of 15.1% in this population of sick-listed employees. These employees had 4-6 times more depressive and anxiety disorders, and were more impaired. Female gender and PHQ-9 scores were determinants of severe MUPS. Most of the time the OHPs diagnosed employees with severe MUPS as having a mental disorder. The employees attributed their physical symptoms in 66% to mental or to both mental and physical causes.
conclusionThe prevalence of severe MUPS is higher in long-term sick-listed employees than in the non-sick- listed working population and at least equals the prevalence in the general practice population. Severe MUPS are associated with psychiatric morbidity and functional impairment and must therefore be specifically recognised as such. Validated questionnaires, such as the PHQ-15, are useful instruments in order to help OHPs to recognise severe MUPS.
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