Trial reportPloS one2012
Effective group training for patients with unexplained physical symptoms: a randomized controlled trial with a non-randomized one-year follow-up.
Trial report in PloS one, 2012. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Cited by 14 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
14 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 32 citations in OpenAlex.
- A systematic review of economic analyses of psychological interventions and therapies in health-related settings.BMC health services research · 2022Pooled it
- Behavioural modification interventions for medically unexplained symptoms in primary care: systematic reviews and economic evaluation.Health technology assessment (Winchester, England) · 2020Pooled it
- Non-pharmacological interventions for somatoform disorders and medically unexplained physical symptoms (MUPS) in adults.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2014Pooled it
- Trial
- 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
- Predicting the outcome of a cognitive-behavioral group training for patients with unexplained physical symptoms: a one-year follow-up study.BMC public health · 2012Trial
- Feasibility of Videoconference-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Somatic Symptom Disorder: Single-Arm Pilot Trial.JMIR formative research · 2026Article
- Efficacy of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Acceptance- and Mindfulness-Based Treatments in Adults with Bodily Distress: A Network Meta-Analysis.Psychotherapy and psychosomatics · 2025Article
- Briquet syndrome revisited: implications for functional neurological disorder.Brain communications · 2020Review
- Article
- Medically Unexplained Symptoms and Attachment Theory: The BodyMind Approach®.Frontiers in psychology · 2019Article
- Electroconvulsive therapy treatment in patients with somatic symptom and related disorders.Neuropsychiatric disease and treatment · 2015Article
- Patients with unexplained physical symptoms have poorer quality of life and higher costs than other patient groups: a cross-sectional study on burden.BMC health services research · 2013Article
- Days out-of-role due to common physical and mental health problems: results from the São Paulo Megacity Mental Health Survey, Brazil.Clinics (Sao Paulo, Brazil) · 2013Article
Corrections and comments
- Erratum issued
Authors and funding
6 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundAlthough cognitive-behavioral therapy for Unexplained Physical Symptoms (UPS) is effective in secondary care, studies done in primary care produced implementation problems and conflicting results. We evaluated the effectiveness of a cognitive-behavioral group training tailored to primary care patients and provided by a secondary community mental-health service reaching out into primary care. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL
findingsThe effectiveness of this training was explored in a randomized controlled trial. In this trial, 162 patients with UPS classified as undifferentiated somatoform disorder or as chronic pain disorder were randomized either to the training or a waiting list. Both lasted 13 weeks. The preservation of the training's effect was analyzed in non-randomized follow-ups, for which the waiting group started the training after the waiting period. All patients attended the training were followed-up after three months and again after one year. The primary outcomes were the physical and the mental summary scales of the SF-36. Secondary outcomes were the other SF-36-scales and the SCL-90-R. The courses of the training's effects in the randomized controlled trial and the follow-ups were analyzed with linear mixed modeling. In the randomized controlled trial, the training had a significantly positive effect on the quality of life in the physical domain (Cohen's d = 0.38;p = .002), but this overall effect was not found in the mental domain. Regarding the secondary outcomes, the training resulted in reporting an improved physical (Cohen's d = 0.43;p = 0.01), emotional (Cohen's d = 0.44;p = 0.01), and social (Cohen's d = 0.36;p = 0.01) functioning, less pain and better functioning despite pain (Cohen's d = 0.51;p = <0.001), less physical symptoms (Cohen's d = -.23;p = 0.05) and less sleep difficulties (Cohen's d = -0.25;p = 0.04) than time in the waiting group. During the non-randomized follow-ups, there were no relapses. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The cognitive-behavioral group training tailored for UPS in primary care and provided by an outreaching secondary mental-health service appears to be effective and to broaden the accessibility of treatment for UPS.
trial registrationTrialRegister.nl NTR1609 <rctview.asp?TC = 1609>
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.