ArticlePilot and feasibility studies2022
A unified Internet-delivered exposure treatment for undifferentiated somatic symptom disorder: single-group prospective feasibility trial.
Article in Pilot and feasibility studies, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT04511286 (Single-Arm Feasibility Study of Exposure-Based Treatment for Undifferentiated Somatic Symptom Disorder), which is not on this map. Cited by 6 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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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.
Single-Arm Feasibility Study of Exposure-Based Treatment for Undifferentiated Somatic Symptom Disorder
Who cites it
6 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 5 citations in OpenAlex.
- Measurement Properties of the Patient Health Questionnaire-15 and Somatic Symptom Scale-8: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.JAMA network open · 2024Pooled it
- Effect of internet-delivered exposure therapy versus healthy lifestyle promotion for patients with persistent physical symptoms (SOMEX1): a randomized controlled trial with planned moderator analysis.Psychological medicine · 2025Trial
- Measurement properties of the Patient Health Questionnaire 15 (PHQ-15) and Somatic Symptom Disorder B-criteria scale (SSD-12), including revised 1-week versions.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- Proof-of-concept for a randomized factorial design strategy to build a complex online support program for cancer survivors with psychiatric symptoms: the IN-FACT-0 feasibility trial.Journal of cancer survivorship : research and practice · 2025Article
- Getting comfortable with physical discomfort: A scoping review of interoceptive exposure in physical and mental health conditions.Psychological bulletin · 2025Article
- Content or context? A study protocol for a three-arm parallel randomised controlled trial of RBMJ open · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundExposure-based psychological treatment appears to have beneficial effects for several patient groups that commonly report distress related to persistent somatic symptoms. Yet exposure-based treatment is rarely offered in routine care. This may be because existing treatment protocols have been developed for specific symptom clusters or specific unwanted responses to somatic symptoms, and many clinics do not have the resources to offer all these specialised treatments in parallel. In preparation for a randomised controlled trial, we investigated the feasibility of a new and unified Internet-delivered exposure treatment (OSF.io: cnbwj) for somatic symptom disorder regardless of somatic symptom domain (e.g. cardiopulmonary, fatigue, gastrointestinal, pain), combination of unwanted emotions (e.g. anger, anxiety, fear, shame) and whether somatic symptoms are medically explained or not. We hypothesised that a wide spectrum of subgroups would show interest, that the treatment would be rated as credible, that adherence would be adequate, that the measurement strategy would be acceptable and that there would be no serious adverse events.
methodsSingle-group prospective cohort study where 33 self-referred adults with undifferentiated DSM-5 somatic symptom disorder took part in 8 weeks of unified Internet-delivered exposure treatment delivered via a web platform hosted by a medical university. Self-report questionnaires were administered online before treatment, each week during treatment, post treatment and 3 months after treatment.
resultsParticipants reported a broad spectrum of symptoms. The Credibility/Expectancy mean score was 34.5 (SD = 7.0, range: 18-47). Participants completed 91% (150/165) of all modules and 97% of the participants (32/33) completed at least two exposure exercises. The average participant rated the adequacy of the rationale as 8.4 (SD = 1.5) on a scale from 0 to 10. The post-treatment assessment was completed by 97% (32/33), and 84% (27/32) rated the measurement strategy as acceptable. The Client Satisfaction Questionnaire mean score was 25.3 (SD = 4.7, range: 17-32) and no serious adverse events were reported. Reductions in subjective somatic symptom burden (the Patient Health Questionnaire 15; d = 0.90) and symptom preoccupation (the somatic symptom disorder 12; d = 1.17) were large and sustained.
conclusionsDelivering a unified Internet-delivered exposure-based treatment protocol for individuals with undifferentiated somatic symptom disorder appears to be feasible.
trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04511286 . Registered on August 13, 2020.
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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.