Relationship between somatic symptoms and Minnesota multiphasic personality characteristics in patients with somatoform disorders

Objective To understand the mental health status and personality characteristics of patients with somatoform disorders (SD) and explore the personality factors related to somatic symptoms in these patients. Methods A total of 89 patients with somatoform disorders (a SD group) and 93 healthy volunteers (a HC group) were evaluated using the Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90) and the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI). Inter-group comparisons were conducted, while correlation analysis and multiple linear regression were used to investigate the factors influencing somatic symptoms in SD patients. Results Compared with the control group, the SD group showed significantly higher total SCL-90 scores and factor scores (P<0.01). Except for Mf, the T-scores of all MMPI clinical scales in the SD group were significantly higher than those in the control group (P<0.01). Correlation analysis indicated that Hs, D, Hy, Pd, Pa, Pt, Sc, Ma, and Si in the MMPI clinical scales were positively correlated with the somatization factor scores of the SCL-90. Age was negatively correlated with the SCL-90 somatization factor scores. Multiple linear regression analysis indicated that after controlling for age, gender, marital status, education, and occupation, the somatization factor score was positively associated with Hs and negatively associated with age and D. Conclusions Patients with somatoform disorders have poor mental health and show tendencies toward unhealthy personality traits. Their somatic symptoms are related to hypochondriasis, depression, and age.