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An important contributing factor in dry eye disease: somatization

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Abstract

Purpose

Somatization is an important mental process that may causes medically unexplained and treatment-resistant somatic symptoms. The aim of the study is assess the presence of somatization in patients with dry eye disease (DED).

Methods

Eighty-eight patients with no objective DED finding and ongoing DED treatment were included in this prospective and observational study. Patients with subjective symptoms formed the symptom group and patients without subjective symptoms formed the control group. All patients were scored with the Turkish version of the Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI), Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D), Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A), Symptom Checklist-90-R (SCL-90R) somatization subscale, Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS), Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS), and Symptom Interpretation Questionnaire (SIQ).

Results

Mean OSDI score was significantly higher in the symptom group than in the control group. The mean HAM-D and HAM-A outcomes did not differ between the groups. The mean SCL-90R somatization subscale, TAS, and PCS scores were significantly higher in the symptom group than in the control group. In the SIQ, somatic attributional style score was significantly higher in the symptom group than in the control group. The SCL-90R somatization subscale, PCS, and somatic attributional style scores had positive and mild-moderate correlation with OSDI scores in the symptom group. The TAS score had positive and moderate correlation with OSDI scores in all sample analyses.

Conclusion

Somatization should be considered in patients with DED with chronic ocular surface symptoms. Presence of subjective symptoms resistant to treatment may be an indicator of somatization.

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Funding

No funding was received to assist with the preparation of this manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Ophthalmology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Alanya Alaaddin Keykubat University, st. no: 80, Kestel, 07425, Antalya, Turkey

    Fuat Yavrum

  2. Psychiatry Department, Kalamış Psychiatry Clinic, Istanbul, Turkey

    Melike Ezerbolat Ozates

  3. Ophthalmology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Okan University, Istanbul, Turkey

    Serdar Ozates

Authors
  1. Fuat Yavrum
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  2. Melike Ezerbolat Ozates
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  3. Serdar Ozates
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Contributions

All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Material preparation, data collection and analysis were performed by Fuat Yavrum, Melike Ezerbolat Özateş and Serdar Özateş. The first draft of the manuscript was written by Fuat Yavrum and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Fuat Yavrum.

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Conflict of interest

The authors have no relevant financial or non-financial interests to disclose.

Ethical approval

This prospective and observational study was conducted at the Okan University Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey and Erenkoy Mental Health and Neurological Diseases Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey in accordance with the ethical standards of the Declaration of Helsinki. The study protocol was approved by the institutional board of the Erenkoy Mental Health and Neurological Diseases Training and Research Hospital ethics committee.

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Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Yavrum, F., Ezerbolat Ozates, M. & Ozates, S. An important contributing factor in dry eye disease: somatization. Int Ophthalmol 44, 190 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10792-024-03133-6

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