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Biomedical subjects

E L Righter

Publications and source records attributed to E L Righter.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

Managing somatic preoccupation.

Somatically preoccupied patients are a heterogeneous group of persons who have no genuine physical disorder but manifest psychologic conflicts in a somatic fashion; who have a notable psychologic overlay that accompanies or complicates a genuine physical disorder; or who have psychophysiologic symptoms in which psychologic factors play a major role in physiologic symptoms. In the primary care setting, somatic preoccupation is far more prevalent among patients than are the psychiatric disorders collectively referred to as somatoform disorders (e.g., somatization disorder, hypochondriasis). Diagnostic clues include normal results from physical examination and diagnostic tests, multiple unexplained symptoms, high health care utilization patterns and specific factors in the family and the social history. Treatment may include a physician behavior management strategy, antidepressants, psychiatric consultation and cognitive-behavior therapy.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy↗

Panic disorder: the ultimate anxiety.

Panic disorder, an intense exacerbation of anxiety accompanied by a variety of physical symptoms, is twice as common among women as among men. Onset is bimodal (teens/20 s and mid-30 s/40 s), 50% of cases are accompanied by agoraphobia, and the etiology is probably multifactorial. Treatment in the primary care setting includes pharmacologic (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) and cognitive-behavioral intervention. Medication is initiated at low doses, and the drug-evaluation trial is of 6 weeks duration. Psychiatric referral is helpful in nonresponders and in those with comorbid psychiatric conditions. Outcome varies, with most patients experiencing relief with treatment. For some people, however, the disorder is chronic, with ongoing exacerbations and remissions.

Antidepressive Agents↗