Are patients with somatization disorder highly suggestible?

OBJECTIVE

High suggestibility is widely regarded as an important feature of patients with medically unexplained symptoms (MUS), particularly those with multiple MUS [i.e. somatization disorder (SD)], although there are few empirical data attesting to this assumption. A study was therefore conducted to compare levels of non-hypnotic suggestibility in patients with SD and medical controls.

METHOD: A modified version of the Barber Suggestibility Scale was administered to 19 patients with SD and 17 controls with an established organic dystonia.

RESULTS

Patients with SD were no more suggestible than control patients. Dystonia controls were more likely to deliberately comply with suggestions than the SD patients.

CONCLUSION

Contrary to popular belief, high suggestibility is not necessarily a feature of SD.