Hysteria, depression and the nosological problem of chronic pain.

In this article the nosological relevance of hysteria and depression for somatically unexplained chronic pain is critically discussed. Despite many clinical controversies and methodological problems, it is concluded from the available literature that both concepts merit a place in the psychiatric nosology of chronic pain. Nevertheless, more research is needed to further clarify the complex relationships between hysteria, depression and pain, and to more exactly determine the relative importance of hysterical and depressive features in chronic pain patients.