Korean J Psychosom Med.  2021 Dec;29(2):102-110. 10.22722/KJPM.2021.29.2.102.

Characteristics of the Perception of the Somatic Symptoms and the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Strategies in Patients With Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

• Kwon JH
• Park JI
• Sakong JK
• Yang JC

• KMID: 2524470
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.22722/KJPM.2021.29.2.102

Abstract

Objectives
：The purpose of this study is to investigate the characteristics of the perception of the somatic symptoms and the cognitive emotion regulation strategies in patients with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Methods
：A total of 48 patients meeting DSM-5 criteria for PTSD and 48 normal controls were recruited for participation in this study. We evaluated subjects using Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS), Somato-Sensory Amplification Scale (SSAS), Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAM-A) and Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (CERQ). We analyzed data using an independent t-test and Pearson’s correlation analysis.
Results
：In terms of SSAS, PTSD patients presented higher average SSAS scores than normal controls but the result is not statistically significant. In PTSD patients, the severity of PTSD is significantly correlated with CERQrumination and CERQ-catastrophizing. The SSAS scores of PTSD patients show the significant positive correla-tion with PTSD hyperarousal symptoms, CERQ-catastrophizing and CERQ-blaming others.
Conclusions
：These results reveal that patients with PTSD have maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies such as rumination and catastrophizing. Somato-sensory amplification seems to be related with PTSD hyperarousal, CERQ-catastrophizing and CERQ-blaming others. Therefore, reducing somato-sensory amplifica-tion, rumination and catastrophizing can be helpful to reduce PTSD symptoms and somatic symptoms in PTSD patients.

Keyword

Posttraumatic stress disorder; Somatic symptoms; Cognitive emotion regulation strategies