Somatic symptoms of helplessness and hopelessness

Bibliographic Data

ID21391981
AuthorsIvan Ejdemyr (Department of Psychology Umeå University Umeå Sweden), Fredrik Hedström (Department of Psychology Umeå University Umeå Sweden), M J Gruber (0000-0002-6315-9284, Department of Psychology Umeå University Umeå Sweden), Svante Nordin (0000-0003-1699-1681, Department of Psychology Umeå University Umeå Sweden, corresponding author)
Year2021
Volume62
Issue3
Pages393-400
Publication date2021-06-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueScandinavian Journal of Psychology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0036-5564 • E-ISSN: 1467-9450
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/sjop.12713
PMID33615490
OpenAlexW3130616336
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited58

Helplessness and hopelessness are transdiagnostic and aggravating factors of mental ill health, but their relation with somatization is not well documented. The main objectives were to identify somatic symptoms that are particularly associated with helplessness, referred to as somatic symptoms of helplessness (SS‐He), and hopelessness, referred to as somatic symptoms of hopelessness (SS‐Ho), determine increased risk of helplessness and hopelessness if having these symptoms and a certain number of these symptoms, and determine sensitivity and specificity in identifying helplessness and hopelessness based on number of these symptoms in a general Swedish sample. Population‐based data from validated questionnaire instruments were used from 3,210 participants who constituted case groups of helplessness and hopelessness, and corresponding reference groups. Among 15 common somatic symptoms, five SS‐He (e.g., feeling tired/having low energy) and five SS‐Ho (e.g., dizziness) were identified, showing increased risk of helplessness and hopelessness that ranged from the factor 1.73 to 2.58 and from 1.44 to 1.92, respectively, which decreased considerably when controlled for depression and anxiety. The risk of helplessness increased by the factor 1.49 for each additional SS‐He, and by 1.38 for each SS‐Ho. A cutoff of two/three or more SS‐He showed a sensitivity of 81.7/63.7% and a specificity of 40.6/61.4% in identifying helplessness, and 77.4/54.6% and 40.4/66.1%, respectively, in identifying hopelessness based on two/three or more SS‐Ho. Primary care clinicians may consider further investigation of helplessness and hopelessness as well as depression and anxiety if presenting with these symptoms

Anxiety · Depression (economics) · Feeling · Learned helplessness · Psychiatry · Somatization · Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes · Clinical Psychology · Psychology · Psychosomatic Disorders and Their Treatments · Social Psychology · Traumatic Brain Injury Research