Medically unexplained symptoms severity and adverse life events
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Impact of adverse life experiences on medically unexplained symptoms
IRAS ID
190031
Contact name
Mehboob Yaqub
Contact email
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
N/A, N/A
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 5 months, 30 days
Research summary
Many individuals experience adverse events earlier in their childhood as well as later in their life. These adverse events may range from abuse of different types, loss of a loved one, mishaps & accidents and relationship difficulties. Some individuals manage to cope with such events and function well in life, while others may struggle with the psychological impact and distress they get from such events and they may need professional help from mental health services.
This research study has been designed to see whether such adverse experiences in life can contribute these individuals experiencing certain physical health related symptoms called ‘Medically unexplained symptoms’. Medically unexplained symptoms are those with either no identifiable underlying causes or where the underlying causes of the physical health symptoms only partially explain the intensity of such symptoms.
For this purpose, clients seen in the Department of Liaison Psychiatry will be contacted first by phone and then through letters and requested if they would like to help in this research study. If they agree to participate in the study, they will only consent that the psychiatrist they saw in clinic, can review their case notes to record relevant information on their physical health symptoms and past adverse events if they had any.
No personal identifiable information will be part of the collected data except electronic case record number. Using this case record number, only authorised members of staff can access the case record. This access is strictly monitored.
The data will be recorded and divided in to two groups, one with medically unexplained symptoms and the other without them. Nature, type, number, duration and time of experience of adverse events will be compared between these two groups.
If such a relationship between medically unexplained symptoms and adverse events experiences in life is found, this study can provide some understanding in to the relationship of medically unexplained symptoms and adverse life events experiences. This can also provide clinicians with clues about how to approach the treatment of medically unexplained symptoms, and the need to address the adverse life events using psychological therapies early during the course of assessment and treatment, so that the negative impact on clients’ health later on in their lives can be minimised.
REC name
East Midlands - Nottingham 2 Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
15/EM/0575
Date of REC Opinion
17 Dec 2015
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion