Speaker
Description
The recent changes in the nosology of Somatic Symptom Disorder (SSD) have called for its examination as an independent disorder. However, there are contradictory findings on its symptom structure. This study aims to investigate the latent factor structure of SSD by comparing two models and to examine the relationship between the best-fitting model with depression and anxiety. Lastly, to examine whether the best-fitting SSD model exhibited invariance between genders. The sample (N = 843) consisted of Typhoon survivors, mostly females (70.9%), whose ages ranged from 18-73 years old (M= 31.2, SD=11.6). Patient Health Questionnaire- 9 (PHQ-9), Generalized Anxiety Symptom Severity Inventory (GASSI), and SSD-12 were distributed to organizations governing relocation sites. Results revealed that the 3-factor SSD model achieved a better fit than the one-factor model. Depression and anxiety significantly contributed to the factor loadings of SSD, however, there are disorder-specific symptoms. Results further showed that there is configural, metric and scalar invariance across gender. Findings lend evidence to the claim that SSD is an independent entity and should be included in the DSM-5 nomenclature as a separate disorder. The differentiation of core, disorder-specific symptoms from common symptoms of anxiety and depression has important assessment and treatment implications.
