ABSTRACT
Background Somatoform disorder (SD), known as the presence of physical symptoms suggesting a physical condition, for which there are no demonstrable organic findings or established physiological mechanisms with positive evidence that the symptoms are related to psychological causes. The aim of this study was to highlight the epidemiological characteristics, demographic features, comorbidities, and clinical presentations of patients with SD. Materials and methods This was a retrospective study of SD patients at King Abdulaziz Medical City in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. We reviewed the patients' electronic health records from January 2015 to December 2020 for collecting the patients' demographic information, including gender, age, marital status, and occupation. The types of SD, presenting symptoms of each disorder, department to which patients initially presented, comorbidities, and management were also documented. The diagnosis of SD was based on the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10). Results In total, 89 patients were included in the study. The majority (n=50, 56.2%) were female, with a mean age of 42.7±17.1 years. More than half of the sample was married (n=54, 60.7%). The most common subtype of SD was somatization disorder followed by conversion disorder, pain disorder, and hypochondriasis, diagnosed in 69 (77.5%), 12 (13.5%), 5 (5.6%), and three (3.4%) patients, respectively. Neurological symptoms and pain were the most frequent presenting symptoms for all the somatoform patients. More than half of the sample (n=48, 53.9%) initially presented at an outpatient clinic. Conclusions The number of SD patients was less than expected, and a third did not receive any treatment. This emphasizes the need for more SD awareness among clinicians in various medical specialties. Appropriate SD and other mental disorders education for physicians may support achieving a better identification of SD and subsequently an improved quality of life for the patients.
ABSTRACT
Background Diphenhydramine is a first-generation H1 receptor antihistamine that is usually used for the treatment of allergy, insect bites such as mosquitos, bee stings, and some types of skin rashes. However, it possesses antiparkinsonian, antitussive, antiemetic, and most importantly hypnotic properties. This study aimed to assess the prevalence, frequency of use, and dosage of over-the-counter (OTC) sleep aid containing diphenhydramine hydrochloride used among Saudis. Material and Methods The study used a descriptive cross-sectional design conducted among the Saudi population. An online self-administered questionnaire was distributed among the selected Saudi nationality using social media platforms. The subjects included were Saudis aged 15 years or older, literate in using social media. The questionnaire included basic demographic characteristics, previous and current history of medication use that contains diphenhydramine hydrochloride, its side effects, and other related behavior of using, such as frequency of use and dosage. Results A total of 414 respondents were recruited (51% males and 49% females). Previous and current use of medications that contain diphenhydramine hydrochloride constituted 87.2% and 31.9%, respectively. The most common reason for using sleep aid was insomnia (52.1%). Dizziness or imbalance was the most commonly reported side effect. The Chi-square test revealed that the age group of ≤25 years (p = 0.044), female gender (p = 0.040), being a student (p = 0.015), current use of sleeping aid medications (p < 0.001), and the use of other medications (p < 0.001) were significantly associated with increased use of sleep aid medications. Conclusion The excessive use of over-the-counter (OTC) sleep aid medications containing diphenhydramine hydrochloride was widely prevalent among the Saudi population. Younger female students constitute the majority of OTC sleep aid medication users.
