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Individual differences in the temporal variability of medically unexplained symptom reporting
Author(s) -
Ferguson Eamonn,
Cassaday Helen J.,
Erskind James,
Delahaye Gemma
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
british journal of health psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.05
H-Index - 88
eISSN - 2044-8287
pISSN - 1359-107X
DOI - 10.1348/135910704773891069
Subject(s) - personality , veterans affairs , psychology , clinical psychology , gulf war , multivariate analysis , psychiatry , medicine , social psychology , history , economic history
Theory: Non‐specific or medically unexplained symptoms account for up to 35% of outpatient referrals. In contrast to the literature on affect, little is known about how people frame daily symptoms and how these patterns are influenced by individual differences. Method: Three fixed occasion diary studies over an 8‐day period (one on ill veterans of the Gulf War and two on healthy undergraduates) and a single cross‐sectional survey (on ill Gulf War veterans) were conducted. The severity and frequency of daily symptoms were assessed in all daily diary samples, together with the Big 5 personality domains in one of the undergraduate samples and in the survey of veterans. The data were analysed using auto‐correlations and hierarchical multivariate linear modelling. Results: In all the chronically ill and healthy samples, the data suggested potential cyclical patterns for symptom severity reporting. With regard to the frequency of symptom reporting, the veterans showed a pattern of constant symptom reporting. Finally, the relationship between the reported severity of symptoms was attenuated by intellect and surgency. Discussion: There is evidence that daily experiences of symptom severity are framed relative to each other and this relationship is influenced by personality. The practical implications of these findings are discussed.