RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Detecting Somatoform Disorders in Primary Care With the PHQ-15 JF The Annals of Family Medicine JO Ann Fam Med FD American Academy of Family Physicians SP 232 OP 238 DO 10.1370/afm.985 VO 7 IS 3 A1 Hiske van Ravesteijn A1 Karin Wittkampf A1 Peter Lucassen A1 Eloy van de Lisdonk A1 Henk van den Hoogen A1 Henk van Weert A1 Jochanan Huijser A1 Aart Schene A1 Chris van Weel A1 Anne Speckens YR 2009 UL http://www.annfammed.org/content/7/3/232.abstract AB PURPOSE Because recognition and management of patients with somatoform disorders are difficult, we wanted to determine the specificity, sensitivity, and the test-retest reliability of the 15-symptom Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-15) for detection of somatoform disorders in a high-risk primary care population. METHODS We studied the performance of the PHQ-15 in comparison with the Structured Clinical Interview for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual-IV Axis I disorders (SCID-I) as a reference standard. From January through September 2006, we approached patients for participation. This study was conducted in primary care settings in the Netherlands. Patients aged between 18 and 70 years were eligible if they belonged to 1 or more of the following groups: (1) patients with unexplained somatic complaints, (2) frequent attenders, and (3) patients with mental health problems. For the SCID-I interview we invited all patients with a PHQ-15 score of 6 or greater and a random sample of 30% of patients with a PHQ-15 score of less than 6. The primary study outcomes were the sensitivity and specificity for the validity and the κ coefficient for the test-retest reliability. RESULTS Of 2,147 eligible patients, 906 (42%) participated (mean age 48 years, 62% female). At a cutoff level of 3 or more severe somatic symptoms during the past 4 weeks, sensitivity was 78% and specificity 71%. The test-retest reliability was 0.60. CONCLUSIONS The PHQ-15 is a valid and moderately reliable questionnaire for the detection of patients in a primary care setting at risk for somatoform disorders.