Somatoform Disorders: A Medicolegal Guide

People with somatoform disorder (which used to be known as hysteria) present with a range of symptoms that typically last for years and can\'t be traced to a specific physical cause. Such symptoms may include frequent headaches; back pain; abdominal cramping and pelvic pain; pain in the joints, legs and arms; chest or abdominal pain, and gastrointestinal problems. This book is an in-depth, clinically orientated review of the somatoform disorders and related clinical presentations (such as chronic fatigue syndrome) and how they present in a medico-legal setting. It is aimed at both clinicians and lawyers who deal with injury claims where these disorders impact much more frequently than is generally recognised.

• Written at the medical-legal interface • Clinically oriented • Broad approach, including a historical overview

Preface; Acknowledgements; 1. Historical overview; 2. Classification and the somatoform disorders; 3. Clinical presentations; 4. Malingering; 5. Memory in a medicolegal context; 6. Assessment, treatment and prognosis; 7. Somatoform disorders in a medicolegal context; 8. Mechanisms; 9. Causation and the question of consciousness; Appendix: Civil prodcedure rules Part 35; Index.

‘Trimble’s literary references and clear, witty prose make this book easy and even entertaining to read … the points he makes on somatoform disorders in general are of value to all practitioners, and his perspective on medical reports and expert evidence are of especial value.’ Irish Medical Law and Ethics e-Bulletin

\'The book brilliantly brings historical perspectives and up-to-date evidence together. Trimble\'s work is remarkably intellectual.\' Journal of Clinical Psychiatry

\'This is a superb book by a well-known expert, clearly written with an enormous amount of information packed into this slim volume. Do not be misled by the title, this is not a step-by-step how-to book, but rather a systematic review grounded in historical, theoretical, phenomenological, and philosophical scholarship. A lifetime of experience and wisdom underlie this book …\' Journal of Psychosomatic Research