Somatization Symptoms and Hypochondriacal Features in the General Population
Psychosomatic MedicinePublished 1 July 2001
Winfried Rief, Aike Hessel, Elmar Bräehler
Citations335
SJR quartileQ2
SJR score1.00
SNIP0.84
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Abstract
We present base rates of hypochondriacal and somatization features that may be important facets in the development of classification criteria and in the interpretation of health care expenditure.
Keywords
PsychologyMedicineArts and Humanities
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