A Study of Conversion Symptoms in Psychiatric Outpatients
SAMUEL B. GUZE M.D.1,
ROBERT A. WOODRUFF M.D.2, , and
PAULA J. CLAYTON M.D.3
1 Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, 4940 Audubon Ave., St. Louis, Mo. 63110 and Associate Psychiatrist, Barnes and Renard Hospitals, St. Louis, Mo.
2 Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, 4940 Audubon Ave., St. Louis, Mo. 63110 and Assistant Psychiatrists, Barnes and Renard Hospitals, St. Louis, Mo.
3 Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, 4940 Audubon Ave., St. Louis, Mo. 63110 and Assistant Psychiatrists, Barnes and Renard Hospitals, St. Louis, Mo.
A study of 500 psychiatric clinic patients indicated that no psychiatric disorder was free of conversion symptoms. Significant differences in prevalence between patients with and those without conversion symptoms were found for hysteria, antisocial personality, secondary affective disorder, and primary affective disorder. Race, sex, and age were not significantly associated with conversion symptoms but level of education was. This resulted partly from the lower educational achievement of those with hysteria and antisocial personality but was significant even when these disorders were excluded.
