Analyzing the Factors of Formation of Somatic Symptom Disorder in People with Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Based on Grounded Theory

This study aimed to examining the effective factors in the formation of somatic symptoms disorder in people with complex post-traumatic stress disorder.

The approach studied in this research was qualitative and based on grounded theory. A number of 15 people with somatic symptom disorder and complex post trumatic Stress Disorder in the age of 18-60 years old in Tehran city, who were willing to interview and cooperate, were selected by the purposeful sampling method until reaching theoretical saturation. These people were investigated using a semi-structured and in-depth interview. Data analysis was done according to the method of Strauss and Corbin (2014) and using MAXQDA software.

Based on the findings of the research, open codes around 89 concepts, axial codes including 8 concepts and selective codes in 4 concepts including causal factors (destructive family interactions), contexual factors (child's emotional-cognitive characteristics), Intervening factors (passive parenting-idealistic parenting) and strategies (child's behavioral-cognitive strategies) were idendified.

Children's cognitive, emotional and behavioral strategies in response to childhood truma (destructive family interactions and destructive parenting) are effective in the formation and continuation of somatic symptoms disorder. Therefore, for the prevention of somatic symptom disorder in children, it is possible to improve the destructive family interactions, and in the treatment of adults with somatic symptom disorder, it can be used from effective strategies of regulating one's emotions, thoughts and change in one's interactions.