REVIEW article
Front. Psychiatry
Sec. Psychological Therapy and Psychosomatics
This article is part of the Research TopicStress-induced Psychopathology: From Mechanisms to InterventionsView all 11 articles
Somatic symptom and related disorders in the Arab world: A narrative review of clinical features and care implications
Provisionally accepted
- 1Lebanese American University, Beirut, Lebanon
- 2University of Balamand, Balamand, Lebanon
- 3American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon
- 4Universite de Tunis El Manar, Tunis, Tunisia
- 5American Center for Psychiatry and Neurology, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
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Background: Somatic symptom and related disorders (SSRDs) are prevalent worldwide, but their expression, help-seeking patterns, and management are strongly shaped by cultural context. In the Arab world, where mental health stigma and distinct explanatory models are common, SSRDs remain under-studied despite their clinical and public health significance. Methods: We conducted a narrative review of 35 studies published through June 2025 on SSRDs in Arab populations. Searches of PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar identified observational studies, case reports, and cross-sectional surveys addressing Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, Text Revision (DSM-5-TR) SSRD categories. Results: Somatic symptoms disorder (SSD) was the most frequently investigated disorder, with prevalence ranging from 12% to 46%. Across studies, female gender, low educational attainment, chronic medical comorbidity, and trauma history were consistent risk factors. Common symptoms included muscle, back, and abdominal pain, often accompanied by depression and anxiety. Illness anxiety disorder, functional neurological symptom disorder, and factitious disorders were less studied but carried important diagnostic, cultural, and service delivery challenges. Conclusion: SSRDs are common but under-recognized in Arab contexts. Effective management requires early detection in primary care, culturally sensitive communication, and disorder-specific interventions. Future research should broaden the scope beyond SSD, examine longitudinal and trauma-related pathways, and evaluate culturally adapted models of care.
Keywords: Somatic symptom disorder, Illness anxiety, Functional neurological symptom disorder, factitious disorder, Arab countries
Received: 25 Aug 2025; Accepted: 14 Nov 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Eid, Abi Kheir, Bizri, Larnaout and El Hayek. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Samer El Hayek, samer.elhayek@gmail.com
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