Which statement best describes the comorbidity pattern of somatic symptom disorder?

• A. Medical, depressive, and anxiety disorders
• B. Medical disorders only
• C. Depressive disorders only
• D. Anxiety disorders only

Answer: (A)

Somatic symptom disorder often occurs alongside a mix of other medical and psychiatric conditions. Patients typically have one or more persistent somatic symptoms that cause distress and significant impairment, and they frequently show excessive thoughts, feelings, or behaviors about those symptoms. This combination makes it common to see not only medical comorbidity but also depressive and anxiety disorders co-occurring.

So the statement that includes medical, depressive, and anxiety disorders best captures the typical comorbidity pattern, reflecting both the physical health concerns and the common mood and anxiety symptoms that accompany SSD. Limiting to just medical disorders misses the important psychiatric overlap, while restricting to depressive or anxiety disorders alone ignores the frequent medical comorbidity dimension.