Functional somatic syndromes and DSM-5: An evaluation from the standpoint of mind-body approach

Clinical phenomena, classically expressed as “Somatization” or “Psychosomatic” have become to be evaluated under the title of “Functional Somatic Syndromes” in the current literature. However, biomedical dualism which still remains valid in today's medical practice prevents these clinical phenomena from being approached in a complete mind-body integrity. In the diagnosis of these syndromes and symptoms, emphasis on “medically unexplained” of DSM-IV had a central role. Indeed, this kind of approach makes the understanding and addressing of Functional Somatic Syndromes in a multidisciplinary fashion difficult. On the other hand, the revisions on DSM-5 by APA in 2013 seem to have initiated an important reconceptualization of these clinical phenomena. These revisions seem promising for solving main problems in handling Functional Somatic Syndromes caused by a dualistic approach. Therefore, this review aimed to discuss the critical role of DSM-5 on Functional Somatic Syndromes and summarize current approaches about them by proposing a full “mind-body integration”.