Overview of somatization through three historical lenses and future directions

The term ‘Somatization’ refers to the mind-body interactions that manifest as physical symptoms without an identifiable medical cause. Here, we aim to trace the conceptual developments in this area through three historical lenses with a view to understanding the evolution of the concept and its impacts on current healthcare provision. We note that despite considerable changes regarding the concept of somatization and related disorders, there is still a gap in understanding and, therefore, conceptualising of these disorders as they present across healthcare settings. We examine the key developments in this area and suggest future directions based on contemporary understanding and the gaps thereof. Based on the above evidence, we suggest an alternative framework, both from research and clinical perspectives, proposing a new direction, extending the understanding of these disorders to emergency care settings.