To the Editor: Symptoms affecting voluntary motor or sensory systems that are organically unexplainable are commonly diagnosed as “conversion” symptoms, especially if the patient also has psychological stress. Patients who receive a diagnosis of conversion disorder may have an organic disease that explains their symptoms. A systematic review of misdiagnosis of conversion symptoms and “hysteria”...
OBJECTIVE: To study how mental illness is understood, expressed, and treated among Somali refugees and how these factors influence use of health services for mental problems. METHOD: Seventeen adult Somali refugees (9 women, 8 men) were recruited by mail or by word-of-mouth to participate in the study. The study setting was an urban community health center in Rochester, N.Y., that provides...