Network Analysis of Persistent Somatic Symptoms in Two Clinical Patient Samples

OBJECTIVE Previous attempts to group persistent somatic symptoms (PSS) with factor-analytic approaches have obtained heterogeneous results. An alternative approach that seems to be more suitable is the network theory. Compared to factor analysis, which focuses on the underlying factor of symptoms, network analysis focuses on the dynamic relationships and interactions among different symptoms. The main aim of this study is to apply the network approach to examine the heterogeneous structure of PSS within two clinical samples. METHODS The first dataset consisted of N = 254 outpatients who were part of a multicentre study. The second dataset included N = 574 inpatients, both with somatoform di…