During the last 4 weeks,a the patient has suffered from at least four symptomsb from one or more of the following groups:c Cardiopulmonary/autonomic arousal Palpitations/heart pounding, precordial discomfort, breathlessness without exertion, hyperventilation, hot or cold sweats, dry mouth Gastrointestinal arousal Abdominal pains, frequent loose bowel movements, feeling bloated/full of gas/distended, regurgitations, diarrhoea, nausea, burning sensation in chest or epigastrium Musculoskeletal tension Pains in arms or legs, muscular aches or pains, pains in the joints, feelings of paresis or localised weakness, backache, pain moving from one place to another, unpleasant numbness or tingling sensations General symptoms Concentration difficulties, impairment of memory, excessive fatigue, headache, dizziness Relevant differential diagnoses have been ruled out, for example, chronic physical disease or other differential diagnosis at index consultation. The patient has been disabled by the symptoms, that is, fair or poor health according to the SF-12 global health item.

^aShort time frame to reduce the risk of recall bias.

^bResults are based on a bodily distress syndrome questionnaire validation study.

^cSymptom groups are based on empiric results from a large sample of patients from primary care and medical departments.