Somatic symptoms in the Eastern and Western states of Germany 30 years after unification: Population-based survey analyses

• Published in: Journal of psychosomatic research 2021-08, Vol.147, p.110535-110535, Article 110535
• Main Authors: Beutel, Manfred E., Krakau, Lina, Schmutzer, Gabriele, Brähler, Elmar
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Complaints; Cross-Sectional Studies; Demography; East and West Germany; Female; Germany - epidemiology; Health change; Health indicators; Health status; Humans; Male; Medically Unexplained Symptoms; Mental health; Middle Aged; Physical health; Physical symptoms; Polls & surveys; Population health; Reunification; Socioeconomic Factors; Somatic symptoms; Surveys and Questionnaires; Symptoms; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0022-3999; 1879-1360
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychores.2021.110535

Background Following German reunification, physical health indicators in the formerly separated states (German Democratic Republic- East/ Federal Republic of Germany-West) have converged. However, it remains unclear how these societal changes have impacted somatic complaints, a major indicator of physical and mental health. Therefore, we investigated how somatic symptom reporting in men and women evolved regarding residency. Methods We administered cross-sectional surveys representative of the German population with comparable sample size in 1994 (N = 3047), 2001 (N = 2050), 2013 (N = 2508) and 2019 (N = 2531) following random route procedure. Men and women aged 14–99 reported demographics and filled the Gießen Complaint List, a standardized questionnaire, to assess major physical symptoms. Results Residency in the Eastern states was a determinant of higher symptom load in 2001 (β = 0.11, SE = 0.02, [95% CI = 0.07 to 0.15], p