Abnormal illness behaviour in young women in a primary care setting: is Briquet's syndrome a useful category?

In a study of abnormal behaviour in women aged 16-25 in one large group practice a screening instrument and an interview were used to identify Briquet's Syndrome. The prevalence, 2.04 per 1000, was lower than that found in previous studies. The fact that many other patients showed both the high consultation rates and the other correlates of Briquet's Syndrome brings the usefulness of a discrete syndrome into doubt.