The fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) focuses on psychological variables, such as a catastrophizing cognitive style, persistent health anxiety, and dysfunctional illness behavior. A multicenter study from China revealed that SSD was diagnosed in 33.8 % of patients from the neurology, gastroenterology, traditional Chinese Medicine and psychosomatic medicine (Cao et al., 2020). But the clinical treatment of SSD in China follows the protocols for somatoform disorder (SFD), and that is primarily antidepressant medication. Group psychotherapy was considered a feasible and acceptable treatment for patients with SSD (Rohricht et al., 2019).

The primary aim in our study was to determine whether integrative group therapy (IGPT), based on CBT, combined with techniques of psychodynamic therapy and mindful body and emotional awareness for SSD is superior to non-specific supportive group psychotherapy (SGPT) and treatment as usual (TAU) in improving SSD severity, as measured using the SSD-B criteria questionnaire. The secondary goal was to examine whether IGPT is superior to SGPT and TAU in reducing somatic symptom severity, depression, and anxiety and improving quality of life and social functional impairment.