Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2022L00905:reg:7
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2022L00905
Segment Type: reg
Provision Reference: reg 7
Character Range: 1665–3279

7               Kind of injury, disease or death to which this Statement of Principles relates
(1)          This Statement of Principles is about somatic symptom disorder and death from somatic symptom disorder.
Meaning of somatic symptom disorder
(2)          For the purposes of this Statement of Principles, somatic symptom disorder means a disorder of mental health characterised by one or more somatic symptoms which has been diagnosed by a psychiatrist and which meets the following criteria (derived from DSM-5-TR):
             1. The symptom or symptoms are distressing or result in significant disruption of daily life; and
              2. Excessive thoughts, feelings, or behaviours related to the somatic symptoms or associated health concerns as manifested by at least 1 of the following:
(i)            Disproportionate and persistent thoughts about the seriousness of one's symptoms;
(ii)         Persistently high level of anxiety about health or symptoms; or
(iii)       Excessive time and energy devoted to these symptoms or health concerns; and
             C.            Although any one somatic symptom may not be continuously present, the state of being symptomatic has persisted for at least 6 months.
Note: DSM-5-TR is defined in the Schedule 1 – Dictionary.
Death from somatic symptom disorder
(3)          For the purposes of this Statement of Principles, somatic symptom disorder, in relation to a person, includes death from a terminal event or condition that was contributed to by the person's somatic symptom disorder.
Note: terminal event is defined in the Schedule 1 – Dictionary.