Abstract:Objective:To study the effects of citalopram in the persistent somatoform pain disorder. Methods: 64 outpatients were randomly divided into the treatment (citalopram) group(n=31)and control(amitryptiline) group(n=33). Patients of the treatment and control groups were given citalopram and amityptiline respectively. Results: The effective rates of the treatment and control groups were 83.87% and 80.65% respectively, and the difference was not significant (P>0.05). However, the incidence of adverse reactions including xerostomia, constipation, blurred vision, tachycardia and somnolence was significantly lower in the treatment group than that in the control group (P<0.01). Conclusion: Citalopram was effective and safe in the treatment of persistent somatoform pain disorder with a low incidence of adverse reactions.