Objective A cross-sectional study was conducted to compare the latest revision of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders （DSM-5） "somatic symptom disorder （SSD）" with its fourth edition （DSM-Ⅳ） of "somatic disorder （SFD）" and the differences in the physical and psychological dimensions of them. Methods A total of 197 patients were selected from the Wuhan Mental Hospital Affiliated to China University of Geosciences. Clinical interviews and formal tools were used to collect medical history and evaluate symptoms. The subjects were grouped according to DSM-5 SSD and DSM- Ⅳ SFD criteria and SPSS was used for statistical analysis. Results （1） 113 patients were diagnosed with SFD （57.4%） by DSM- Ⅳ， and 105 patients were diagnosed with SSD （53.3%） by DSM-5. （2） The consistency of DSM- Ⅳ and DSM-5 diagnosis was low （Kappa=0.200）. Patients only diagnosed with DSM-5 SSD but not diagnosed with DSM-Ⅳ SFD showed greater psychological disorder. Conclusions Compared with DSM-Ⅳ SFD， psychological symptoms enhance the predictive effectiveness and clinical utility of DSM-5 SSD. DSM-5 SSD diagnosis is more likely to identify patients with psychological impairment than DSM-Ⅳ SFD.