Field Of Psychosomatic Medicine Research Articles

So what I'm stressed? A qualitative study examining caregivers' reactions to emerging biomarkers of stress

BackgroundCaregivers of adults with cancer often report significant distress yet remain difficult to engage in supportive services. While the field of Psychosomatic Medicine has continued to identify important markers of physiologic stress, and demonstrated disruption in these markers in caregiver populations, no research has investigated whether biomarker information on caregivers’ reaction to stress could impact their willingness to address their ongoing distress. MethodsHere, we report on a qualitative study (N = 17) in which we conducted individual interviews with cancer caregivers to explore their key attitudes towards, and subjective experience of, mock stress biomarker data. A total of 17 caregivers of patients (M age = 56.1 years; SD = 12.3) with primarily metastatic brain tumors (glioblastoma) were interviewed regarding four commercially available biomarkers (telomere length; hair cortisol, activity levels and heart rate variability). Once presented with information about stress biomarkers, caregivers were asked to discuss their subjective reaction as if it was their own data as well as their motivation and willingness to seek support after receiving such information. We identified and extracted relevant themes. ResultsAnalysis utilizing the framework method revealed four emerging themes. The first theme described caregivers' ability to manage stress and willingness to engage with supportive services. Second, caregivers generally accepted the biomarker data but preferred it to be presented in a specific way. The third theme demonstrated that for some, biomarker data may actually increase their subjective distress (e.g., whether or not something could be done to improve their mental state). The last theme described how biomarkers were generally received as meaningful motivators that could increase caregivers’ willingness to engage with supportive services. ConclusionsIn addition to the more general identified theme of CG's willingness to engage with additional support, we gained insights into caregivers' reaction to the stress biomarkers presented. Findings will set the stage for the utility of stress biomarker information and whether it influences cancer caregivers' willingness to address their distress and motivation to engage in supportive services.

Training in psychosomatic medicine and psychotherapy for medical doctors in China: A field report.

The high prevalence rates of mental disorders in China contrast a comparatively low care capacity from qualified trained medical doctors in the mental health field. The main objective of our cooperation project was to develop and implement advanced postgraduate training for medical doctors for their acquisition of knowledge, skills, and attitudes in the field of psychosomatic medicine and psychotherapy in China. Monitoring and evaluation as part of the advanced training in Beijing were conducted following the Kirkpatrick training approach using four levels of evaluation: reaction, learning, behavior and results. We performed a continuous course evaluation, assessed the respective learning goal attainment, conducted a pre-post evaluation of reasons and goals for participation in the training, and measured the treatment effects on the patient side. The implementation of training standards in the field of psychosomatic medicine and psychotherapy for medical doctors and the transfer of didactic knowledge and skills for Chinese lecturers were achieved. A total of 142 mainly medical doctors attended the 2-year training. Ten medical doctors were trained as future teachers. All learning goals were reached. The content and didactics of the curriculum were rated with an overall grade of 1.23 (1 = very good to 5 = very bad). The highest rated elements were patient life interviews, orientation on clinical practice and communication skills training. The achievement of learning objectives for each block (depression, anxiety disorders, somatic symptom disorder, coping with physical diseases) was rated between 1 and 2 (1 = very well achieved to 5 = not achieved) for all items from participants' perspectives. On the patient side (n = 415), emotional distress decreased and quality of life and the doctor-patient alliance improved significantly. Advanced training in psychosomatic medicine and psychotherapy was successfully implemented. The results of the evaluation show high participant satisfaction and the successful achievement of all learning objectives. A more detailed and extensive evaluation of the data, such as an analysis of the development of the participants as psychotherapists, is in preparation. The continuation of the training under Chinese guidance is guaranteed.

Doctoral theses in the field of psychosomatic medicine and psychotherapy 2019

Doctoral theses in the field of psychosomatic medicine and psychotherapy 2019

The risk of medical comorbidity in mental disorders with a particular focus on depressive syndromes

The risk of medical comorbidity in mental disorders with a particular focus on depressive syndromes Objectives: It has long been recognized that certain mental disorders, and in particular depressive syndromes, are associated with increased medical comorbidity. However, reliable data on the prevalence of comorbid medical diagnoses as well as the impact of these comorbidities on mortality are often rare and sometimes conflicting. Methods: A systematic literature review was conducted using PubMed and Google Scholar to provide a critical account of the current state of research on the comorbidities of medical and mental disorders, with a particular focus on depressive syndromes. Results: Among patients with mental disorders, all-cause mortality is about doubled as compared to the general population causing a significantly shortened life expectancy in the range of one to two decades. This excess mortality is primarily due to increased physical morbidity and mortality, and it cannot be excluded that, for patients with severe mental disorders, excess mortality has been increased over time. Depressive syndromes are often linked to a broad range of somatic symptoms and can be found in diseases, such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes mellitus, overweight/obesity, and asthma. Conclusion: Current studies provide ample evidence of close interactions between physical and mental health. Further developments in the field of psychosomatic medicine should take into consideration the health-related consequences of these interactions.

Emotions, Bodily Changes, and the Social Environment: How Did Early Psychosomatic Medicine Consider the Social Dimension in Health and Disease?

Social relationships play an important role in human health and disease processes, and the field of psychosomatic medicine currently integrates social factors in its theoretical models and clinical interventions. This article provides a historical perspective on the field of psychosomatic medicine in the United States and examines the extent to which early American psychosomatic medicine incorporated the impact of social relationships on health and disease outcomes. We searched PubMed across all issues of Psychosomatic Medicine for key words related to emotions versus social processes. Article counts are compared for these key words. We then performed a narrative review to analyze how concepts of associations among emotional, interpersonal, and physiological variables evolved in early publications. Of 5023 articles found in Psychosomatic Medicine, 1453 contained an emotional, 936 a social search term, and 447 contained both. In the qualitative review, influences of the social environment on emotional states and physiology were recognized already in the 1930s but they only played a subordinate role in early Psychosomatic Medicine. Publications often lacked a clear working model how interpersonal events exert their impact on physiology. With increasing understanding of developmental and neural mechanisms, a more differentiated view evolved. Early publications in psychosomatic medicine mainly focused on associations between emotions and physiology. However, some highlighted the importance of interpersonal and social factors. Later, the understanding of emotions, social relationships, and physiology with their developmental and neurobiological correlates have led to a fuller "biopsychosociocultural" understanding of health and disease, although more research on and within these networks is urgently needed.

Increasing in level of education of physicians in questions of psychosomatic medicine as one of the ways of psychosomatic medical aid optimizing

The results of a survey of physicians of various specialties with the purpose of revealing a level of training of specialists in the field of psychosomatic medicine are presented. The importance of this study is determined by the wide spread of psychosomatic pathology among the population. Wide prevalence of psychosomatic pathology in the practice of doctors of various profiles was revealed. It was found that a significant proportion of patients (on average, 11,1±1%) had complaints at the time of examination, but no objective evidence was provided in favor of one or another pathology. At the same time, it was shown that insufficient awareness of physicians in psychosomatic issues, including an understanding of terminology of psychosomatics and nosologies capable of inducing psychosomatic disorders as well as the possibility of using different scales for a mental pathology detection. Almost a quarter of the doctors surveyed (23,1%) misinterpret the term «psychosomatic disorder», while the incorrect interpretation of this concept is significantly higher among general practitioners and therapists than among doctors of particular specialities. In addition, the need for doctors to expand their knowledge in the field of psychosomatic medicine has been established. Thus, 67,3% of doctors note a lack of knowledge in the field of psychiatry. At the same time, only 11,5% of respondents use questionnaires and surveys in their daily practice to identify various psychiatric disorders among their patients. Practically one third of the doctors surveyed (28,8%) cannot list any indications for sending patients to the psychosomatic department. The results of the study confirm the importance of developing and implementing a course of psychosomatic medicine for clinical residents of various specialties.

An Update on Telepsychiatry and How It Can Leverage Collaborative, Stepped, and Integrated Services to Primary Care

In this era of patient-centered care, telepsychiatry (TP; video or synchronous) provides quality care with outcomes as good as in-person care, facilitates access to care, and leverages a wide range of treatments at a distance. This conceptual review article explores TP as applied to newer models of care (e.g., collaborative, stepped, and integrated care). The field of psychosomatic medicine (PSM) has developed clinical care models, educates interdisciplinary team members, and provides leadership to clinical teams. PSM is uniquely positioned to steer TP and implement other telebehavioral health care options (e.g., e-mail/telephone, psych/mental health apps) in the future in primary care. Together, PSM and TP provide versatility to health systems by enabling more patient points-of-entry, matching patient needs with provider skills, and helping providers work at the top of their licenses. TP and other technologies make collaborative, stepped, and integrated care less costly and more accessible. Effective health care delivery matches the intensity of the services to the needs of a patient population or clinic, standardizes interventions, and evaluates both process and clinical outcomes. More research is indicated on the application of TP and other technologies to these service delivery models.

Past, Present, and Future of Psychosomatic Movements in an Ever-Changing World: Presidential Address.

The American Psychosomatic Society was founded in 1942 and is celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2017. In recognizing the society's anniversary, this article provides a historical perspective on its history, the field of psychosomatic medicine in general, and anticipated future directions. Essay and narrative review of the literature on the historic development of psychosomatic concepts and their impact on medicine over time. Mind-body associations have been described in the medical literature for more than 3500 years. Early concepts of mind-body dualism and attempts to overcome them are found in classical Greek medicine. Psychosomatic thinking can be observed ever since, but only in the 20th century, a "psychosomatic movement" emerged in Europe and North America, aiming at humanizing medicine by introducing a holistic understanding of man into what was considered a widely reductionistic practice of medicine. This movement led to the inauguration of the American Psychosomatic Society during World War II and of national and international societies of psychosomatic medicine and its subspecializations thereafter. Psychosomatic medicine has its roots in the beginnings of medicine. During the past 75 years, it has made substantial contributions to the science and practice of medicine. The field has also changed in response to developments in medicine, technology, and society and is facing new challenges and opportunities that may require further adaptation of its concepts and practice.

Characteristics of art therapists in rehabilitative therapy

In 2013, an analysis of occupational groups was carried out in Germany, with the objective of describing the art therapists working there.A total of 2,303 complete datasets were submitted. From this group, those therapists mainly working in the field of rehabilitation/follow-up care/participation of disabled persons (according to Social Security Code VI and IX, n = 302) were selected and described. Most art therapists are female (average age 45 years) and largelywork part-time. Music and art therapy are the most common venues.More than 80% have a graduate degree. Methods of quality management are used.More than half of the therapists working in rehabilitation hospitals are employed in the field of psychosomatic medicine. Both individual and group therapy (each patient attending 1-2 times a week) are common. The results provide an overview of art therapy in the field of rehabilitation and show the spread in rehabilitation. Further research is indicated.

心身医学領域で出会う"感情調節困難"患者への心理的アプローチ : 弁証法的行動療法,特に承認から学ぶ(ワークショップ,2014年,第55回日本心身医学会総会ならびに学術講演会(千葉))

心身医学領域で出会う"感情調節困難"患者への心理的アプローチ : 弁証法的行動療法,特に承認から学ぶ(ワークショップ,2014年,第55回日本心身医学会総会ならびに学術講演会(千葉))

心療内科における老年期デプレッション(生涯各期における心身症をめぐる諸問題 : 老年期)

心療内科における老年期デプレッション(生涯各期における心身症をめぐる諸問題 : 老年期)

解決志向アプローチを日常の心身医療にどう組み込むか : 一般心理療法から解決志向療法へ(心療内科領域における短期心理療法の展開)

解決志向アプローチを日常の心身医療にどう組み込むか : 一般心理療法から解決志向療法へ(心療内科領域における短期心理療法の展開)

心身症の疫学-急性心筋梗塞の発症と心身医学的要因の関連性に関する実態調査(心身症の疫学)

心身症の疫学-急性心筋梗塞の発症と心身医学的要因の関連性に関する実態調査(心身症の疫学)

心身医学分野で若年の心理士が高齢者の心理的援助について悩み,学んだこと : 認知行動療法の理論,技法を活かしながら(高齢者医療に必要な心身医学的知識,2012年,第53回日本心身医学会総会ならびに学術講演会(鹿児島))

心身医学分野で若年の心理士が高齢者の心理的援助について悩み,学んだこと : 認知行動療法の理論,技法を活かしながら(高齢者医療に必要な心身医学的知識,2012年,第53回日本心身医学会総会ならびに学術講演会(鹿児島))

心身症の疫学-発達期における心身症準備状態と誘発要因に関する実態調査(心身症の疫学)

心身症の疫学-発達期における心身症準備状態と誘発要因に関する実態調査(心身症の疫学)

A Biographical Sketch of Felix Deutsch, 1884–1964

The essay provides an outline of Felix Deutsch’s life and work. It follows his biography from his student days in Vienna and medical service in the First World War to his postwar training as an analyst, his emigration to Boston, and his contributions to the new field of psychosomatic medicine.

The Feeling Body and Its Diseases: How Cancer Went Psychosomatic in Twentieth-Century Germany

This essay examines how psychosomatic medicine, as it emerged between 1920 and 1960, introduced new ideas about the emotional body and the emotional self. Focusing on cancer, a shift can be mapped over the course of the twentieth century. While cancer was regarded at the beginning of the century as the organic disease par excellence, traceable to malignant cells and thus not caused or influenced by emotions, in later decades it would come to be thoroughly investigated within the field of psychosomatic medicine. This essay illuminates why and how this shift occurred in Germany and how it was affected by the earlier turn toward a psychosomatic understanding of cancer in the United States.

Improving mental and physical health outcomes in general healthcare settings: a Gedenkschrift in honor of Wayne Katon, MD (1950–2015)

This special article pays tribute to Wayne Katon, MD (1950–2015) with a Gedenkschrift, or review, of his prolific academic career. Abstracts of all of Dr. Katon's Medline citations were reviewed to develop a narrative of his seminal epidemiological and interventional research findings. Specifically, we describe: (a) how Dr. Katon's clinical work and observational epidemiology and health services research informed and guided interventional studies; (b) the evolution of multidisciplinary interventional trials from primary care-based psychiatric consultation to primary care-based collaborative care for depression to multicondition collaborative care; and (c) how Dr. Katon's research has informed the work of other leading researchers in the field of psychosomatic medicine and helped develop a new generation of researchers at the interface of psychiatry and primary care. For more than three decades, Dr. Katon led a multidisciplinary research team that conducted seminal epidemiological studies and randomized trials and that influenced the thinking and research in the field of psychiatry in a number of areas: (a) the importance and impact of mental disorders presenting in primary care settings and (b) the organization of effective multidisciplinary care for primary care patients with common mental disorders and comorbid medical conditions. Dr. Katon's work revolutionized the care of psychiatric illnesses in primary care and other medical care settings to the benefit of countless patients worldwide.

Use of Rorschach tests at the Nuremberg war crimes trial: A forgotten chapter in history of medicine

Seventy years ago, psychiatrists and psychologists had unusual access to the Nazi leaders awaiting trial by the International Military Tribunal in Nuremberg. Early leaders in the field of psychosomatic medicine were instrumental in facilitating these interviews as well as arranging for the administration of psychological testing with the Rorschach inkblot test. These observations were kept under wraps for decades and there remains controversy even now about what these Rorschachs revealed—demonic psychopaths or just morally corrupt individuals.

Research prospects in BioPsychoSocial medicine: new year reflections on the "Cross-Boarder Dialogue" paradigm.

Looking back on an excellent year for the Journal of BioPsychoSocial Medicine, with numerous exciting papers addressing topics right at core of the Journal’s interest and often tackling issues at the forefront of international research trends, we first and foremost like to congratulate the Japanese Society of Psychosomatic Medicine on the performance of its official Journal in 2014! Given the very special honor to contribute to the New Year’s Issue 2015 we would like to take the opportunity to reflect on a key paradigm of the Journal of BioPsychoSocial Medicine and the represented field of Psychosomatic Medicine: The imperative for cross-boarder dialogue and collaboration. One central aspect surely being the dialogue across the boarders of the biomedical and the psycho-social schools of thought, underpinned by the well supported hypothesis that the complex enigma of human existence can not be fully understood within the narrow boundaries of one or the other scientific community. In the following we will discuss several selected perspectives on the dialogue and collaboration paradigm. First, we would like to discuss examples of recently published research related to the “stress-pandemic”. We then turn to the health-system dimension in underlining the importance of the trans-sectoral dialogue in psychosomatic medicine and BioPsychoSocial research, presenting examples of current studies on the treatment of anorexia nervosa (one of our own main clinical and research interests). Furthermore we would like to extend a very warm invitation to join us on the upcoming German Congress of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy in March 2015 in Berlin; where we look forward to discuss the topic: ‘Psycho-Somatic, Dialogue Instead of Dualism’ with more then 1000 participants from all over the globe. We conclude in paying tribute to the Japanese-German friendship in the field of psychosomatic medicine, as a distinct example of a fruitful dialogue across the boarders of nations, cultures and continents.