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The objective of this study is to analyze the rate of stressful life events and psychosomatic symptoms among students smokers and non-smokers and examine the predictive contribution of stress and smoking to subjective health status. Methods were conducted on a convenience sample of 200 students from the University of Mostar, with a median age of 21 (inter-quartile range, three). Exposure to stress was determined using the scale of stressful life events, which assesses social alienation, time pressure, academic failure, everyday social conflicts and academic maladjustment. Psychosomatic symptoms were explored by the questionnaire of psychosomatic symptoms, which assesses gastrointestinal, dermatological, musculoskeletal, pseudoneurological, cardiovascular, flu and cold symptoms. Students were divided into a group of smokers and non-smokers. A group of non-smokers consisted of 101 students who had never smoked, while group of smokers consisted of 99 students who smoke at least three cigarettes per day. The significant differences of results in stressful live events between smokers and non-smokers were obtained for the subscales of social alienation, academic failure and everyday social conflicts. Smokers differed from non-smokers in rate of gastrointestinal, musculoskeletal, cardiovascular symptoms and the symptoms of flu and cold. Exposure to stressful life events and smoking were significant predictors of psychosomatic symptoms. The results showed that stressful life events related to academic failure and social relation were important variables in understanding the smoking. Subjective psychological and physical symptoms were most frequently prevalent in smokers compared to non-smokers. Exposure to stressful life events and smoking predicted difficulties in psychological subjective health status. (Contains 7 tables.)

This study conducted a systematic review to assess the quality of existing literature on psychological treatments for irritable bowel syndrome and to quantify the evidence for their efficacy. Three independent reviewers (2 from England, 1 from the United States) coded the quality of 32 studies, 17 of which provided data suitable for meta-analysis. Meta-analysis of efficacy data (50% reduction of symptoms) gave an odds ratio of 12 (95% confidence interval = 5.56-25.96) and a number needed to treat of 2. Psychological treatments are, as a class of interventions, effective in reducing symptoms compared with a pooled group of control conditions. Questions regarding the relative superiority of specific psychological treatments and influence of active versus nonspecific treatment effects remain unanswered.

An exciting period in mental and physical health research is beginning, resulting from a paradigm shift from an outdated biomedical reductionism approach to a more comprehensive biopsychosocial model, which emphasizes the unique interactions among biological, psychological, and social factors required to better understand health and illness. This biopsychosocial perspective is important in evaluating the comorbidity of mental and physical health problems. Psychiatric and medical pathologies interface prominently in pain disorders. Important topics in the biopsychosocial approach to comorbid chronic mental and physical health disorders, focusing primarily on pain, are presented. Though this biopsychosocial model has produced dramatic advances in health psychology over the past 2 decades, important challenges to moving the field forward still remain.

Psychological hotlines are widely used, convenient, and effective means to help people overcome their stress reactions. In this article, we focused on integrating somatic and mental-micro interventions into the psychological assistance hotline process. In addition to verbal communication, dance movement therapy based on the body-mind interaction can help clients re-establish their connection with psychological resources, such as creativity and resilience in addition to verbal communication. Based on the basic steps and core points of the SAFER-R model, we explored how embodied movement elements can be applied to the hotline setting for body-mind micro-interventions. Furthermore, we proposed the CREATE model and explained how it can be used to intervene and realise the basic functions of psychological hot line service through four case vignettes. Through this article, we added new perspectives and options for the provision of psychological support during public health events, and we enriched the working methods of psychological hotline assistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The present research was conducted aiming at predicting the resilience based on parenting and coping strategies in patients with psychosomatic disorders. The statistical population of the present research consisted of all patients suffering from psychosomatic disorders who had visited medical clinics related to Medical Sciences (University) of Arak County in 2019-20. The statistical sample includes 347 women, aged 18 to 55 years-old, who were selected by available sampling. Data collection tool included Young parenting, Moss and Billings coping strategies questionnaire and Connor and Davidson resilience questionnaire. Pearson’s correlation coefficient and multiple regression analysis were used to analyze the data. The findings showed that parenting (dependency, preoccupied/untransformed self) have a negative and significant relationship with resilience. Coping strategies focused on emotion, coping focused on physical restraint or physicalization of problems have a negative and significant relationship with resilience and have a positive and significant relationship with coping strategies focused on problem-solving and coping focused on cognitive evaluation. According to the findings, it can be concluded that it is possible to pave the way for increasing resilience and preventing the development of psychosomatic disorders by creating suitable conditions during the childhood, improving parent-child relationships, and by strengthening coping strategies focused on problem-solving and coping focused on cognitive evaluation.

Subjective: Psychological problems are involved in many psychosomatic disorders. Gastric ulcer is also related to psychological problems as one of the psychosomatic disorders. This research was conducted with the aim of comparison of emotion regulation in gastric ulcer sufferers and non-sufferers.Methods: This research is descriptive and causal-comparative. 100 patients with gastric ulcer and referred to Imam Hussein Hospital in Tehran in 2022 were selected by convenience sampling method and compared with 100 of their companions who did not have gastric ulcer. Both groups responded to Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS). Data were analyzed with multivariate analysis of variance and SPSS-21 software.Results: The findings showed that the total score of difficulties in emotion regulation and its subscales (non-acceptance of negative emotions, difficulties engaging in goal-directed behaviors, difficulties controlling impulsive behaviors, limited access to effective emotion regulation strategies, lack of emotional awareness, lack of emotional clarity) in patients with gastric ulcer is significantly higher than of non-afflicted people (P

There is abundant literature suggesting that university students in helping professions experience high levels of stress, leading to an increased risk of developing burnout. The objective of this study was to identify burnout profiles in a sample of 1162 Spanish nursing and psychology undergraduates using latent profile analysis, a person-oriented statistical method that can identify hidden homogenous subgroups within a heterogeneous population. We expected to replicate in university students the five-profile structure (burnout, overextended, disengaged, ineffective, and engagement) proposed by Leiter and Maslach using the burnout dimensions (emotional exhaustion, cynicism, and inefficacy) as indicators. The results showed that burnout, overextended, and engagement profiles were adequately replicated. Given that levels of inefficacy and cynicism were medium to low, the ineffective and disengaged profiles somewhat deviated from those identified by Leiter and Maslach. We found differences between the five latent profiles in several psychological variables, such as depression and anxiety. These results suggest that psychosocial factors (e.g., workload) are significant among students and may adversely impact their health, leading to psychosomatic and emotional disorders. Hence, designing effective interventions to prevent health problems associated with burnout seems advisable, considering the specific burnout profile that a student exhibits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Long-Term Care Nursing / Pielegniarstwo w Opiece Dlugoterminowej is the property of Termedia Publishing House and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Revista Foco (Interdisciplinary Studies Journal) is the property of Revista Foco and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The present study investigated the effectiveness of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy on perceived stress and psychosomatic symptoms in students with psychosomatic disorders. The study employed a quasi-experimental design with a pre- and post-test, a control group, and a two-month follow-up period. In the academic year 2020-21, the statistical population included secondary high school students with psychosomatic disorder in the city of Khomeini Shahr. Using a method of purposive sampling, 37 students with psychosomatic disorder symptoms were selected and randomly assigned to experimental and control groups (18 in the experimental group and 19 in the control group). Over the course of two months, the experimental group received eight 75-minute mindfulness-based cognitive therapy sessions. This study utilized the psychosomatic complaints scale (PCS) and perceived stress scale (PSS) as questionnaires. The study’s data were analyzed using mixed ANOVA and SPSS-23 software. The results showed that mindfulness-based cognitive therapy has a significant impact on perceived tension and psychosomatic symptoms in students with psychosomatic disorder (p

IntroductionTinnitus is the perception of a sound in the absence of any corresponding external sound source. Current research suggests a relationship among emotional, cognitive, and psychosomatic symptoms and the occurrence or maintenance of chronic tinnitus. This study aimed to detect the prevalence and role of psychosomatic conditions, as defined by the Diagnostic Criteria for Psychosomatic Research (DCPR), and cognitive functioning in a group of patients with tinnitus.MethodsSixty-two patients with subjective tinnitus and 62 non-tinnitus controls were recruited from the Otorhinolaryngology Unit of the University of Bari. Pure-tone audiometry was performed in all tinnitus subjects, and sound level tolerance was evaluated. Additionally, tinnitus handicap (Tinnitus Handicap Inventory [THI]), psychopathological symptoms (Symptom Checklist-90, Revised [SCL-90-R]), anxiety (State–Trait Anxiety Inventory [STAI-Y1/2]), depression (Beck Depression Inventory [BDI]), cognitive impairment (Mini-Mental State Examination [MMSE]), executive functions (Frontal Assessment Battery [FAB]), and psychosomatic syndromes (DCPR) were evaluated. Parametric and non-parametric tests were used to detect cognitive and symptomatological differences between patients and controls. The predictivity of these factors for tinnitus severity was studied using multiple regression (Backward Elimination). All tests were considered significant at p

Dans l'anorexie mentale, les préoccupations corporelles sont un enjeu clé de la pathologie, mais aussi de la thérapeutique. Il est, à ce jour, établi que la perception de soi serait modulable par des interventions centrées sur le toucher. Dans ce contexte et avec l'appui de recherches en psychiatrie et en psychologie, nous posons la question de la place de l'ostéopathie en tant qu'aide à la remédiation physico-psychique. Nous avons réalisé le suivi de 40 patientes souffrant de troubles du comportement alimentaire et réparties en quatre sous-groupes de dix sujets non randomisés durant dix semaines afin d'évaluer la valeur ajoutée de l'ostéopathie vis-à-vis de la psychomotricité sur les préoccupations corporelles. À l'issue de la prise en charge, nous observons une diminution des préoccupations corporelles pour les sujets du groupe psychomotricité (p < 0,05) et ceux du groupe de double suivi ostéopathie-psychomotricité (p < 0,05). Le groupe ostéopathie ne montre pas d'amélioration suffisante vis-à-vis du groupe témoin (p > 0,34). Les résultats et les limites de la présente étude sont discutés, ainsi que les recommandations pour des recherches ultérieures. Anorexia nervosa is a psychosomatic disorder that mainly concerns women where body image and corporal sensations are questioned. For these patients, their morphology is an obsessional issue and they tend to ignore sensorial perceptions such as hunger or pain. Treatment remains extremely complex, in spite of the vast expanse of relevant specialities, and a close coordination of soma and psyche mediations is required. In fact, it has been proven that for anorexics, there is a strong link between the image of their degraded body and sensorial disorders. These phenomena also concern the structures of the interceptive system. Therefore, the body's perceived shape is a key issue not only in the pathology but also in the therapeutic intervention. To date, it has been established that self-perception can be modulated by interventions focused on touch. In this context and with the support of research in child psychiatry and psychology, we raise the question of the place of osteopathy as an aid in physico-psychic remediation. Our goal is to develop a therapeutic mediation covering the somatic phenomena induced by the muscular frame so as to demonstrate a possible improvement in how anorexics perceive their own morphology. We included 40 patients suffering from eating disorders in our experiment forming a heterogeneous age-group and respecting the minimum threshold. During the ten weeks of the trial, the group was divided into 4 subgroups of 10 non-randomized participants each and based on voluntary participation with one subgroup of 10 patients as a control group, one subgroup of 10 patients treated exclusively using psychomotricity, a third subgroup of 10 patients evaluated exclusively using osteopathy, and a fourth subgroup of 10 patients using a mixed approach. We relied on the "Body Shape Questionnaire" (BSQ-34) to conduct our comparative measurements. It is a reference psychometric tool for measuring bodily concerns, and the French version has been validated and is commonly used. At the end of our ten-week treatment period, we observed positive results for psychomotricity (P < 0.05) and a double osteopathy-psychomotricity follow-up (P < 0.05), but osteopathy alone does not show sufficient improvement compared to the control group (P > 0.34). In view of the results obtained with our patients, the modulations of bodily concerns among those participants treated by touch appear to be effective in the intra-group, but our approach could require extended treatment for more than 10 weeks with regard to intergroup comparisons. Osteopathy must, like the other bodily mediations already involved in the follow-up of anorexia nervosa before it, establish the extent of its contribution to and value in this pathophysiology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Morita therapy is one of the leading alternative psychotherapeutic approaches that has emerged from Japan and has adapted with notable success to the mores and demands of the Western medical establishment. Although still on the margin, Morita therapy has the potential to offer a viable option for those who seek therapeutic assistance for various neuroses and psychosomatic illnesses that culminate in psychiatric symptoms such as generalized anxiety disorder, obsessive‐compulsive disorder, or posttraumatic stress disorder. Diverging considerably from conventional Western psychiatric approaches, Morita therapy has its own modes of conceiving mental illness and offers distinct curative methods that are in some ways akin to the techniques of meaning‐centred psychotherapies, but in many other ways are rather different. In this paper, the meaning‐formation and the building of a constant sense of purpose in Morita therapy is explored, with a special focus on how these relate to creating a stable psychological framework for the client. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Self‐induced trauma is a rare cause of panniculitis in adolescents and may be associated with undiagnosed underlying psychological conditions. The condition often poses a diagnostic challenge as patients usually present with non‐specific signs and symptoms, and often a concealed history of self‐induced trauma. Here, we present three adolescent patients with self‐induced traumatic panniculitis. All three patients were repeatedly admitted with non‐specific cutaneous lesions as well as multiple somatic complaints. After extensive evaluation to exclude organic causes, psychiatric assessment eventually revealed underlying psychosomatic disorders as a cause of the self‐induced trauma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An interview with Australian psychiatrist Niall McLaren is presented. When asked about his idea of natural dualism, McLaren explains that it is associated with philosopher David Chalmers and that his work offers biological mechanism by which a nonphysical mind emerges from the physical brain. He explains the computational model of the mind as an informational space he presented. He adds how mental disorders are defined in the biocognitive model.

Growing evidence from scientific research elucidates the important role of alexithymia in chronic immune diseases. This Review aims to explore the presence of alexithymia in patients affected by asthma and clarify its associations with other involved psychological and physical factors. In January 2023, according to PRISMA guidelines, a systematic search using PubMed and Scopus was conducted. Twenty-six studies were eligible based on inclusion criteria. Alexithymia was significantly present in asthma patients, with most studies reporting a higher prevalence (from 9 to 62.8%) than in control groups (approximately 10%). The coexistence of asthma and alexithymia was associated with a worse quality of life, psychiatric comorbidity, poor symptom control, and difficulty in recognizing exacerbations of the disease. These results suggest that alexithymia can negatively impact the management of asthma. For this reason, we recommend an accuracy assessment in clinical settings and the implementation of psychological interventions to promote the emotional and physical wellbeing of asthmatic patients.

The psychosomatic arc, based on an idea of Nossrat Peseschkian in 1988, was further developed by the author from 1994 on to visualize the process of body and mental symptoms caused by life events and microtraumatic situations of everyday life. A semi-structured psychosomatic treatment process is described by which to understand the function and language of psychosomatic symptoms more easily

Psychological stress in a chronic course is implicated in various diseases, such as coronary artery disease, diabetes, ulcerative colitis, and psychosomatic pain disorders. Commensal microbiota in the host tissues interact with each other and maintain overall health. Oral and gut microbiomes are considered as the most ecologically rich and taxonomically diverse microbiota communities in humans. The effects of psychological stress on the gut microbiome have been well documented, and the interaction is commonly referred as the microbiota-gut-brain axis. Like the gut microbiome, the oral microbiome contributes to maintaining both local and systemic health. Although the effects of psychological stress on the oral microbiome have been studied, comprehensive knowledge about the oral-brain axis is lacking. The oral cavity and gut can communicate with each other through the microbiota. Three-way interactions within the oral-gut-brain microbiota might exist in patients with psychological stress and disorders. The effect of psychological stress on the gut and oral microbiomes, and the potential interactions within the oral-gut-brain axis are discussed in this review. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: An anticipated surge in mental health service demand related to COVID-19 has motivated the use of novel methods of care to meet demand, given workforce limitations. Digital health technologies in the form of self-tracking technology have been identified as a potential avenue, provided sufficient evidence exists to support their effectiveness in mental health contexts. Objective: This literature review aims to identify current and potential physiological or physiologically related monitoring capabilities of the Apple Watch relevant to mental health monitoring and examine the accuracy and validation status of these measures and their implications for mental health treatment. Methods: A literature review was conducted from June 2021 to July 2021 of both published and gray literature pertaining to the Apple Watch, mental health, and physiology. The literature review identified studies validating the sensor capabilities of the Apple Watch. Results: A total of 5583 paper titles were identified, with 115 (2.06%) reviewed in full. Of these 115 papers, 19 (16.5%) were related to Apple Watch validation or comparison studies. Most studies showed that the Apple Watch could measure heart rate acceptably with increased errors in case of movement. Accurate energy expenditure measurements are difficult for most wearables, with the Apple Watch generally providing the best results compared with peers, despite overestimation. Heart rate variability measurements were found to have gaps in data but were able to detect mild mental stress. Activity monitoring with step counting showed good agreement, although wheelchair use was found to be prone to overestimation and poor performance on overground tasks. Atrial fibrillation detection showed mixed results, in part because of a high inconclusive result rate, but may be useful for ongoing monitoring. No studies recorded validation of the Sleep app feature; however, accelerometer-based sleep monitoring showed high accuracy and sensitivity in detecting sleep. Conclusions: The results are encouraging regarding the application of the Apple Watch in mental health, particularly as heart rate variability is a key indicator of changes in both physical and emotional states. Particular benefits may be derived through avoidance of recall bias and collection of supporting ecological context data. However, a lack of methodologically robust and replicated evidence of user benefit, a supportive health economic analysis, and concerns about personal health information remain key factors that must be addressed to enable broader uptake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A key element of successful psychotherapy for the treatment of psychosomatic disorders is that patients recognize and change the meaning of their experiences. Such changes are brought about by appropriate verbal referencing of symptoms currently experienced within a given narrative. The present theoretical paper argues that changes are not based on better, more adaptive narratives per se, but on the transition (or linkage) process itself that is experienced between different narratives. This view is theoretically justified in various ways: first, it is accounted for through contemporary spatiotemporal neuroscience, which aims to connect mental and structural aspects via a common dynamic property or, according to Northoff, the “common currency” of a brain’s orientation along its embeddedness in its contextual world, i.e., body and environment. Second, it is justified through the physics concept of “spontaneous symmetry breaking,” which is used analogously to “suffering from symptoms.” If the sufferer is willing to experience a process of “going back,” that is, moving away from the previous narrative (or aspect) by verbally relating to the felt aspects of the symptom in question (i.e., approaching its meaning), they are moving toward symmetry or an underlying dynamic alignment with their world context. Clinical predictions are derived from the theoretical arguments.

This article has the general objective of addressing the problem of the psychosomatic that was exposed by Martin Heidegger and the Swiss psychiatrist Medard Boss in the so-called Zollikon Seminars. First, I provide an overview of the origin and gestation of these seminars, as well as their historical context. Then, the problem of method and the corresponding differentiation between psyche and soma in psychiatry are analyzed. Finally, the article collects Heidegger’s reflections on the phenomenon of the body (Leibphänomen) for making a brief analysis of Major Depressive Disorder in the DSM-5, and shows how the experience of the body (Leib) becomes an aspect fundamental to consider in the diagnosis of this type of disorder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Psychosomatic conditions are generally discussed in broad and general terms that are difficult to conceptualize and have neither specific identified etiological factors nor consensus for treatment. This paper was written as a broad overview of psychosomatic conditions in order to provide clarity to the topic. Several databases were searched including Medline and PsychInfo and reference lists from relevant publications. Literature was sought out f or psychosomatic conditions, somatoform disorders, and medical illnesses with psychosomatic components. A general description of psychosomatic conditions and overarching themes were identified which include: lack of a universal definition, poor compatibility between psychological diagnoses and diagnoses outside of psychology, unclear etiology, psychosomatic factors occur in many illnesses, holistic perspective is preferred, poor patient insight regarding symptoms, strong family influence, and pediatric-liaison teams are strongly encouraged in diagnosis and treatment. Treatment is often highly individualized utilizing cognitive behavioral therapy, pharmacotherapy and pediatric-liaison teams with a biopsychosocial focus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have reignited debates on how to prevent and manage psychological injury among returning troops. These debates point to the psychological cost of war as a grand challenge whose scale and complexity stretch far beyond the already large and growing number of veterans affected. We use a unique ethnography of a military medical team's tour of duty in Camp Bastion, Afghanistan, to explore the role of institutional context as a contributing factor to psychological injury from war. We find that exposure to war and its consequences invokes sustained experiences of senselessness, futility, and surreality that are partially rooted in cultural expectations, professional role identity, and organizational protocol, and can threaten people's existential grounding in this institutional context. We argue that what makes work at war traumatic for some and not others is likely affected by the specific context through which people filter, frame, and cope with their experience. A contextual understanding of psychological injury at war that is based in organizational research can thus form an important part of better addressing this grand challenge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Burnout was recently declared by WHO as an “occupational phenomenon” in the International Classification of Diseases 11th revision (ICD-11), recognizing burnout as a serious health issue. Earlier studies have shown that feelings of guilt appear to be involved in the burnout process. However, the exact nature of the relationships among burnout, guilt and psychosomatic disorders remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to investigate the mediator role of feelings of guilt in the relationship between burnout and psychosomatic disorders, and perform a cross-cultural validation of the multi-dimensional model by Gil-Monte in two samples of teachers (Portuguese vs. Spanish). The study sample was composed of 1,266 teachers, 1,062 from Spain, and 204 from Portugal. Burnout was measured by the Spanish Burnout Inventory. Hypotheses were tested together in a path model. The results obtained provide empirical evidence for the mediator role of guilt in the relationship between the Burnout syndrome and psychosomatic disorders in the sample of teachers from Spain and Portugal, and they contribute to the empirical validation of the model by Gil-Monte. The results indicate that guilt should be incorporated as a symptom of burnout in order to identify individuals affected by burnout and profiles or types of burnout to differentiate it from other pathologies like depression.

Cuba implemented policies mandating social distancing on March 11, 2020, which were still in place at the time of this study. During such periods of isolation, people with psychoactive substance-related disorders and other addictions may be tempted to reduce tension, stress, uncertainty and possible distress by increasing the use of substances or practices they have abused. This can mean relapses and setbacks for patients undergoing treatment. A multidisciplinary team of health professionals specializing in addiction at the Center for Academic Development in Drug Addiction, in Havana, Cuba, cares for people with these disorders and followed their evolution during the initial period of COVID-19 social isolation. With the aim of characterizing strategies employed by patients undergoing treatment for substance abuse and addictions, we conducted a qualitative study from April 2020 through May 2020, using a convenience sample of 37 patients (all students) who had been progressing towards recovery from addictive behaviors when face-to-face encounters were suspended due to COVID-19 restrictions. Contact was maintained through information and communication technologies. The research used telepsychology and focused on understanding patient life experiences. Patients were interviewed using a semi-structured survey, which was then transcribed and coded thematically using a grounded-theory approach. We found that patients' ability to cope successfully with challenges presented by COVID-19 were influenced by: 1) the individual's own methods for maintaining self-control (commitment to studies, projects, and work with therapists) that aided them in their goals concerning abstinence; 2) difficulties faced in addressing specific events and situations (doubts, uncertainties, disagreements, isolation and time use); 3) perpetuation and revivification of myths related to substances and addictive activities (exacerbation of supposed benefits of tobacco, alcohol, marijuana, overuse of social networks); and 4) tendencies toward irrationality and lack of emotional control (fear, sadness, anger, constant worry and self-imposed demands). Our findings suggest that despite the potential negative psychological impact of preventive social isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic, individual coping mechanisms developed by these patients, aiming at improved self-control, allowed most to avoid setbacks that could have affected their recovery. Nevertheless, patients faced challenges to their recovery that were compounded by difficulties in specific situations, myths related to substances and addictive activities, and tendencies toward irrationality or lack of emotional control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article substantiates the need of takinginto considerationthe psychosocial factors during the process developing criteria, in diagnosing the neurotic and psychosomatic disorders, as well as the peculiarities of diagnosing the state of combat stress reaction among servicemen as an independent social group. Particularly, among servicemen participating in the anti-terrorist operation in Ukraine

This article introduces the concept of a "biographical gaze" based on two dimensions: On one hand, I draw on findings from my qualitative empirical research on psychotherapists' practice and their interpretation of patients' suffering. The case study was conducted in psychosomatic hospitals in Germany and focused on psychotherapists based on different kinds of data (supervision transcripts, interviews, medical records, and questionnaires). On the other hand, I connect this research with theories on the clinical gaze, as well as Bourdieu's critique of the "biographical illusion." In the article's first section, I discuss the theories that contribute to the clinical gaze, knowledge, and medicine. In the second section, I present methods and condensed findings from my research. In the third section, I connect these findings to theories on biographies and their critics. Finally, I conclude with my theorization of the biographical gaze and its problems. • Concept of the "biographical gaze" as another dimension of the "clinical gaze". • Professionals' understanding of their patients' symptoms. • Professional therapists contribute to privatisation of social suffering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The impact of obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) on objective indicators of labour market marginalisation has not been quantified. Methods: Linking various Swedish national registers, we estimated the risk of three labour market marginalisation outcomes (receipt of newly granted disability pension, long-term sickness absence and long-term unemployment) in individuals diagnosed with OCD between 2001 and 2013 who were between 16 and 64 years old at the date of the first OCD diagnosis (n = 16 267), compared with matched general population controls (n = 157 176). Hazard ratios (HR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated using Cox regression models, adjusting for a number of covariates (e.g. somatic disorders) and stratifying by sex. To adjust for potential familial confounders, we further analysed data from 7905 families that included full siblings discordant for OCD. Results: Patients were more likely to receive at least one outcome of interest [adjusted HR = 3.63 (95% CI 3.53–3.74)], including disability pension [adjusted HR = 16.36 (95% CI 15.34–17.45)], being on long-term sickness absence [adjusted HR = 3.07 (95% CI 2.95–3.19)] and being on long-term unemployment [adjusted HR = 1.72 (95% CI 1.63–1.82)]. Results remained similar in the adjusted sibling comparison models. Exclusion of comorbid psychiatric disorders had a minimal impact on the results. Conclusions: Help-seeking individuals with OCD diagnosed in specialist care experience marked difficulties to participate in the labour market. The findings emphasise the need for cooperation between policy-makers, vocational rehabilitation and mental health services in order to design and implement specific strategies aimed at improving the patients' participation in the labour market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: The aim of the present study was to examine changes over time in the relationship between self-reported school demands and psychosomatic problems, also considering the impact of student influence and teacher support. Methods: Data from a cross-sectional study (Young in Värmland) including eight data collections (1988–2011) among Swedish students aged 15–16 were used (n = 20,115). Analyses with multinomial logistic regression and descriptive statistics were applied. Results: Between 1988 and 2011, the proportions of students with a higher degree of psychosomatic problems increased, as did the proportion of students experiencing school demands that were too high. Finer-level analyses based on stratification of student groups did not show any associations at the aggregated level between increases of school demands and psychosomatic problems. Similarly, individual level analyses showed that the strength of the association between school demands and psychosomatic problems was not affected by year of investigation. Conclusions: Changes in school demands over time could not explain the increasing trend in psychosomatic problems among adolescents. Since the relationship between school demands and psychosomatic problems is strong across time, there is, however, a continued need for school-based interventions. More studies are required to gain further understanding of adolescent mental health from a trend perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study examined the role of personality traits on psychosomatic distress (PD) and tested the hypothesis that the association between perfectionism and PD would be moderated by self-compassion. One hundred and seventy-three community volunteers, of whom 24.9% were men, mean age 31.52 ± 13.29, reported online on the DS14, a measure of Type D personality, on the TCI-140, a measure of temperament and character, on the Frost multidimensional perfectionism scale, on the short form of the self-compassion scale and on the SOMS-7 for psychosomatic symptoms. We defined psychosomatic distress as the product of the symptom count and severity rating score of the SOMS-7. The hierarchical linear regression model that included all the personality variables as well as the interaction term between self-compassion and perfectionism accounted for 25% of the variance in PD. The interaction between perfectionism and self-compassion entered into the model in the last block was highly protective. High self-compassion moderated the effect of perfectionism on PD. Our finding correspond with the notion that personality can enhance PD but can also mitigate it. Protective personality traits, such as self-compassion, might be good targets for psychological intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This study investigated to identify the clinical significance of allodynia compared with other sensory hypersensitivities (SH) in migraine patients.Methods: New patients with migraine were recruited from a headache clinic, and we collected data regarding their clinical characteristics and identified SH including photophobia, phonophobia, osmophobia, and allodynia. The patients completed the 12-item Allodynia Symptom Checklist, Migraine Disability Assessment Scale (MIDAS), Headache Impact Test-6 (HIT-6), Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS), and Migraine-Specific Quality of Life Questionnaire Version 2.1. We divided the patients into three groups: SH with allodynia (group 1), SH without allodynia (group 2), and no SH (group 3). Clinical characteristics, psychosomatic features, and quality of life (QOL) were compared among these groups.Results: A total of 312 migraine patients participated in the study. Among them, 58 (18.6%), 202 (64.7%), and 52 (16.7%) were allocated to groups 1, 2, and 3, respectively. Chronic migraine, family history of migraine, medication overuse headache, earlier age at onset, longer disease duration, higher headache intensity, and aggravation with physical activity were more prevalent in group 1 than in groups 2 or 3. Scores of the MIDAS, HIT-6, PHQ-9, GAD-7, ISI, and FSS were the highest in group 1, followed by groups 2 and group 3. The lowest QOL was noted in group 1, followed by groups 2 and group 3.Conclusions: This study revealed that SH in migraine, particularly combined with allodynia, may result in poor clinical outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To examine psychiatric and somatic correlates of DSM‐5 eating disorders (EDs)—anorexia nervosa (AN), bulimia nervosa (BN), and binge‐eating disorder (BED)—in a nationally representative sample of adults in the United States. Method: A national sample of 36,309 adult participants in the national epidemiologic survey on alcohol and related conditions III (NESARC‐III) completed structured diagnostic interviews (AUDADIS‐5) to determine psychiatric disorders, including EDs, and reported 12‐month diagnosis of chronic somatic conditions. Prevalence of lifetime psychiatric disorders and somatic conditions were calculated across the AN, BN, and BED groups and a fourth group without specific ED; multiple logistic regression models compared the likelihood of psychiatric/somatic conditions with each specific ED relative to the no‐specific ED group. Results: All three EDs were associated significantly with lifetime mood disorders, anxiety disorders, alcohol and drug use disorders, and personality disorders. In all three EDs, major depressive disorder was the most prevalent, followed by alcohol use disorder. AN was associated significantly with fibromyalgia, cancer, anemia, and osteoporosis, and BED with diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, and triglycerides. BN was not associated significantly with any somatic conditions. Conclusions: This study examined lifetime psychiatric and somatic correlates of DSM‐5 AN, BN, and BED in a large representative sample of U.S. adults. Our findings on significant associations with other psychiatric disorders and with current chronic somatic conditions indicate the serious burdens of EDs. Our findings suggest important differences across specific EDs and indicate some similarities and differences to previous smaller studies based on earlier diagnostic criteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Психологи рассматривают здоровье как ценность для человека, необходимую предпосылку для полноценной жизни, удовлетворения его материальных и духовных потребностей, участия в труде и социальной жизни, в экономической, научной, культурной и других видах деятельности.Психическое здоровье человека, его критерии, пути формирования изучаются психологами и клиницистами.Нарушения соматического и психического здоровья студентов проявляются, прежде всего, в формировании психосоматических расстройств: вегето-сосудистой дистонии, артериальной гипертензии, функциональных нарушений сердечно-сосудистой деятельности, функциональных расстройств желудочно-кишечного тракта.Одним из высокоинформативных и чувствительных методов, позволяющих оценить здоровье молодежи, является исследование качества жизни. По определению ВОЗ, качество жизни (КЖ), связанное со здоровьем, выделяется среди ключевых понятий современной медицины, так как позволяет дать глубокий многоаспектный анализ важных составляющих здоровья человека. Результаты изучения КЖ позволяют сравнивать эффективность различных методов лечения и различных реабилитационных программ. КЖ – основной критерий оценки эффективности терапии в тех случаях, когда не выявлены существенные различия в клинико-лабораторных показателях между группами больных, включенных в протокол многоцентрового рандомизированного исследования. КЖ широко используется в эпидемиологических исследованиях для оценки состояния здоровья.

Background: Depressive patients can present with complex and different symptom patterns in clinical care. Of these, some may report patterns that are inconsistent with typical patterns of depressive symptoms. This study aimed to evaluate the validity of person-fit statistics to identify inconsistent symptom reports and to assess the clinical usefulness of providing clinicians with person-fit score feedback during depression assessment. Methods: Inconsistent symptom reports on the Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology Self-Report (IDS-SR) were investigated quantitatively with person-fit statistics for both intake and follow-up measurements in the Groningen University Center of Psychiatry (n = 2036). Subsequently, to investigate the causes and clinical usefulness of on-the-fly person-fit alerts, qualitative follow-up assessments were conducted with three psychiatrists about 20 of their patients that were randomly selected. Results: Inconsistent symptom reports at intake (12.3%) were predominantly characterized by reporting of severe symptoms (e.g. psychomotor slowing) without mild symptoms (e.g. irritability). Person-fit scores at intake and follow-up were positively correlated (r = 0.45). Qualitative interviews with psychiatrists resulted in an explanation for the inconsistent response behavior (e.g. complex comorbidity, somatic complaints, and neurological abnormalities) for 19 of 20 patients. Psychiatrists indicated that if provided directly after the assessment, a person-fit alert would have led to new insights in 60%, and be reason for discussion with the patient in 75% of the cases. Conclusions: Providing clinicians with automated feedback when inconsistent symptom reports occur is informative and can be used to support clinical decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the subjective experience of living with epilepsy or psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES) by thematically comparing individuals' written accounts of their condition. Five key differences emerged. Theme 1: "Seizure onset" revealed differences in how individuals think about and ruminate over the possible causes of their condition. Theme 2: "Emotive tone" demonstrated that writings of those with epilepsy reflected stable emotions (no intense emotional reactions), whereas those of writers with PNES reflected anxiety and low mood. Theme 3: "Seizure symptoms" showed differences in the conceptualization of seizures. Theme 4: "Treatment" explored differences in the diagnostic journey and experiences of health care professionals. Theme 5: "Daily life" revealed that those with epilepsy perceived sequelae and seizures as something that must be fought, whereas those with PNES tended to describe their seizures as a place they enter and something that has destroyed their lives. The findings have implications for treatment and management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: One of the widespread problems of oral health is bruxism and is defined as a parafunctional habit with involuntary grinding and gnashing of the teeth occurring during sleep. However, bruxism is connected to anxiety and stress, but the published literature on bruxism among prison inmates is scanty. Objective: The objective of the study was to determine the prevalence of active sleep bruxism and its impact on oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) among inmates in Central Penal Institution, Mysore.Materials and Methods: The study was cross sectional and conducted among eligible male inmates at Central Penal Institution, Mysore. The information on active sleep bruxism and OHRQoL was collected using a predesigned structured questionnaire by means of personal interview by a trained investigator. The active sleep bruxism was assessed using the criteria of American Academy of Sleep Medicine and OHRQoL through modified oral health impact profile (OHIP-14). The data analysis was done using descriptive statistics, Chi-square test, t-test, analysis of variance, and linear regression model.Results: A total of 212 male inmates aged between 18 and 80 years were considered for the study. The prevalence of active sleep bruxism among the study population was 31.6%. The mean OHIP-14 score was significantly higher (P < 0.001) among the inmates having active sleep bruxism (38.52 ± 12.8) suggesting a high oral health impact as compared to inmates without this disorder (31.67 ± 12).Conclusion: The prevalence of active sleep bruxism was higher among the inmates of penal institution as compared to the general population. The active sleep bruxism had a negative impact on OHRQoL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The study of psychophysiological responses of soldiers in combat situations remains a challenge, especially in melee combat—a close proximity unarmed fight—defined by high unpredictability. Gaining knowledge about psychophysiological changes in high‐stress situations is required to optimise training. This study aimed to analyse modifications in autonomic modulation, cortical arousal, heart rate, muscle strength, blood lactate concentration, and rating of perceived exertion of veteran soldiers in a melee combat simulation. Twenty veteran soldiers were analysed before and after a melee combat simulation in accordance with realistic situations that occur in actual operations areas. The simulation consisted of actions performed by a binomial unit in a security and protection mission in an operations area. The melee combat caused an increase in sympathetic modulation, blood lactate concentration, heart rate, muscle strength, a decreased tendency in cortical arousal, and a lower rating of perceived exertion than the organic response measured. An intense fight–flight response was observed in soldiers by the limbic system activation, causing a misinterpretation of perceived exertion. Finally, implications for the design of simulation environments for tactics training in high‐stress professions are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In primary health care, efficacious treatment strategies are lacking for these patients, although the most prominent symptoms accounting for consultation in primary care often cannot be related to any biological causes. Aim: The aim was to explore whether group supervision from a specific phenomenological theory of psychosomatics could provide healthcare professionals treating patients with psychosomatic health issues within primary care a deeper understanding of these conditions and stimulate profession‐specific treatment strategies. Our research questions were as follows: (i) What is the healthcare professionals’ understanding of psychosomatics before and after the intervention? (ii) What are the treatment strategies for this group of patients before and after the intervention? Methods: The study was an explorative qualitative intervention pilot study. The six participants from a primary healthcare setting in a medium‐sized city in Sweden participated in the study. A supervision group was formed, based on a mix of professions, age, gender and years of clinical experience. Supervision consisted of one 75‐minutes meeting every month during the course of 6 months. Participants were interviewed before and after the supervision intervention. Findings: The study showed two distinct categories emerged from the data. One category of healthcare professionals espoused a psycho‐educative approach, while the other lacked a cohesive approach. The supervision improved the second category of healthcare professionals’ understanding of psychosomatics. The psycho‐educative group did not change their understanding of psychosomatics, although they felt strengthened in their approach by the supervision. Profession‐specific strategies were not developed. Implications: This pilot study indicates that a relatively short supervision intervention can aid clinicians in their clinical encounters with these patients; however, further research is necessary to ascertain the value of the specific phenomenologically based supervision intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Little is known about somatic and psychiatric symptoms and perceived peer relationships of patients with psychogenic nonsyncopal collapse.Objective: This study aimed to compare somatic and psychiatric symptoms and other elements potentially related to functional neurological symptom disorders between youth with psychogenic nonsyncopal collapse and those with neurally mediated syncope.Methods: Before testing, patients completed a structured interview and questionnaire addressing current symptoms, previous psychiatric diagnoses, referrals, diagnostic testing, prescribed medications, and patient self-ratings of anxiety, depression, and perceived peer relationships.Results: Compared with patients with syncope (n = 60), patients with psychogenic nonsyncopal collapse (n = 60) had higher ratings for lightheadedness and vertigo, more abdominal pain, more chronic headaches, more fatigue, more sleep disturbances, more prescriptions for antidepressant medicines, more encephalograms performed, more referrals to psychiatry, and more psychiatric diagnoses including anxiety, depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, previous nonfainting conversion disorders, and eating disorders (all p < 0.05). Patients with psychogenic nonsyncopal collapse rated their anxiety (10.5 ± 7.7 versus 5.9 ± 5.8, p < 0.001) and depression (8.7 ± 8.3 versus 3.1 ± 5, p < 0.001) symptoms higher and their peer relationships (37 ± 12.3 versus 47.6 ± 7.9, p < 0.001) lower than patients with syncope. Peer relationships remained significantly lower (p = 0.001) when analyzed with anxiety and depression.Conclusion: Patients with psychogenic nonsyncopal collapse have more symptom complaints and perceptions of poorer peer social interactions than patients with syncope. These results broaden our understanding of the biopsychosocial profile that increases an individual's vulnerability to psychogenic nonsyncopal collapse specifically and to functional neurological symptom disorders in general. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Persons with severe mental illness (e.g. schizophrenia, bipolar disorder) have a high prevalence of somatic conditions compared to the general population. Mortality data in the Nordic countries reveal that these persons die 15-20 years earlier than the general population. Some factors explaining this high prevalence may be related to the individuals in question; others arise from the health care system's difficulty in offering somatic health care to these patient groups. The aim of the present study was therefore to explore the experiences and views of patients, relatives and clinicians regarding individual and organizational factors which facilitate or hinder access to somatic health care for persons with severe mental illness. Methods: Flexible qualitative design. Data was collected by means of semi-structured individual interviews with patients with severe mental illness, relatives and clinicians representing primary and specialized health care. In all, 50 participants participated. Results: The main barrier to accessing somatic care is the gap between the organization of the health care system and the patients' individual health care needs. This is observed at both individual and organizational level. The health care system seems unable to support patients with severe mental illness and their psychiatric-somatic comorbidity. The main facilitators are the links between severe mental illness patients and medical departments. These links take the form of functions (i.e. systems which ensure that patients receive regular reminders), or persons (i.e. professional contacts who facilitate patients' access the health care). Conclusions: Health care services for patients with severe mental illness need reorganization. Organizational structures and systems that facilitate cooperation between different departments must be put in place, along with training for health care professionals about somatic disease among psychiatric patients. The links between individual and organizational levels could be strengthened by introducing professional contacts, such as liaison physicians and case managers. This is also important to reduce stress and responsibility among relatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Current models assume somatoform pain disorder (SPD) to be the result of a complex interaction between bio- and psychosocial factors, but the etiology is still not well understood. This study aimed to investigate the distribution of attachment style and the frequency of traumatic life events, especially childhood adversities, in patients with SPD compared to healthy controls.Methods: We compared 65 patients with SPD (confirmed by Structured Clinical Interview, SCID-I) to 65 age- and gender-matched healthy controls. The following questionnaires were employed: Relationship Scale Questionnaire (RSQ), Essen Trauma Inventory (ETI), Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) and Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-15). A logistic regression analysis was used to identify the association between SPD and psychological factors.Results: Insecure attachment was significantly more prevalent (60%) in patients with SPD compared to healthy subjects (14%; p<0.001). Overall, 70.4% of patients with SPD reported three or more traumatic events in their life, compared with healthy subjects who reported predominantly one (40%). Patients with SPD scored significantly higher in all CTQ subscales compared to the healthy controls. The factor most strongly related with SPD was the insecure attachment style (OR=11.20, 95% CI: 1.32-94.86). Other significant predictive factors were depression (OR=3.35, 95% CI: 1.84-6.11) and number of traumatic events (OR=2.04, 95% CI: 1.06-3.92). Insecure attachment, depression symptoms and the number of traumatic events explained 86.2% of the variance.Conclusions: The high predictive value of insecure attachment style and cumulative traumatic events emphasize their importance as risk factors of SPD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using a standardized instrument to evaluate patients’ stress reactions has become more important in daily clinical routines. Different signs or symptoms of stress are often unilaterally explored: the physiological, psychological or social aspects of stress disorders are each viewed on a single dimension. However, all dimensions afflict patients who have persistent health problems due to chronic stress. Therefore, it is important to use a multidimensional approach to acquire data. The ‘Psycho-Physiological-Stress-Test’ (PPST) was established to achieve a comprehensive understanding of stress and was further developed at the Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin in collaboration with the Psychological Department of Freie Universität Berlin. The PPST includes a series of varying stress phases, embedded in two periods of rest. Physiological and psychological parameters are simultaneously measured throughout the test session. Specifically, the PPST activates the sympathetic stress axis, which is measured by heart rate, blood pressure, respiration depth and rate, electro dermal activation and muscle tension (frontalis, masseter, trapezius). Psychological data are simultaneously collected, and include performance, motivation, emotion and behavior. After conducting this diagnostic test, it is possible to identify individual stress patterns that can be discussed with the individual patient to develop and recommend (outpatient) treatment strategies. This paper introduces the PPST as a standardized way to evaluate stress reactions by presenting the results from a sample of psychosomatic inpatients (n = 139) who were treated in Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany. We observed that the varying testing conditions provoked adjusted changes in the different physiological parameters and psychological levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

DeSean W, a 47-year-old man, returned to his primary care clinic with a new complaint of epigastric burning that had been bothering him for the past 4 months. He had tried several over-the-counter remedies, which provided no relief. He also remained concerned--despite assurances to the contrary at previous clinic visits--that he had contracted a sexually-transmitted disease (STD) after going to a bar one night 4 to 5 months ago. At 2 other clinic visits since that time, STD test results were negative. At this current visit, symptoms and details of sexual history were unchanged since the last visit, with the exception of the epigastric pain. When asked if he thought he had contracted an STD through a sexual encounter the night he went to the bar, he emphatically said he would not cheat on his wife. Surprisingly, given his concern, he avoided further discussion on modes of contracting an STD. The physician prescribed ranitidine 150 mg bid for the epigastric burning and explained, once more, the significance of the STD test results. However, he also decided to further examine Mr. W's concern about STDs and the night he may have contracted one. HOW WOULD YOU PROCEED WITH THIS PATIENT? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]