Psychotherapy and psychosomatics
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Psychother Psychosom · Jun 2010
Randomized Controlled TrialPossible detrimental effects of cognitive behaviour therapy for chronic fatigue syndrome.
Cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) for chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) can decrease the level of fatigue and disabilities, but it has been suggested that during therapy some patients experience a deterioration of their symptoms rather than an improvement. The aim of this study is to examine the frequency and severity of symptom deterioration during CBT for CFS. ⋯ Patients receiving CBT do not experience more frequent or more severe symptom deterioration than untreated patients. The reported deterioration during CBT seems to reflect the natural variation in symptoms. Thus, CBT is not only a helpful, but also a safe treatment for CFS.
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Psychother Psychosom · Jan 2010
ReviewFunctional abdominal pain in childhood: from etiology to maladaptation.
To review the extant literature on functional abdominal pain in childhood through the lens of the developmental psychopathology perspective and to systematize research results by means of a two-stage pathway model in which the emergence of functional abdominal pain and its potential transition into a somatoform adjustment disorder is outlined. ⋯ It seems that those children with functional abdominal pain who cannot adapt to the pain indeed run the risk of developing a somatoform adjustment disorder.
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Psychother Psychosom · Jan 2010
Randomized Controlled TrialAlexithymia and cancer pain: the effect of psychological intervention.
Alexithymia is likely to be involved in the pain experience of cancer patients, but the extent to which psychological interventions may modify both pain and alexithymia is unclear. ⋯ These findings confirm the close association between alexithymia and pain, and show that multicomponent psychological intervention may significantly reduce both alexithymia and cancer pain. Although the present findings need replication, they should strongly encourage clinicians to provide patients with psychological interventions targeting alexithymic difficulties and helping patients to cope better with both feelings and somatic perception.