Psychotherapy and psychosomatics
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Psychother Psychosom · Jan 2010
Age-specific associations between cardiac vagal activity and functional somatic symptoms: a population-based study.
Functional somatic symptoms (FSS) are symptoms not explained by underlying organic pathology. It has frequently been suggested that dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) contributes to the development of FSS. We hypothesized that decreased cardiac vagal activity is cross-sectionally and prospectively associated with the number of FSS in the general population. ⋯ Decreased cardiac vagal activity is associated with a higher number of FSS in adults aged
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Psychother Psychosom · Jan 2009
ReviewThe decline of pharmaceutical psychiatry and the increasing role of psychological medicine.
The increasing influence of the pharmaceutical industry on psychiatric research and practice is leading to an intellectual and clinical crisis. A narrow concept of science attempts to apply oversimplified neurobiological models to the understanding and treatment of mental disorders, and relegates psychiatrists to a marginal role. This paper reviews some emerging trends of renewal that may be subsumed under the rubric of psychological medicine: use of a multidisciplinary approach, emphasis on psychotherapeutic strategies leading to self-management, reliance on repeated assessments, integration of different treatment modalities and independence from the pharmaceutical industry. The concept of psychological medicine, defined as the clinical application of the psychosomatic approach, may provide room for innovative paths in psychiatric research and treatment.
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Psychother Psychosom · Jan 2009
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative StudyNarrative exposure therapy versus interpersonal psychotherapy. A pilot randomized controlled trial with Rwandan genocide orphans.
The aim of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy of treatment modules for trauma spectrum disorders in a sample of Rwandan genocide orphans. ⋯ Individual NET in combination with group-based mourning comprises an effective treatment for traumatized survivors who have to bear the loss of loved ones and have been suffering from symptoms of PTSD and depression.