The Psychosomatic Arc in Therapy

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. Keywords: psychosomatic arc, positive psychosomatic, positive psychotherapy, psychosomatic disorders, visualization in psychosomatic treatment

Psychosomatic symptoms in patients suffering from morphea

Objective. To study the features of psychosomatic pathology in patients with morphea.Materials and methods. We used the Symptom Check List-90 Revised (SCL-90-R) to assess patterns of phychological signs in 95 patients suffering from morphea. The control group included 30 respondents without the skin pathology.Results. The patients with morphea revealed higher values in the Global Severity Index (GSI), Positive Symptom Distress Index (PSDI), Positive Symptoms Total (PST). The group of the patients with morphea showed higher distress levels according to the somatization, obsessive and compulsive disorders, depression, anxiety scales.Conclusion. Patients with morphea have a wider range of psychosomatic symptoms. The prevalent characteristics of psychosomatic changes are somatization, obsessive and compulsive disorders, depression, anxiety.

Higher Residence Attachment and Religiosity Are Associated With Less Depressive Symptoms After Terror Event Exposure

Introduction: We examined how community type, residence attachment, and religiosity contribute to resilience to depressive symptoms, psychosomatic complaints, residential stress, and avoidance behavior among students exposed to terror.Methods: Undergraduate students from Ariel University (N = 1,413; 62.7% females; Mage = 26.5; SD = 6.03) completed a self-report questionnaire on socio-demographics, terror exposure, place attachment, and depressive/psychosomatic symptoms. Participants were divided into three residential groups: “Ariel,” “Small settlement communities in Judea and Samaria” or “Other places in Israel.”Results: Participants from small settlement communities in Judea and Samaria showed significantly fewer depressive symptoms and greater adjustment– less avoidance, psychosomatic symptoms, and residential stress– compared to those living in Ariel or other places in Israel, despite significantly higher exposure to terror.Conclusion: Greater religiosity and residence attachment may protect against depressive symptom development following terror exposure. Secular, temporary residents living in highly terror-exposed areas should be targeted for community strengthening interventions.

Identifying Symptom Clusters Among Pregnant Women During Early and Late Pregnancy

Objectives Symptom assessment and management among women in early and late pregnancy remains concerned, in consideration of multiple co-occurring symptoms; however, evaluation of multidimensional nature of symptom experience (e.g., frequency, severity and distress) and relevant symptom cluster among them is insufficient. To shed light on this understudied field, our study investigated the status of multiple psychosomatic symptoms among women and identified symptom clusters in different gestational stages. Methods A convenience sample of 557 pregnant women were recruited at two tertiary hospitals in Shandong, China. They were asked to complete the Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale, and sociodemographic and clinical information. Spearman correlation analysis, partial correlation networks, and hierarchical cluster analysis were carried out to identify optimal number of symptom clusters. Results Top five scores for symptoms in early pregnancy were nausea, lack of appetite, feeling drowsy, lack of energy, and vomiting; and weight gain, difficulty sleeping, sweating, lack of energy, and dry mouth scored highly in late pregnancy. Four clusters (pregnancy reaction symptom cluster, mood-fatigue symptom cluster, change in libido and food taste symptom cluster, and dry mouth-bloating symptom cluster) were identified in early pregnancy, and three clusters (mood-fatigue symptom cluster, sleep-bloating symptom cluster, and fluid deficiency symptom cluster) were determined in late pregnancy. Conclusion Women experience multiple psychosomatic symptoms during pregnancy, and the manifestation of symptoms varies in different stages. Our study has provided new insights into symptom clusters of pregnant women. These results might potentially support the development of assessment and management of multiple co-occurring symptoms in this population.

Physical Therapies for Psychosomatic Symptoms and Quality of Life Induced by Aromatase Inhibitors in Breast Cancer Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

ObjectiveTo evaluate the effects of Physical Therapies (PTs) on improvement in psychosomatic symptoms and quality of life (QOL) in breast cancer patients.Data SourcesSeven databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane CENTRAL, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wangfang, VIP, and China Biology Medicine disc databases) were systematically searched from the database inception through May 18, 2021.Study SelectionRandomized controlled trials (RCTs) which compared acupuncture or exercise with a sham control or usual care for the treatment of aromatase inhibitors (AIs)-related psychosomatic symptoms and QOL.Data Extraction and SynthesisData were screened and extracted independently using predesigned forms. The quality of RCTs was assessed with the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions. The effect size was calculated via random-effects modeling. The quality of evidence was evaluated with the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation approach.Main Outcomes and MeasuresThe score of pain was measured with BPI scale and Western Ontario and the McMaster Universities Index (WOMAC) scale. Emotional state was measured with Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS-A), and Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Fatigue (FACIT-Fatigue). The QOL score was measured by self-reported measurements, including the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General (FACT-G) scale and 36-Item Short Form Survey (SF-36) scale.ResultsEleven RCTs (with 830 patients) were included in the systematic review, and data from 10 RCTs (with 798 patients) were used in the meta-analysis. Results showed acupuncture significantly reduced worst pain scores (P < 0.00001, I2 = 83.5%) [SMD = −0.81, 95% CI (−1.51, −0.11)], but the effect of exercise therapies was not significant in overall change in worst pain scores (P =0.006, I2 = 72.3%) [SMD = −0.30, 95% CI (−0.76, 0.16)]. Both acupuncture and exercise resulted in little to no difference in overall change in HADS-A subscale (P = 0.026<0.05, I2 = 79.8%) [WMD = −0.21, 95% CI (−3.44, 3.03)], PSQI subscale (P = 0.488, I2 = 0%) [WMD = 0.98, 95% CI (−0.57, 2.53)], and FACIT-Fatigue subscale (P = 0.022<0.05, I2 = 81.0%) [WMD = 1.6, 95% CI (−5.75, 8.94)]. Exercise (compared with usual care) was associated with improving overall change in health-related QOL (subscales of SF-36 tool) (P = 0, I2 = 72.1%) [WMD = 7.97, 95% CI (5.68, 10.25)] and cancer-specific QOL (subscales of FACT-G tool) (P = 0.304, I2 = 16%) [WMD = 1.16, 95% CI (0.34, 1.97)].Conclusions and RelevanceThis systematic review and meta-analysis suggested that based on moderate-level evidence, acupuncture was associated with significant reductions in pain intensity, and exercise might improve QOL in breast cancer patients treated with AIs. However, in psychosomatic symptoms such as anxiety, sleep disturbance, and fatigue, acupuncture and exercise training did not result in significant improvements.

Psychosomatic symptoms in preschool children and how to treat them (Preprint)

BACKGROUND Recent years saw an increase in children with emotional problems. There are many socioeconomic, political, and other processes going on in the world right now, which change how we live and what is surrounding us OBJECTIVE Recent years saw an increase in children with emotional problems. There are many socioeconomic, political, and other processes going on in the world right now, which change how we live and what is surrounding us. These changes may negatively affect the health of children, both somatic and mental sides. The current study aims to determine the structure of psychosomatic symptoms in preschool children and develop an effective treatment method for preschool teachers to deploy. METHODS A total of 259 children aged 4 to 5 years from Moscow preschools were divided into two groups: children (n = 92) exposed to a standard education program and children (n = 167) enrolled in the proposed education program for psychosomatic enhancement. The experiment lasted 6 months. RESULTS Using the proposed education program led to substantial improvements in the following KiddyKINDL subscales from baseline: Physical Well-being (1.19-fold increase, p <0.05), Emotional Well-being (1.24-fold increase, p <0.05), Self-esteem (1.21-fold increase, p <0.05), Family (1.17-fold increase, p <0.05), and Kiddy Parents (1.2-fold increase, p <0.05). The control group demonstrated slight but not significant improvements (p> 0.05). CONCLUSIONS Therefore, the preschool teachers can use the proposed education program to enhance the psychosomatic health of preschool-aged children.

Psychosomatic health and sympathetic nervous adaptation of health professionals and the general population during the second covid-19 wave in Greece. between-group comparisons and regression analysis

Background: Based on previous COVID-19 global literature, the second COVID-19 outbreak in Greece probably created a stressful environment for health professionals and the general population. It is likely that psychosomatic and sympathetic nervous symptoms increased in both groups.Aim: The study tests whether health professionals would present significantly higher levels of psychosomatic and sympathetic nervous symptoms, and whether several biopsychosocial criteria would predict psychosomatic symptoms overall.Material & Methods: 192 participants were recruited though the snowball strategy after the first domestic COVID-19 lockdown in Greece. Participants provided socio-demographic details, while they answered measurements regarding nervous adaptation (DASS-21), psychosomatics (PSSQ-29), resilience (NMRQ), self-efficacy (GSE) and personality (IPIP-50). The researchers performed independent t-tests, one-way ANOVAs, Pearson’s r correlation analysis and a multiple linear regression.Results: Health professionals experienced significantly less psychosomatic and sympathetic nervous symptoms compared to the general population, while none of the socio-demographic variables show between-groups differences. 10 out of 15 biopsychosocial variables were found significantly correlated with psychosomatic symptoms. The predictive model (Adjusted R2= .586) shows ‘stress’ (β= .242, p= .006), ‘anxiety’ (β= .494, p< .001) and ‘emotional stability’ (β= -.160, p= .004) to be significant predictors, excluding ‘gender’, ‘being a health professional’, ‘resilience’, ‘self-efficacy’ and ‘extraversion’.Conclusions: The findings contradict to previous studies regarding psychosomatic and sympathetic nervous symptoms in the COVID-19 era. Additionally, the prediction model is not consistent to the theories regarding resilience and self-efficacy. The present study provides much debate in the relevant fields of research.

Gaming and Social Media Addiction in University Students: Sex Differences, Suitability of Symptoms, and Association With Psychosocial Difficulties

Background: Previous research has shown that addictions to digital media can have negative impact on psychosocial health. Although Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) has received most scholarly recognition, the potential negative consequences of Social Media Disorder (SMD) have also been found. However, few studies have assessed the symptoms of these two digital media addictions in the same way, making comparisons difficult. The present study aims to fill this gap by investigating differences and similarities regarding how common the symptoms are, sex differences, the suitability of the symptoms, and their association with psychosocial difficulties.Method: A total of 688 university students (63.2% women, Mean age = 25.98) completed a questionnaire measuring symptoms of IGD and SMD, as well as psychosocial difficulties (i.e., psychosomatic symptoms, low self-concept, and social problems).Results: Results showed that 1.2% of the men and 0.9% of the women met the symptom criteria for IGD (non-significant difference), whereas 3.2% men and 2.8% women met the symptom criteria for SMD (non-significant difference). Dimensional analyses indicated that men had higher IGD scores compared to women, whereas the opposite was found for SMD. Symptoms of heavy involvement in digital media (i.e., Preoccupation, Tolerance, Withdrawal, Unsuccessful attempts to control, and Escape) had high sensitivity, but low positive predictive value (PPV). However, symptoms associated with negative consequences of digital media use (i.e., Loss of interest, Continued excessive use, Deception, and Jeopardizing career/relationships) had low sensitivity, but high PPV. These symptom patterns were similar for IGD and SMD. Meeting the criteria for IGD or SMD as well as being at risk of these disorders were significantly associated with psychosocial difficulties. Symptoms of SMD generally had stronger associations with psychosomatic symptoms compared to symptoms of IGD.Conclusions: We conclude that heavy involvement in digital media seems common among individuals with IGD or SMD, but also among those not meeting the symptom criteria, whereas negative consequences are less common but highly predictive of digital media addictions once present. Further attention to SMD is warranted, as it seems more common than IGD and also seems to be equally or more strongly associated with psychosocial difficulties.