Psychosomatic Medicine

Worldwide, psychosocial problems appear mainly within a medical context and are a major burden to health. In any country depression, anxiety, MUS (medically unexplained symptoms), traumatic and stress-related disorders are the most frequent non-communicable diseases. They account for the highest number of days off work, years lost to disability and health costs. Now in its fully revised and expanded third edition, this text lays the foundations of biopsychosocial care including the recognition of psychosocial and psychosomatic problems, basic counselling of patients and relatives (e.g., information, support and problem-solving), and finally collaboration among the health care givers, including mental health specialists. The objective of this book is to provide relevant information about the most common psychosocial disorders, communication within the caregiver system and proper basic care of psychosocially burdened patients and their families

Now in its fully revised and expanded third edition, this volume is the definitive global resource on psychosocial and psychosomatic problems. Containing several new chapters and featuring extensively updated contributions from experts in the field, this title takes a uniquely global approach in laying the foundations of biopsychosocial basic care and provides relevant information about the most common mental and psychosomatic problems and disorders. An extension of the cultural aspects of the individual clinical pictures and new contributions from Ukraine, Syria, Lebanon, Israel and Palestine accompany this revision. There are also new chapters that focus on acute stress disorder, psychotherapy, sleep disorders and burn-out prevention.

This book is divided into four sections and begins by explaining the relationship between psychosomatic medicine and primary care. The next part outlines the best practices for diagnosing the most common biopsychosocial problems and mastering the most frequent communication challenges (e.g. biopsychosocial anamnesis, breaking bad news, dealing with difficult patients, family and health systems communication and collaboration). The following section delves into more specific psychosomatic problems such as depressive disorders, posttraumatic stress disorder, addiction, the terminally ill patient and eating disorders, among others. The final section focuses on developing psychosomatic medicine in international settings. Every chapter integrates basic theoretical background and practical skills and includes trans-culturally sensitive material, important for work with patients from different nations.

Psychosomatic Medicine: An International Primer for the Primary Care Setting, third edition is a must-have reference for doctors from various specialties as well as nursing staff, social workers and clinical health psychologists.