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Psychosomatic Medicine
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Psychosomatic Medicine

A special issue of Journal of Clinical Medicine (ISSN 2077-0383). This special issue belongs to the section "Mental Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 March 2019) | Viewed by 35524

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Mutsuhiro Nakao

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Professor of Psychosomatic Medicine, Teikyo University Hospital, Tokyo, Japan
Interests: psychosomatic medicine; behavioral medicine; work-related stress

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Giovanni Andrea Fava, Editor-in-Chief of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, insists that psychosomatic medicine is not a synonym for consultation–liaison psychiatry and regarded as a comprehensive interdisciplinary framework for assessing psychological factors affecting individual vulnerability, course, and outcome of any type of disease (Fava GA et al. Curr Psychiatry Rep 12:215–221, 2010). This concept largely corresponds to our basic idea of the Japanese Society of Psychosomatic Medicine which defines psychosomatic illness as any physical condition involving organic or functional damage that is affected by psychological factors in the process of its onset or development (Nakao M & Takeuchi T. Int J Behav Med 23:580–588, 2016). Stress is the term used to define the body’s physiological and/or psychological reaction to circumstances that require behavioral adjustment. Specific illness may be caused when the suffering stressors are too intense and persistent. When people are vulnerable to stress because of their character and ability to adapt, psychosomatic illness is likely to occur even if the stressors are mild or moderate. The present Special Issue aims at clarifying the effects of psychosocial stress on medical conditions for diagnoses and treatments of psychosomatic illnesses. Epidemiological studies, clinical trials and proposals of theoretical models are welcomed for the understanding of psychosomatic illness conditions.

Prof. Dr. Mutsuhiro Nakao
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Journal of Clinical Medicine is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Psychosomatic medicine
  • Psychosomatic illness
  • Psychosocial stress
  • Functional somatic syndrome
  • Bio-psycho-social model

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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14 pages, 335 KiB  
Article
Does Emotional Intelligence Matter in Tough Times? A Moderated Mediation Model for Explaining Health and Suicide Risk amongst Short- and Long-Term Unemployed Adults
by Sergio Mérida-López, Natalio Extremera, Cirenia Quintana-Orts and Lourdes Rey
J. Clin. Med. 2019, 8(6), 797; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm8060797 - 05 Jun 2019
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3171
Abstract
This study contributes to knowledge on psychosomatic research by examining a moderated mediation model in which emotional intelligence (EI) is related to mental health, physical health and suicide risk through perceived stress, in samples of short-term (n = 364) and long-term ( [...] Read more.
This study contributes to knowledge on psychosomatic research by examining a moderated mediation model in which emotional intelligence (EI) is related to mental health, physical health and suicide risk through perceived stress, in samples of short-term (n = 364) and long-term (n = 594) unemployed individuals. The moderating effect of emotional intelligence on the relationships between perceived stress and mental and physical health and suicide risk was tested. The results showed that emotional intelligence was positively associated with mental and physical health and negatively associated with perceived stress and suicide risk. The proposed model only predicted mental health and suicide risk in the long-term unemployed sample. This suggests that emotional intelligence may act as a buffer against the negative impact of unemployment-related stress on mental health and suicide risk when unemployment is prolonged. Therefore, interventions targeting both the promotion of mental health and the prevention of suicide risk via the promotion of emotional abilities may consider length of unemployment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Psychosomatic Medicine)
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10 pages, 617 KiB  
Article
Baseline Psychological Inflexibility Moderates the Outcome Pain Interference in a Randomized Controlled Trial on Internet-based Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Chronic Pain
by Thomas Probst, Harald Baumeister, Lance M. McCracken and Jiaxi Lin
J. Clin. Med. 2019, 8(1), 24; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm8010024 - 25 Dec 2018
Cited by 34 | Viewed by 5047
Abstract
This study re-investigated data of a randomized controlled trial on Internet-based Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for chronic pain (ACTonPain). Baseline psychological inflexibility was examined as a moderator of the outcome pain interference. In the ACTonPain trial, participants with chronic pain were randomized to [...] Read more.
This study re-investigated data of a randomized controlled trial on Internet-based Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for chronic pain (ACTonPain). Baseline psychological inflexibility was examined as a moderator of the outcome pain interference. In the ACTonPain trial, participants with chronic pain were randomized to one of three conditions: guided Internet-based ACT (n = 100), unguided Internet-based ACT (n = 101), and waitlist (n = 101). Moderation analyses were performed with the SPSS macro PROCESS. Pain interference according to the Multidimensional Pain Inventory (MPI) was the primary outcome in this trial, and the potential moderator psychological inflexibility was measured with the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire (AAQ-II). Psychological inflexibility at baseline moderated the outcome between guided Internet-based ACT and waitlist 9-weeks as well as 6-months after randomization. (both p < 0.05). Between unguided Internet-based ACT and waitlist, psychological inflexibility moderated the outcome 6-months after randomization (p < 0.05). Internet-based ACT was superior to waitlist for participants with less psychological inflexibility at baseline, but Internet-based ACT became increasingly comparable to waitlist at higher AAQ-II baseline values. Future research should investigate whether the results can be replicated in more individualized and tailored face-to-face settings. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Psychosomatic Medicine)
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8 pages, 444 KiB  
Article
Alexithymia and Somatosensory Amplification Link Perceived Psychosocial Stress and Somatic Symptoms in Outpatients with Psychosomatic Illness
by Mutsuhiro Nakao and Takeaki Takeuchi
J. Clin. Med. 2018, 7(5), 112; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm7050112 - 10 May 2018
Cited by 24 | Viewed by 5324
Abstract
Background: Psychosomatic patients often complain of a variety of somatic symptoms. We sought to clarify the role of clinical predictors of complaints of somatic symptoms. Methods: We enrolled 604 patients visiting a psychosomatic outpatient clinic. The outcome was the total number of somatic [...] Read more.
Background: Psychosomatic patients often complain of a variety of somatic symptoms. We sought to clarify the role of clinical predictors of complaints of somatic symptoms. Methods: We enrolled 604 patients visiting a psychosomatic outpatient clinic. The outcome was the total number of somatic symptoms, and the candidate clinical predictors were perceived psychosocial stress, alexithymia, somatosensory amplification, adaptation, anxiety, and depression. All participants completed questionnaires assessing the outcome and the predictors. Results: The average number of reported somatic symptoms was 4.8; the most frequent was fatigue (75.3%), followed by insomnia (56.1%), low-back pain (49.5%), headache (44.7%), and palpitations (43.1%). Multiple regression analysis showed that the total number of somatic symptoms was significantly associated with the degree of perceived psychosocial stress, alexithymia, somatosensory amplification, and depression. Also, structural equation models indicated links between excessive adaptation (via perceived psychosocial stress, alexithymia, and somatosensory amplification) and the total number of somatic symptoms. Conclusion: The results suggested that the association between psychosocial stress and reported somatic symptoms is mediated by alexithymia and somatosensory amplification in psychosomatic patients. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Psychosomatic Medicine)
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13 pages, 309 KiB  
Article
Perceived Discrimination and Binge Eating Disorder; Gender Difference in African Americans
by Shervin Assari
J. Clin. Med. 2018, 7(5), 89; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm7050089 - 24 Apr 2018
Cited by 25 | Viewed by 5509
Abstract
Environmental stressors, such as perceived discrimination (PD), are linked to Binge Eating Disorder (BED). The current study investigated the association between PD and BED among African Americans, and the variation in such an association based on gender. Data of the National Survey of [...] Read more.
Environmental stressors, such as perceived discrimination (PD), are linked to Binge Eating Disorder (BED). The current study investigated the association between PD and BED among African Americans, and the variation in such an association based on gender. Data of the National Survey of American Life (NSAL), 2001–2003, with a nationally-representative sample of African American adults, were used (n = 3516). The independent variable in the study was PD. The dependent variable was BED, measured using the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI). Socio-demographics (age, education, employment, and marital status) were covariates, and gender was the moderator variable. Survey logistic regressions with and without gender × PD interaction terms were used for data analysis. In the pooled sample, PD was associated with higher odds of BED, net of socio-demographic factors. Models also showed a significant gender × PD interaction term suggesting a stronger association between PD and BED for women, compared to men. Gender specific models showed an association between PD and BED among female, but not male, African Americans. Although a link may exist between PD and BED among African Americans, the magnitude of this association depends on gender, with a stronger association among females than males. This finding is in line with the literature that has shown gender-specific consequences of environmental stress for African Americans. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Psychosomatic Medicine)

Review

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20 pages, 4101 KiB  
Review
Effects of Mind–Body Exercises (Tai Chi/Yoga) on Heart Rate Variability Parameters and Perceived Stress: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials
by Liye Zou, Jeffer Eidi Sasaki, Gao-Xia Wei, Tao Huang, Albert S. Yeung, Octávio Barbosa Neto, Kevin W. Chen and Stanley Sai-chuen Hui
J. Clin. Med. 2018, 7(11), 404; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm7110404 - 31 Oct 2018
Cited by 127 | Viewed by 15345
Abstract
Background: Heart rate variability (HRV) as an accurate, noninvasive measure of the Autonomous Nervous System (ANS) can reflect mental health (e.g., stress, depression, or anxiety). Tai Chi and Yoga (Tai Chi/Yoga), as the most widely practiced mind–body exercises, have shown positive outcomes of [...] Read more.
Background: Heart rate variability (HRV) as an accurate, noninvasive measure of the Autonomous Nervous System (ANS) can reflect mental health (e.g., stress, depression, or anxiety). Tai Chi and Yoga (Tai Chi/Yoga), as the most widely practiced mind–body exercises, have shown positive outcomes of mental health. To date, no systematic review regarding the long-lasting effects of Tai Chi/Yoga on HRV parameters and perceived stress has been conducted. Objective: To critically evaluate the existing literature on this topic. Methods: Five electronic databases (Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, SportDiscus and Cochrane Library) were searched from the start of the research project to July 2018. Study selection, data extraction, and study quality assessment were independently carried out by two reviewers. The potentially identified randomized controlled trials (RCT) reported the useful quantitative data that were included only for meta-analysis. Results: meta-analysis of 17 medium-to-high quality RCTs showed significantly beneficial effects on HRV parameters (normalized low-frequency, Hedge’s g = −0.39, 95% CI −0.39 to −0.56, p < 0.001, I2 = 11.62%; normalized high-frequency, Hedge’s g = 0.37, 95% CI 0.22 to −0.52, p < 0.001, I2 = 0%; low-frequency to high-frequency ratio, Hedge’s g = −0.58, 95% CI −0.81 to −0.35, p < 0.001, I2 = 53.78%) and stress level (Hedge’s g = −0.80, 95% CI −1.17 to −0.44, p < 0.001, I2 = 68.54%). Conclusions: Stress reduction may be attributed to sympathetic-vagal balance modulated by mind–body exercises. Tai Chi/Yoga could be an alternative method for stress reduction for people who live under high stress or negative emotions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Psychosomatic Medicine)
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