The Psychosomatic Assessment: Strategies to Improve Clinical Practice (Advances in Psychosomatic Medicine, Vol. 32)

Psychosomatic medicine has developed methods to increase diagnostic accuracy and improve targeted therapeutic approaches in all fields of medicine. In this context, clinimetrics, the science of clinical measurements, provides unprecedented opportunities for psychosomatic assessment. This volume illustrates how this approach can be translated into everyday practice complementing and improving the medical interview. The most sensitive and reliable clinical methods are presented for evaluating specific psychosocial aspects of disease, i.e. childhood adversities, life events and chronic stress, lifestyle, sexual function, subclinical and affective disturbances, personality, illness behavior, well-being and family dynamics. Each chapter provides practical illustrations as to how crucial information can be obtained with specific methods individualized according to the patients' needs. A hyperlink is provided to a website that contains many of the instruments assessed in the volume. This book enables the reader to understand the value of the psychosomatic approach in clinical practice. It is intended to expand and refine the skills of clinicians who work in general and specialized medicine and psychiatry, whether physicians, psychologists or other health professionals. Patient reported outcomes have become more and more important in clinical practice and research. Evaluating subjective perceptions of patients has become mandatory for a full assessment of treatment responses. In this context, clinimetrics, the science of clinical measurements, provides unprecedented opportunities for psychosomatic assessment. This volume illustrates how this approach can be translated into everyday practice complementing and improving the medical interview. The most sensitive and reliable clinical methods are presented for evaluating specific psychosocial aspects of disease, i.e. childhood adversities, life events and chronic stress, lifestyle, sexual function, subclinical and affective disturbances, personality, illness behavior, well-being and family dynamics. Each chapter provides practical illustrations as to how crucial information can be obtained with specific methods individualized according to the patients’ needs. A hyperlink is provided to a website that contains many of the instruments assessed in the volume. This book enables the reader to understand the value of patient reported outcomes in clinical practice. It is intended to expand and refine the skills of clinicians who work in general and specialized medicine and psychiatry, whether physicians, psychologists or other health professionals. Cover......Page 1 Title Pages......Page 3 Copyright......Page 5 Contents......Page 6 Principles of Psychosomatic Assessment......Page 9 The Psychosomatic Interview......Page 27 Evaluating Childhood Adversity......Page 43 Evaluating Life Events and Chronic Stressors in Relation to Health: Stressors and Health in Clinical Work......Page 66 Assessment of Lifestyle in Relation to Health......Page 80 Assessment of Sexual Function in the Medically Ill: Psychosomatic Approach to Sexual Functioning......Page 105 Psychological Factors in Medical Disorders Assessed with the Diagnostic Criteria for Psychosomatic Research......Page 116 Mood and Anxiety in the Medically Ill......Page 126 Assessment of Personality in Psychosomatic Medicine: Current Concepts......Page 141 Illness Behavior......Page 168 Assessment of Psychological Well-Being in Psychosomatic Medicine......Page 190 Family Assessment in the Medical Setting......Page 211 Relational Ethics and Psychosomatic Assessment......Page 231 Author Index......Page 248 Subject Index......Page 249 Principles of psychosomatic assessment / Fava, G.A., Sonino, N., Wise, T.N. The psychosomatic interview / Wise, T.N., Dellemonache, P.M.; Bachawati, M.M. Evaluating childhood adversity / Thabrew, H., de Sylva, S., Romans, S.E. Evaluating life events and chronic stressors in relation to health : stressors and health in clinical work / Theorell, T. Assessment of lifestyle in relation to health / Tomba, E. Assessment of sexual function in the medically ill : psychosomatic approach to sexual functioning / Balon, R. Psychological factors in medical disorders assessed with the diagnostic criteria for psychosomatic research / Porcelli, P., Todarello, O. Mood and anxiety in the medically ill / Bech, P. Assessment of personality in psychosomatic medicine : current concepts Cosci, F. Illness behavior / Sirri, L., Grandi, S. Assessment of psychological well-being in psychosomatic medicine Rafanelli, C., Ruini, C. Family assessment in the medical setting / Keitner, G.I. Relational ethics and psychosomatic assessment / Barbosa, A.