Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Ricarda Mewes
Summary: This article discusses the importance of somatic symptoms that cannot be fully explained by medical conditions for public health, and their association with somatoform disorders. It also emphasizes the impact of specific negative psychological factors on symptoms and disorders.
FRONTIERS IN PUBLIC HEALTH
(2022)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Nadine J. Pohontsch, Thomas Zimmermann, Marco Lehmann, Lisa Rustige, Katinka Kurz, Bernd Lowe, Martin Scherer
Summary: German GPs consider adequate coding as an essential prerequisite for treatment and tend to prefer symptom or functional codes. Exposure, guideline knowledge, and experience are most strongly associated with GPs' subjective coding behavior.
FRONTIERS IN MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Cathrine Abrahamsen, Silje Endresen Reme, Knut Reidar Wangen, Morten Lindbaek, Erik Lonnmark Werner
Summary: This study aimed to examine the effects of a work-focused structured communication tool based on cognitive-behavioral therapy in patients with Medically Unexplained Physical Symptoms (MUPS). The results showed that the intervention group using the tool had significant overall improvement in function, symptoms, and quality of life compared to the usual care group. Furthermore, the intervention group also had a decrease in sick leave and greater satisfaction with the communication during consultations.
Review
Medicine, Research & Experimental
An Mariman, Peter Vermeir, Marta Csabai, Anne Weiland, Karen Stegers-Jager, Ruben Vermeir, Dirk Vogelaers
Summary: Current biomedical thinking hampers adequate management in dealing with medically unexplained symptoms (MUS). A lack of education and training focusing on a biopsychical approach is observed. Intercultural communication skills need to be enhanced in healthcare to address the complexity of MUS management in a diverse context. Research and dedication of healthcare resources should be intensified.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF MEDICAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Mujtaba Husain, Trudie Chalder
Summary: Medically unexplained symptoms or persistent physical symptoms are common, real, and have significant impact on patients' distress, functioning, and healthcare costs. Proper history, examination, and investigations are essential for diagnosis, followed by tailored advice for managing the symptoms.
Review
Psychiatry
Denise J. C. Hanssen, Lisanne R. Bos, Tracy L. Finch, Judith G. M. Rosmalen
Summary: The study reviewed existing literature on barriers and facilitators to implementing interventions for MUS in primary and secondary care. Results showed that interventions need to be acceptable and in line with daily practice routines, professionals' attitude and skills are crucial for implementation success, and patients sticking to finding a somatic cause hampers implementation. Lack of time is a commonly mentioned barrier at the organizational level.
GENERAL HOSPITAL PSYCHIATRY
(2021)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Juul Houwen, Olga A. de Bont, Peter L. B. J. Lucassen, Judith G. M. Rosmalen, Hugo W. Stappers, Tim C. Olde Hartman, Sandra van Dulmen
Summary: A communication training program for General Practice (GP) residents focused on patients with medically unexplained symptoms (MUS) in primary care was developed and evaluated. The program consisted of an online course and training days and resulted in improved self-efficacy for communication with MUS patients among the residents.
PATIENT EDUCATION AND COUNSELING
(2022)
Article
Psychiatry
Susanne Fischer, Nadine Skoluda, Nida Ali, Urs M. Nater, Ricarda Mewes
Summary: This case-control study investigated whether individuals with different forms of medically unexplained symptoms show altered hair cortisol concentrations. Results suggest that a specific subgroup of patients with medically unexplained symptoms may have hypocortisolism, related to excessive thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.
JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRIC RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Dentistry, Oral Surgery & Medicine
Mitsuhiro Asami, Yasuyuki Kimura, Miho Takenoshita, Risa Tominaga, Chizuko Maeda, Chihiro Takao, Motoko Watanabe, Trang Thi Huyen Tu, Takahiko Nagamine, Akira Toyofuku
Summary: This study compared the DMFT index scores of patients with oral psychosomatic disorders, psychiatric inpatients, and general dental patients. The median DMFT scores of patients with oral psychosomatic disorders, psychiatric inpatients, and general dental patients were 16, 22, and 10, respectively, showing a significant difference. The presence or absence of psychiatric history did not significantly affect the DMFT scores of patients with oral psychosomatic disorders.
JOURNAL OF DENTAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Psychiatry
Denise J. C. Hanssen, Anika Ras, Judith G. M. Rosmalen
Summary: The study explored key barriers and facilitators to the implementation of MUS interventions in primary care, finding that time constraints were major barriers while a positive attitude towards MUS patients was the most important facilitator. Results indicate some variations in different professions.
JOURNAL OF PSYCHOSOMATIC RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Psychiatry
Darren M. Winograd, Justeen K. Hyde, Katharine Bloeser, Susan L. Santos, Nicole Anastasides, Beth Ann Petrakis, Wilfred R. Pigeon, David R. Litke, Drew A. Helmer, Lisa M. McAndrew
Summary: This study evaluated factors that influenced enrollment in and satisfaction with behavioral interventions for Veterans with Gulf War Illness (GWI). Through one-on-one interviews, participants expressed a desire for new knowledge about GWI, learning symptom-management strategies, and improving care, both for themselves and other GWI patients. The results showed that Veterans felt positive about the interventions as they built strong therapeutic relationships with providers, had their experiences validated, and received information and strategies for managing GWI symptoms.
JOURNAL OF PSYCHOSOMATIC RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Victoria Ruschil, Nazar Mazurak, Martin Hofmann, Ekaterina Loskutova, Paul Enck, Tobias Freilinger, Katja Weimer
Summary: Patients with medically unexplained sensory symptoms (MUSS) often have psychiatric comorbidities, as shown in this study. Psychological questionnaires can differentiate between patients and healthy controls, while altered autonomic nervous system (ANS) function was also observed in these patients.
FRONTIERS IN NEUROLOGY
(2021)
Article
Primary Health Care
Oded Hammerman, Daniel Halperin, Daniel Tsalihin, Dan Greenberg, Talma Kushnir, Yacov Ezra
Summary: Frequent Attenders with Medically Unexplained Symptoms (FA/MUS) are more costly than Non-FA and exhibit unique healthcare utilization and cost patterns. FA/OI have more severe illnesses requiring hospitalizations and surgical interventions, while FA/MUS require more investigations and tests.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF GENERAL PRACTICE
(2021)
Review
Medicine, General & Internal
Peter Vermeir, An Mariman, Lilla Lucza, Viola Sallay, Anne Weiland, Karen M. Stegers-Jager, Dirk Vogelaers
Summary: Different case definitions lead to varying epidemiological estimates for patients with medically unexplained symptoms (MUS), but they are prevalent in a wide range of healthcare settings. Literature provides evidence supporting the effectiveness of structural frameworks in approaching MUS patients. The organization of care for MUS needs to span different levels of care and involve coordination among caregivers with different qualifications.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CLINICAL PRACTICE
(2021)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Benjamin Pascal Frank, Clara Magdalena Theil, Nathalie Brill, Hanna Christiansen, Christina Schwenck, Meinhard Kieser, Corinna Reck, Ricarda Steinmayr, Linda Wirthwein, Kathleen Otto
Summary: Although many employees have a mental illness, their work situation is still not well studied. Previous research shows that people with mental illness experience workplace discrimination, which negatively affects their health. This study, based on the stereotype content model and allostatic load theory, investigates whether socially exclusion at the workplace leads to more sick leave for employees with mental illness. The findings support the hypotheses, suggesting that the severity of mental illness indirectly affects sick leave days through symptomatic burden and social exclusion at the workplace.
FRONTIERS IN PUBLIC HEALTH
(2022)
Article
Psychiatry
L. K. Klastrup, M. Rosendal, M. T. Rask, K. S. Christensen, C. U. Rask
Summary: This study compared the management of functional somatic symptoms (FSS) in youths and adults in general practice and found that the prevalence of FSS was lower in youths (4.4%) compared to adults (9.0%). However, healthcare providers perceived both youths and adults with FSS as time consuming, emphasizing the need for supportive management strategies.
JOURNAL OF PSYCHOSOMATIC RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Psychiatry
Johanne Liv Agger, Andreas Schroder, Eva Ornbol, Jens Sondergaard Jensen, Heidi Frolund Pedersen, Per Fink, Lise Kirstine Gormsen
Summary: This study compares two previous parallel running randomized controlled trials of pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy for multi-organ functional somatic disorder (FSD). The study reveals differences in patient characteristics and highlights potential flaws in trial design and interpretation of results.
PSYCHIATRY RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Torben Jorgensen, Thomas Meinertz Dantoft, Marie Weinreich Petersen, Michael Eriksen Benros, Chalotte Heinsvig Poulsen, Lene Falgaard Eplov, Lise Gormsen, Lisbeth Frostholm, Tina Birgitte Wisbech Carstensen, Marie Holm Eliasen, Line Lund Karhus, Sine Skovbjerg, Anne Ahrendt Bjerregaard, Susanne Brix, Allan Linneberg, Per Fink
Summary: Persistent physical symptoms are common in the population and can develop into functional somatic disorders (FSD). There is a need to explore the boundaries between general bodily sensations and FSD, and address the controversies surrounding the occurrence, risk factors, prognosis, and costs of FSD in the general population. The DanFunD study is the largest population-based study on FSD, and initial results show that FSD affects approximately 10-15% of the Danish population.
SCANDINAVIAN JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH
(2022)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Louise S. Brinth, Torben Jorgensen, Jesper Mehlsen, Marie W. Petersen, Lise Gormsen, Allan Linneberg, Per Fink, Michael E. Benros, Thomas M. Dantoft
Summary: This study describes the distribution of heart rate variability in the general population, stratified by sex and age groups. It found that both sex and age influence heart rate variability.
SCANDINAVIAN JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH
(2022)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Signe Ulfbeck Schovsbo, Line Tang Mollehave, Marie Weinreich Petersen, Anne Ahrendt Bjerregaard, Marie Eliasen, Susanne Brix Pedersen, Lene Falgaard Eplov, Line Lund Karhus, Per Fink, Allan Linneberg, Thomas Meinertz Dantoft, Torben Jorgensen, Michael Eriksen Benros
Summary: This study aimed to test the association between former infections and functional somatic disorders (FSD) using data from nationwide registries and a large population-based cohort study.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Marie Weinreich Petersen, Tina Birgitte Wisbech Carstensen, Lisbeth Frostholm, Kaare Bro Wellnitz, Eva Ornbol, Thomas Tandrup Lamm, Thomas Meinertz Dantoft, Lene Falgaard Eplov, Torben Jorgensen, Per Fink
Summary: This study found strong positive associations between neuroticism and functional somatic disorders (FSD), as well as between adverse life events (ALE) and questionnaire-based FSD. These associations were not modified by self-efficacy. The combination of neuroticism and ALE did not have a moderating effect on the probability of having FSD.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Review
Psychology, Clinical
Mette Trollund Rask, Lisbeth Frostholm, Sofie Hoeg Hansen, Marie Weinreich Petersen, Eva Ornbol, Marianne Rosendal
Summary: Persistent physical symptoms (PPS) pose challenges to healthcare due to limited time and resources. Self-help interventions could be a cost-effective solution. This study explored the components and potential effects of self-help interventions for PPS through a systematic literature search. Sixteen intervention components showed potential effects, such as goal-setting, feedback, and knowledge shaping. Including these components in PPS self-help interventions may improve physical and mental health outcomes for patients.
HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY REVIEW
(2023)
Article
Immunology
K. Torp Hansen, F. Kusk Povlsen, B. Hammer Bech, S. Nygaard Hansen, C. Ulrikka Rask, P. Fink, T. Jorgensen, H. Nielsen, T. Meinertz Dantof, S. Marie Thysen, D. Rytter
Summary: This study aimed to estimate the frequency and number of immediate adverse reactions following COVID-19 vaccination in a Danish population. Among 171,008 vaccinated individuals included in the analysis, redness and/or pain at the injection site was the most frequently reported adverse reaction following the first dose (20%), while tiredness was the most frequently reported adverse reaction following the second and third dose (22% and 14% respectively). Females and younger individuals had higher frequencies of adverse reactions, but most of the Danish citizens did not experience immediate adverse reactions following COVID-19 vaccination.
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Marie Weinreich Petersen, Tina Birgitte Wisbech Carstensen, Lisbeth Frostholm, Kaare Bro Wellnitz, Eva ornbol, Torben Jorgensen, Lene Falgaard Eplov, Thomas Meinertz Dantoft, Per Fink
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the association between functional somatic disorders (FSD) and perceived stress and self-efficacy, respectively, and to examine if FSD differed from severe physical diseases in these aspects. The results showed that FSD were associated with higher perceived stress and lower self-efficacy, especially for certain types of FSD and chronic fatigue. However, controlling for the personality trait neuroticism changed the association with self-efficacy to become insignificant. The analysis did not support an important interaction between perceived stress and self-efficacy in the likelihood of having FSD.
CLINICAL EPIDEMIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Heidi Frolund Pedersen, Thomas Tandrup Lamm, Per Fink, Eva Ornbol, Lisbeth Frostholm
Summary: The aim of this study is to compare the efficacy of therapist-assisted internet-delivered treatment program OneStep with the internet-delivered self-help program GetStarted for multi-system functional somatic disorders (FSDs). A total of 166 participants diagnosed with FSD will be assessed and randomized to either OneStep or GetStarted. The primary outcome is physical health, measured by a Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) aggregate score, and self-reported improvement. Secondary outcomes include symptom load, depression, anxiety, and illness worry. This study has the potential to show the importance of accessible internet-delivered treatment for FSD.
CONTEMPORARY CLINICAL TRIALS COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Oliver Ronn Christensen, Leonora Hedegaard, Mette Trollund Rask, Jane Clemensen, Lisbeth Frostholm, Marianne Rosendal
Summary: This study aimed to examine the usability of an unguided, self-help treatment program, My Symptoms, and identified important usability issues related to functionality, navigation, and content. Through feedback from healthcare professionals, web developers, and users, the program can be redesigned to improve treatment efficacy and user accessibility.
JMIR HUMAN FACTORS
(2023)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Julie Hogsgaard Andersen, Mette Bech Risor, Lisbeth Frostholm, Mette Trollund Rask, Marianne Rosendal, Charlotte Ulrikka Rask
Summary: This study examines how young people with persistent physical symptoms (PPS) manage their symptoms while staying engaged in their daily activities and the implications of these attempts. The participants employed alleviating measures and tried to find patterns between their activities and the severity of their symptoms in order to adjust their activity level. However, they experienced challenges in balancing societal norms of social and active behavior and explaining their symptoms to others.
Article
Obstetrics & Gynecology
C. Bisgaard Jensen, B. Hammer Bech, S. Nygaard Hansen, C. Ulrikka Rask, P. Fink, H. Nielsen, T. Meinertz Dantoft, S. Marie Thysen, D. Rytter
Summary: The study found that 30% of menstruating women experienced menstrual changes following COVID-19 vaccination, with several potential risk factors including stress, vaccine concerns, severe COVID-19 infection, and immediate vaccine symptoms being associated with these reports.
HUMAN REPRODUCTION
(2023)
Review
Clinical Neurology
Peter White, Susan Abbey, Brian Angus, Harriet A. Ball, Dedra S. Buchwald, Christine Burness, Alan J. Carson, Trudie Chalder, Daniel J. Clauw, Jan Coebergh, Anthony S. David, Barbara A. Dworetzky, Mark J. Edwards, Alberto J. Espay, John Etherington, Per Fink, Signe Flottorp, Beatrice Garcin, Paul Garner, Paul Glasziou, Willie Hamilton, Peter Henningsen, Ingrid Hoeritzauer, Mujtaba Husain, Anne-Catherine M. L. Huys, Hans Knoop, Kurt Kroenke, Alexander Lehn, James L. Levenson, Paul Little, Andrew Lloyd, Ira Madan, Jos W. M. van der Meer, Alastair Miller, Maurice Murphy, Irwin Nazareth, David L. Perez, Wendy Phillips, Markus Reuber, Winfried Rief, Alastair Santhouse, Tereza Serranova, Michael Sharpe, Biba Stanton, Donna E. Stewart, Jon Stone, Michele Tinazzi, Derick T. Wade, Simon C. Wessely, Vegard Wyller, Adam Zeman
Summary: Chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME) is a disabling long-term condition of unknown cause. The recent guideline from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) sparked controversy by recommending against graded exercise therapy (GET) and downgrading the importance of cognitive-behavioural therapy for recovery. The anomalies in evidence processing and interpretation by the NICE committee, such as creating a new definition, omitting data, and deviating from accepted practices, contributed to this controversy.
JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGY NEUROSURGERY AND PSYCHIATRY
(2023)
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Tomas Nordheim Alme, Anna Andreasson, Tarjei Torre Asprusten, Anne Karen Bakken, Michael B. J. Beadsworth, Birgitte Boye, Per Alf Brodal, Elias Myrstad Brodwall, Kjetil Gundro Brurberg, Ingrid Bugge, Trudie Chalder, Reidar Due, Hege Randi Eriksen, Per Klausen Fink, Signe Agnes Flottorp, Egil Andreas Fors, Bard Fossli Jensen, Hans Petter Fundingsrud, Paul Garner, Lise Beier Havdal, Helene Helgeland, Henrik Borsting Jacobsen, Georg Espolin Johnson, Martin Jonsjoe, Hans Knoop, Live Landmark, Gunvor Launes, Mats Lekander, Hannah Linnros, Elin Lindsaeter, Helena Liira, Lina Linnestad, Jon Hvard Loge, Peter Solvoll Lyby, Sadaf Malik, Ulrik Fredrik Malt, Trygve Moe, Anna-Karin Norlin, Maria Pedersen, Siv Elin Pignatiello, Charlotte Ulrikka Rask, Silje Endresen Reme, Gisle Roksund, Markku Sainio, Michael Sharpe, Ruth Foseide Thorkildsen, Betty van Roy, Per Olav Vandvik, Henrik Vogt, Hedda Bratholm Wyller, Vegard Bruun Bratholm Wyller
Summary: The 'Oslo Chronic Fatigue Consortium' proposes an alternative view regarding chronic fatigue syndromes, suggesting that they may reflect the brain's response to various factors rather than being incurable diseases. They argue for a gradual return to normal activities and a less threatening understanding of the symptoms to promote recovery.
SCANDINAVIAN JOURNAL OF PRIMARY HEALTH CARE
(2023)
