Psychosomatic medicine

Psychosomatic medicine emerged in the 20th century as a necessary complement to organ-specialized medicine and psychiatric medicine. As an additional medical qualification, psychosomatic medicine in Switzerland represents a wide-ranging cross-sectional discipline: Thus, in addition to the main care area of general practitioner psychosomatics, there are numerous other areas, such as pediatric, gynecological, pain medicine, dermatology, nutritional medicine or neurological psychosomatics. Academically, psychosomatic medicine is represented in clinics, research and teaching at various universities and colleges in Switzerland.

Clinical mission

Functional Disorders

A great many physical complaints cannot be clearly attributed to either a structural organ pathology or a psychiatric diagnosis and thus defy a Cartesian-dualistic categorization: Stress-related disorders, primary pain disorders, and other functional physical ailments can only be understood by considering the organism as a whole and its perceptual and regulatory capacities. Functional symptoms are absolutely real and can now be explained neurophysiologically. It is necessary to integrate functional symptoms into the context of the individual as a psychophysical whole.

 

Complex Diseases

Another group of patients experiences physical, functional, and psychological symptoms, whether in the context of classic comorbidities (e.g., diabetes with depression) or in the form of conditions that, by their very nature, affect the person as a whole (e.g., eating disorders, post-traumatic stress disorders, hypersensitivity syndromes, as well as chronic neurodegenerative, inflammatory, and endocrine diseases). A holistic somatic-psychological approach that integrates both organic and mental aspects of the illness is required.

Research and educational mission

Psychosocial Medicine

The foundational medical discipline of psychosocial medicine demonstrates how psychosocial factors and physical health interact. The “biopsychosocial model of disease” is a paradigm of psychosocial medicine and has now become widely accepted. From a scientific perspective, psychosocial medicine has numerous points of intersection with other medical disciplines, such as social and preventive medicine, medical psychology, medical anthropology, and environmental medicine.

 

Psychology in Human Medicine

In its role as an interdisciplinary and cross-cutting field, psychosomatic and psychosocial medicine plays a leading role in many places in integrating psychological knowledge and skills into medical education, continuing medical education, and professional development. Complementing scientific expertise, training in social, communicative, and psychological skills is an essential component in ensuring that organ-focused medicine evolves into comprehensive human medicine.

 

 

 

 

Interested in more?

The following specialist and textbooks provide an overview and offer reference options.

Current textbooks and textbooks