Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / The psychosomatic concept in dentistry has been approached two-fold manner: a) the interrelationship of psychological factors and dental problems as reflected in the literature has been discussed, confirming the hypothesis that psychosomatic dentistry should be acknowledged by the dental profession as integral part of the dental school curriculum; b) a second hypothesis, namely a possible correlation between dental decay and psychopathology has been tested as follows: 70 institutionalized mentally ill patients, 25 males and 45 females, were administered the MMPI (Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory), ICL (Interpersonal Check List), and the following indices were determined: Russell's periodontal classification, the DMFT (Decayed, Missing and Filled Teeth) and the DMFS (Decayed, Missing and Filled Surfaces). Findings show the average number of teeth and tooth surfaces affected, using the DMFT and DMFS were found to be more for the institutionalized mentally ill than for the average non-institutionalized person. Findings also show that while the ICL did not correlate with the dental scores, some of the MMPI scores did. The MMPI, considered by psychologists a much more subtle instrument than the Interpersonal Check List, did yield some positive results in this study, thus supporting to some degree the hypothesis that there is a relationship between dental decay and psychopathology.

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A growing literature suggests that training in relaxation or meditation results in significant reductions in blood pressure in hypertensive patients. The present study was designed to assess the efficacy of a combination relaxation and meditation training program structured by the author and previously used in treatment of a broad spectrum of anxiety-related clinical problems of either a medical (somatic) or a psychological (cognitive and emotional) nature. The 20 subjects were a heterogeneous clinical group of veterans with mild hypertension who were seen at the Tucson Veterans Administration Medical Center. Volunteers were randomly assigned to either (I) an education/cognition group, (II) a three-treatment relaxation/meditation group, or (III) a six-treatment relaxation/meditation group. Blood pressure, anxiety, and stress were measured at regular intervals during training and follow up. All groups were trained over a six-week period. Both relaxation/meditation groups were taught the same skills; only the schedules for training were varied. The educational group, conceived as a control for therapist attention, was, in fact, a cognitive treatment group. Statistically significant reductions in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure were found over time in all groups, while no difference in blood pressure reductions was found among the groups. Anxiety scores increased over time, and no correlation was found between subjective anxiety and objective blood pressure measures. Means of both systolic and diastolic blood pressure were lower at times when subjects reported no stress. Results of this study tend to support those of previous studies, finding statistically significant reductions in systolic and diastolic blood pressure over time in two groups of hypertensive subjects trained in relaxation and meditation techniques. No difference was found, moreover, between these groups and an education/cognition group, suggesting that group techniques, in either significant lowering of blood pressure. This finding lends support to a multiprocess theory which suggests that all treatments have multiple effects.

Thesis (M.A. (Clinical Psychology))--University of Pretoria, 2003.

Asthma has not declined in morbidity and mortality despite significant advances in medical treatment. A literature review was conducted and a program of research was devised with the goal of improving understanding of why many appropriately treated and educated asthmatics are unable to gain adequate control of their asthma. A review of the literature found that psychological stress was a poorly understood trigger for asthmatic symptoms and a possible factor in poor asthma control. A clinic visit study of adult asthmatics found: (1) life event stress was associated with asthma quality of life but not ventilatory function, (2) asthma self-efficacy was strongly related to asthma quality of life and ventilatory function, (3) style of coping with stress appeared to buffer the effects of stress on asthma, and (4) evidence for a stress-responsive asthmatic subgroup. A subsequent longitudinal daily diary study found: (1) concurrent stress and daily asthma symptoms were strongly associated, (2) daily bronchodilator use appeared to be determined by pre-diary beliefs about disease severity and controllability, (3) stress could precede (within one day) increases in asthma symptoms and decreases in airflow, and (4) clinically significant decreases in peak flow were often preceded by large increases in perceived stress. A laboratory study found: (1) exposure of asthmatics to specific passive and asthma-related stressors resulted in decreased airflow and that these decreases are associated with a concurrent increase in vagal (parasympathetic) tone, (2) an active stressor that resulted in increased sympathetic arousal did not result in decreased airflow, (3) relaxation resulted in parasympathetic arousal and decreased airflow, and (4) asthma self-efficacy was associated with parasympathetic reactivity. In sum, the program of research has generated findings that help explain how stress, coping and self-efficacy contribute to asthma control led to concrete suggestions to improve c

The relative strength of both neuroticism and affect in predicting common physical symptoms was tested. An event-sampling design was used to overcome methodological limitations of past research in the area. Contrary to much previous research, neuroticism was not related to reports of physical symptoms, although it was related to unpleasant affect. Unpleasant affect bore a strong concurrent relation to the frequency of reported symptoms. Temporal relations between experiences of unpleasant affect and subsequent symptoms were found for some individuals, but wide individual variability was seen in both the strength and direction of this linkage. The findings suggest that when individuals are asked to report their subjective experiences of physical illness without the necessity to retrospect over significant periods of time, unpleasant affect is more strongly related to experience of symptoms than is neuroticism.

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Redefinování role učitele použitím divadelních dílen založených na psychosomatickém přístupu v komunitě bez divadelního povědomí umožnilo účastníkům ocenit a prozkoumat své vlastní kreativní schopnosti, vedlo k rozšíření jejich kreativity a uvědomění si své tělesnosti a zodpovědnosti za tvorbu bezpečného a plodného prostředí k učení. Tato dizertační práce analyzovala mezinárodní experiment, který testoval trénink šestičlenného týmu z Katedry autorské tvorby a pedagogiky a nabídl možnost aplikace psychosomatického přístupu.

The thesis investigates the role of psycotherapy in treating peptic ulcers, offering a new approach, "Re-evaluation Co-counseling," a peer cathartic therapy.

No description available.