Table 2 The old world meets the new. Origins of psychosomatic medicine: concepts, scientific operationalisation and health care implementation in different psychosomatic communities
From: The European Network on Psychosomatic Medicine (ENPM) – history and future directions
Societies | Membership special profileb | Research | Health care |
|---|---|---|---|
European Conference on Psychosomatic Research ECPR (inaugurated 1955) | European; interested physicians and psychologists on the biannual conferences, 450 participants, 250 posters; no society, no members. At the conferences one business meeting of ECPR participants | Research on psychosomatic diseases in a bio-psycho-social way and applying this knowledge into clinical practice; focused on clinical psychosomatic research, mechanism and interventions | Health care issues in the whole field of medicine |
International College of Psychosomatic Medicine ICPM (Inaugurated in 1970) | International; 120 individual members from 30 different countries around the world, professionals (physicians, psychologists, nurses etc.) in health care. Bi-annual meetings (600–1000 participants; 200 posters), president, board, advisory board, 3 committeesc Implementation of psychosomatic knowledge in clinical practice; focusing on doctor patient relationship and emotional aspects in Psychosomatic Medicine | Common clinical and philosophical questions of the whole clinical field, interventions | Practical issues of the whole field of medicine, many specialities, like general practitioner, internal medicine, gyneacology. |
International Society of Behavioural Medicine ISBM (Inaugurated 1990) | International Federation of 26 regional member societies around the world (14 European); about 20% physicians/80% psychologists and others. Bi-annual meetings (650–800 participants; 400 posters), president, executive committee, governing council, 9 other committees, 4 special interest groupsc; newsletter. On one hand epidemiological, public health and on the other hand neuro-biological aspects of empirically found associations. Identification of four important phases: 1. Identification of the health problem. 2. Re-evaluation. 3. New methods to manage the problem. 4. Training of skills to maintain change. | Mainly focused on behavioural aspects of medicine; emphasis on cognitive behavioural intervention and prevention; recognition of behavioural mechanisms in public health. Health care politics. | Focusing on behavioural aspects in medicine, imple-mentation in primary care and other specialties with scientific evaluation. |
European Association of Consultation Liaison Psychiatry and Psychosomatics EACLPP (Inaugurated 1998) | About 100 individual members, mostly psychiatrists. Annual meetings (200 participants; 100 posters), president, board, working and special interests groups. Research in the field of Consultation Liaison psychiatry and psychosomatics with integration in hospital and clinical practice of psychiatry and the field of medicine | Clinical psychiatric/psychosomatic research, inter-ventions;development of the Care Complexity Predic-tion Instrument (COMPRI) and INTERMED as spin-off of the ECLW study [29] | C/L Psychiatry and Psychosomatics, Integrated care |
European Association of Psychosomatic Medicinea EAPM (Inaugurated 2012) | About 120 individual members, psychiatrists, psychosomatic specialty, psychologists. 10 European member societies. Annual meetings (250–400 participants; 150 posters), president, board, 1 working and 13 special interests groupsc. Research in the field of Consultation Liaison psychiatry and psychosomatics, integration in the whole field of psychosomatic medicine, hospital and clinical practice. | Clinical psychosomatic and psychiatric research, interventions | Psychosomatic Medicine, C/L Psychiatry and Psychosomatics, Integrated care |
American Psychosomatic Society APS (Inaugurated 1942) | North American society; about 1300 individual members, psychologists, physicians, few specialties; with an international branch (about 12% from Europe); annual meetings (500 participants; 800 posters), president, board, 6 committees, 5 special interest groupsc; newsletter (twice a year) ; | Goals: Scientific excellence, clinical relevance; mainly focused on clinical psychosomatic research: mechanism; intervention studies (RCT) | Interested in special psycho-somatic fields: p.e. cardiologic, gastrointestinal, pain etc. |