Body-Mind Connectedness: Integrative Body-Mind-Spirit Group Work for Depressed Persons with Salient Somatic Disturbances

Abstract

Globally, depression frequently comorbid with a variety of physical illnesses, which exert substantial mental and somatic distresses on patients. Sleep disturbance is one of the common conditions reported by individuals with either, mental or physical illnesses. Complex interaction among depression, sleep and physical illnesses highlighted the essential mindbody connection in the planning of integrative care and other clinical services. A number of eastern mind-body practices, such as Qigong, acupuncture and meditation, have been frequently studied indicating the eicacy of mind-body connection in complementary therapies. This chapter will introduce the integrative body-mind-spirit (I-BMS) group work, which has been found efective in addressing comorbid depressed mood and somatic alictions, especially sleep disturbances among Hong Kong Chinese adults.