Psychosoma in crisis: an autoethnographic study of medically unexplained symptoms and their diverse contexts

Hills, John; Lees, John; Freshwater, Dawn; Cahill, Jane

doi:10.1080/03069885.2016.1172201

Cited by 6 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 29 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…For counselors, who are often "first responders" for patients who develop FSS, it could be important to manage adverse interpersonal dynamics and be aware of early signs of a problematic therapeutic relationship, such as overcompliance and emotional avoidance in sessions. Thus, the counselor's strength lies in a supportive nondirective stance and in adopting a holistic approach that surpasses reductionistic models of FSS (Hills et al, 2018). Such a stance could provide a good basis for becoming a "different other" to the patient (i.e., being emotionally present and vigilant and attentive to emotional expression and enduring in its absence) irrespective of therapeutic orientation.…”

Section: Conclusion and Suggestions For Research And Practicementioning

confidence: 99%

“…(b) How do case studies describe the circumstances of symptom occurrences and worsening? Since FSS are reported to occur, worsen, or resolve during major interpersonal events, such as break ups, losses, conflicts, and interpersonal dilemmas (Hatcher & House, 2003; Hills, Lees, Freshwater, & Cahill, 2018), the second research question aimed at additional exploration of the real-life context of patients’ interpersonal dynamics. Thereby, exploring the circumstances of symptom onset can contribute to in-depth understanding of interpersonal and other factors accompanying the symptomatic course.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Interpersonal dynamics and therapeutic relationship in patients with functional somatic syndromes: A metasynthesis of case studies.

Krivzov¹,

Baert²,

Meganck³

et al. 2021

Journal of Counseling Psychology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Patients with Functional Somatic Syndromes (FSS) often display troubled relationships with health care providers, psychotherapists, and significant others. Research shows that patients' history of trauma, attachment disturbances, and mentalization deficits may result in the emergence of maladaptive interpersonal patterns, which may later contribute to the onset and maintenance of FSS, "doctor-hopping," and dropout in psychotherapy. As the nature and therapeutic consequences of such maladaptive interpersonal patterns in FSS cannot be understood sufficiently by quantitative methods alone, there is a need for in-depth qualitative research. To address this issue, we conducted a metasynthesis of 23 published case studies of patients with FSS from various psychotherapeutic orientations. Results show that patients with FSS from our sample perceived others as unreliable, i.e., unavailable, overcontrolling, and overprotective. To adapt to such unreliable others, patients attempted to please and to control them. Patients also suppressed their emotional awareness and expression. Although alexithymia could also play a role, the primary reason for emotional avoidance seemed to be interpersonal in nature, i.e., patients were avoiding negative emotions in order to please and control the unreliable others. The onset and worsening of FSS were associated with both interpersonal and physical triggers. Showing signs of physical or emotional distress lead to more rejection, overcontrol, and overprotection from unreliable others, which could create a "vicious circle." Our results suggest that offering a more interpersonal perspective on emotion regulation difficulties would be beneficial for patients with FSS, counselors, psychotherapists, and other health care professionals.

show abstract

Section: Conclusion and Suggestions For Research And Practicementioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Interpersonal dynamics and therapeutic relationship in patients with functional somatic syndromes: A metasynthesis of case studies.

Krivzov¹,

Baert²,

Meganck³

et al. 2021

Journal of Counseling Psychology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

When Descriptor is Diagnosis: An Autoethnographic Response to the Medical Treatment of Women with Vulvodynia

Taylor,

Ridgway

2024

Australian Feminist Studies

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

What is it like to live with medically unexplained physical symptoms? A qualitative meta-summary

Polakovská

Řiháček

2021

Psychology & Health

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Medically unexplained physical symptoms (MUPS) are a frequent phenomenon. Understanding adults and adolescents' lived experience with MUPS is essential for providing adequate care, yet a rigorous synthesis of existing studies is missing. Objective: This study aimed to summarize findings from primary qualitative studies focused on adults' and adolescents' experience of living with MUPS. Design: Qualitative studies were searched in the PsycINFO, PsycARTICLES, and Medline databases and manually. A total of 23 resources met the inclusion criteria and were subjected to a qualitative meta-summary. Results: Eight themes were found across the set of primary studies, namely, the need to feel understood, struggling with isolation, 'sense of self' in strain, facing uncertainty, searching for explanations, ambivalence about diagnosis, disappointed by healthcare, and active coping. Conclusion: The eight themes represent the core struggles adults' and adolescents' with MUPS face in their lives, psychologically and socially. Although these themes appear to be universal, the analysis also revealed considerable variability of experience in terms of expectations from healthcare professionals, attitude towards formal diagnoses, ability to cope with the illness, or potential to transform the illness experience into personal growth. Addressing this diversity of needs represents a significant challenge for the healthcare system.Medically unexplained physical symptoms (MUPS) represent a highly frequent group of complaints in healthcare. The 12-month prevalence of MUPS in primary care was estimated to be as high as 49% (Haller et al., 2015), although the accuracy of this estimate remains doubtful. Not only are MUPS connected with specific challenges for practitioners, but they are also associated with specific experiences for patients, which may influence the course of the treatment. Therefore, understanding the lived experience of adults and adolescents with MUPS is an essential aspect of adequate medical care.The term MUPS has been extensively debated. While some authors distinguish particular syndromes, such as chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), fibromyalgia (FM), psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES), and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) (Wessely

show abstract

Psychosoma in crisis: an autoethnographic study of medically unexplained symptoms and their diverse contexts

Cited by 6 publications

References 29 publications

Interpersonal dynamics and therapeutic relationship in patients with functional somatic syndromes: A metasynthesis of case studies.

Interpersonal dynamics and therapeutic relationship in patients with functional somatic syndromes: A metasynthesis of case studies.

When Descriptor is Diagnosis: An Autoethnographic Response to the Medical Treatment of Women with Vulvodynia

What is it like to live with medically unexplained physical symptoms? A qualitative meta-summary

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About