Active Transport to School May Reduce Psychosomatic Symptoms in School-Aged Children: Data from Nine Countries

It is widely proven that being physically active and avoiding sedentary behaviour help to improve adolescents' well-being and keep them in better health in general. We aimed to investigate the relationship between modes of transport to school and subjective complaints among schoolchildren. Analyses were based on the HBSC (Health Behaviour in School-aged Children) surveys conducted in 2017/18 in nine countries (N = 55,607; mean age 13.43 ± 1.64 yrs.). The main outcome showed that health complaints consisted of somatic and psychological complaints. Transport to school was characterized by mode of getting there (walking, biking, or another passive mode). A total of 46.1% of students walked and 7.3% cycled to school; 46.6% commuted by passive means. Biking to school was more frequent in Denmark (37.9%), Norway (26.5%), and Germany (26.6%). The multivariate generalized linear model adjusted for age, gender, country, and school proximity showed that biking to school is protective against reports of health complaints. The beta parameters were equal to -0.498 (p < 0.001) for the general HBSC-SCL index, -0.208 (p < 0.001) for the somatic complaint index, and -0.285 (p < 0.001) for the psychological complaints index. Young people who actively commute to school are less likely to report health complaints, especially psychological symptoms.

Work Ability and Vitality in Coach Drivers: An RCT to Study the Effectiveness of a Self-Management Intervention during the Peak Season

Background: This randomized controlled trial (RCT) evaluates the effectiveness of a self-management toolbox designed to maintain work ability and vitality in coach drivers over their peak season. Methods: The intervention group received a self-management intervention providing advice aimed at increasing work ability and vitality. These suggestions targeted three specific domains: work–recovery–rest balance, food and drink intake, and physical activity. At the beginning (March), middle (July), and end (October) of the coach sector peak season, work ability, vitality, work-related fatigue, psychosomatic health, sleep complaints, and perceived mental exertion of coach drivers were assessed through questionnaires. Results: A total of 96 drivers participated in the study. Access to the toolbox did not result in significant differences between groups. Work ability and vitality decreased significantly in both groups, falling from 7.8 ± 1.3 to 7.3 ± 1.6 and from 63 ± 16.7 to 55 ± 18.7, respectively. Work-related fatigue increased from 35 ± 31.9 to 52 ± 35.3. Psychosomatic health complaints, sleep complaints, and perceived mental exertion also increased significantly. Conclusions: The uptake of the intervention was too low to determine if this toolbox can maintain work ability and vitality in coach drivers when compared with a control group. Overall work ability and vitality decrease significantly as the peak season progresses, while work-related fatigue accumulates. Other interventions should be explored to ensure sustainable employability in this population.

School-based lifestyle education involving parents for reducing subjective psychosomatic symptoms in Japanese adolescents: study protocol for a cluster randomised controlled trial

INTRODUCTION

Severe subjective psychosomatic symptoms (SPS) in adolescents are a major public health concern, and lifestyle modification interventions for reducing SPS are important topics. Recently, we developed a school-based lifestyle education involving parents for reducing SPS of adolescents (SPRAT), an improved version of the programme from our previous study Programme for adolescent of lifestyle education in Kumamoto (PADOK). This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of SPRAT in reducing SPS among adolescents.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

This is a 6-month, cluster randomised clinical trial with two intervention arms (SPRAT vs usual school education). The study population will be composed of middle school students (aged 12-14 years) with their parents/guardians in Japan. SPRAT is expected to be a more powerful programme than PADOK as it reinforces the role of parent participation. The primary endpoint will be the change from baseline SPS scores to those obtained after 6 months. Between-group differences will be analysed following the intention-to-treat principle. Crude and multivariate adjusted effects will be examined using a general linear mixed-effects model for continuous variables and a logistic regression model for dichotomous variables. The sample size required was determined based on the information needed to detect a difference in the primary outcome with a significance level of 5% and power of 80% under the assumptions of 40 students per cluster (assuming the same sample size for each cluster), an effect size of 0.3 and an intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.02. In total, participation by 28 schools (14 schools in each arm) (students: n=1120) will be needed.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

This study was approved by the Medical Ethical Committee of Minami Kyushu University in 2017 (number 137). The findings will be disseminated widely through peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

UMIN000026715; Pre-results.

Ecological Context and Human Variation: Applying the Principles of Biological Anthropology to Psychoneuroimmunology

There is considerable research interest overlap between biological anthropology and psychoneuroimmunology (PNI), particularly given recent anthropological interest in endocrine and immune system functioning over the life span and in different environmental contexts. In this chapter, I argue that conducting research on non-WEIRD populations and applying an anthropological, evolutionary approach to PNI can greatly strengthen our understanding of immune-endocrine-behavior connections. This chapter reviews population-level variation in the human immune and endocrine systems, as well as genetic and environmental contributions to this variation. The effects of culture on shaping health outcomes and stress responses are also considered. Finally, this chapter discusses some noninvasive sampling methodologies appropriate to field research and alternatives to laboratory-based research designs. By confronting variable social and environmental contexts, PNI can greatly expand on its existing contributions to the treatment and understanding of depression, mood disorders, stress, and other aspects of health and well-being.

Do Self-efficacy Expectation and Spirituality Provide a Buffer Against Stress-Associated Impairment of Health? A Comprehensive Analysis of the German Pastoral Ministry Study

We aimed to analyse stress perception, psychosomatic health and life satisfaction in pastoral professionals, paying particular attention to their individual and shared resources. Enrolling 8574 German pastoral professionals (48% priests, 22% parish expert workers, 18% pastoral assistants, 12% deacons), we found that pastoral professionals' stress perception is associated with psychosomatic health impairment. General self-efficacy was a beneficial resource to protect against stress perceptions, while perception of the transcendent had a further yet weakly positive influence for stress-related impairment of health. External stressors (i.e. team size, duration of work per week and size of pastoral unit) were only of marginal independent relevance.

[Nonconventional risk factors in some psychosomatic diseases in police officers]

The article deals with topical problems of improving methods of medical and psychological diagnosis and prevention of health state in police officers, in accordance with prophylactic medicine concept. The authors describe topical aspects of occupational medicine and influence of nonconventional risk factors on occurrence and course of some psychosomatic diseases.

Chinese medicine for mental disorder and its applications in psychosomatic diseases

With the development of modern medicine, an increasing awareness has developed regarding the limitations of a specialized and compartmentalized approach to clinical practice that largely ignores the interconnectedness of the mind, body, and spirit. Although contemporary medicine now accepts this interconnectedness, practitioners tend to think that the emotions play a secondary or excitatory role in producing disease rather than being a primary causative factor. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), which stems from Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism, views the body and the spirit as inseparable. This construct provides the foundation for the whole system of TCM, and therefore constitutes the backbone of TCM. This article presents the ways in which emotion can act as an internal etiological factor that produces a pathogenic mechanism and that underlies various psychosomatic diseases. Therefore, this article intends to integrate the ancient classic treatise established in the Yellow Emperor's Canon of Internal Medicine with current data. Likewise, the authors discuss their empirical experience to illustrate the following concepts: (1) the factors contributing to emotional impairment; (2) the holistic approach to diagnosing psychosomatic disease; (3) the integrative therapy necessary to restore the balance of body and mind; and (4) the role of emotional theory in nursing care and the prevention of psychosomatic disease.

[Towards a unified treatment approach for functional somatic syndromes and somatization]

Identical treatment strategies have proven effective in various functional somatic syndromes (FSS) and evidence is increasing that FSS share common aetiological factors, pathophysiological mechanisms and psychological features. Currently, only a minority of patients with FSS receive evidence-based treatment. The main reasons for this are inappropriate organisation of care, physicians' lack of knowledge and a widespread neglect of patients' suffering. We outline a unified stepped care approach for the prevention and management of FSS in which treatment strategies are not based on the diagnostic label, but on illness severity and complexity.

[Access to somatic care for patients undergoing psychiatric treatment]

In France, there is no across-the-board formal connection between psychiatric and somatic treatment and the somatic care of patients undergoing psychiatric treatment remains very heterogeneous and inadequate. Despite some attempts at providing structure, it is the place of the physician which must be examined and optimised.

Psychosomatic symptoms among schoolchildren

Psychosomatic symptoms are commonly reported among young people. The potential burden of such symptoms on both young people and health services is substantial. Research from several countries indicates that psychosomatic symptoms tend to co-exist rather than occur singularly and could impose limitations on daily living and participation in school life.

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this paper was to determine the weekly prevalence of somatic (headache, stomach-ache, dizziness, back ache) and psychological (feeling low, irritability/bad temper, difficulty sleeping, and nervousness) symptoms among schoolchildren in Ireland; and to explore, the influence of family material affluence on reported symptoms.

STUDY GROUP

11-17 year-old school going children.

METHODS

Data are presented from the 2006 Irish Health Behaviour in the School-aged Children survey, comprising a nationally representative sample of schoolchildren aged 11-17 years (n = 9969). Sampling units were classes within schools with a response rate of 63% of schools and 83% of students.

RESULTS

Irritability/bad temper (43.0%) and headache (26.0%) were the most commonly reported psychological and somatic symptoms among both boys and girls. Symptom prevalence was higher among girls (range 17.8% - 43.8%) than boys (range 10.7% - 42.3%) and was higher among older children of both genders, except for stomachache in boys. Girls from less affluent backgrounds were significantly more likely to report frequent symptoms (55.5% vs. 50.7%).

CONCLUSIONS

Multiple symptoms were inversely related to family material affluence for girls. The factors associated with psychosomatic symptoms and the consequences for schoolchildren require further investigation.

[Medical and psychologic monitoring for police officers: occurrence and secondary prophylaxis of psycho-somatic conditions]

The authors defined occurrence and progression dynamics of psycho-somatic diseases in police officers, in accordance with occupational activities features. The studies covered therapeutic influence of rehabilitation on anxiety depressive disorders and hemodynamic changes.

[A different cardiovascular epidemiology]

BACKGROUND

Cardiovascular diseases constitute the leading cause of sickness and death in Western countries. They are therefore embraced with much attention in medical research, treatment and preventive programmes for which quantifiable biological risk factors comprise the common conceptual basis. We want to demonstrate that the current narrow biological focus may prohibit a deeper understanding of the sickness expressions. THEORY, MATERIAL AND METHOD: The present paper is grounded in a theory of human beings as self-reflecting and capable of creating and conveying meaning affected by culture, time and relationships with others. From such a perspective, the human body is seen as a lived body, a centre for expression of experience. Two cases are interpreted in light of more recent epidemiological evidence of associations between traumatic experiences and cardiovascular disease.

RESULTS

Research shows that traumatic experiences in general and early trauma in particular are potent pathogens. Different types of trauma are, however, not consistently related to specific diseases, but rather to complex patterns of so called co-morbidity. These patterns blur the mind-body-distinction and thereby the classification systems for somatic and mental diseases. When such patterns are interpreted as expressions of embodied life, insight is provided into how traumatic experience informs the lived body.

INTERPRETATION

Correlations between traumatic experience and cardiovascular disease challenge the dominating biological framework of cardiovascular epidemiology. An analysis of the evidence by means of two cases opens up new perspectives. Knowledge about the path from particular and painful experience to particular and painful disease is an inevitable premise for an adequate treatment of the individual. It is also a prerequisite for development of adequate preventive measures.

Family intervention sessions: one useful way to improve schoolchildren's mental health

This study examines the effectiveness of therapeutic conversations with families (through family sessions) in alleviating health complaints among adolescent girls in a school setting. Four girls with recurrent, subjective health complaints and their families were included in the study. Three sessions were held with each family, using genograms, ecomaps, interventive questions, and other family nursing interventions; practicing school nurses were also present. A therapeutic letter was sent to each family at the end of the sessions. The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire was used as a pre- and posttest measure. Evaluative interviews were carried out with the families and with school nurses. The families reported feeling relief and described positive affective, behavioral, and cognitive changes as a consequence of the interventions. The school nurses experienced the family sessions as time-saving and easy-to-use tools in their work. Involving the family when schoolchildren's recurrent mental health problems are addressed may reduce future suffering.

Is there an Asian idiom of distress? Somatic symptoms in female Japanese and Korean students

The term 'idiom of distress' is used to describe culturally specific experiences of suffering. Most of these studies have been conducted with small groups, making comparison of symptom profiles difficult. Female undergraduate and graduate students in Japan (n = 50) and Korea (n = 61) completed the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and 7-day daily reports of their experiences of 46 somatic symptoms. Between-culture comparisons revealed that BDI scores did not differ; however, the Korean women had significantly higher somatic distress means than the Japanese women. Despite the higher Korean distress mean, regression analysis showed that somatic distress explained 30% of the variance of BDI score for the Japanese but only 22% of the variance for the Koreans. Within-culture comparisons showed that both high-BDI Japanese and Koreans had 19 somatic distress symptoms with significantly higher means than their low-BDI counterparts; 11 somatic symptoms were shared by the two groups. Multidimensional scaling matrices were used to compare symptom proximities and revealed cultural differences. The problems with using broad racial categories in clinical research, the clinical significance of these findings, and the implications for psychiatric nursing assessment and practice are discussed.

[The Zung's autoscale for depression as predictor of sensorial and autonomic alterations to pain]

Clinical and experimental evidence support a relationship between susceptibility to chronic pain and a subjacent depression. Nevertheless, it's not clear if the currently available clinical evaluation instruments for depression allow for linking both disorders. Thus, we evaluated a Zung's autoscale for depression and its different categories: affective, physiological, motor and psychological, as possible predictors of sensorial and autonomic alterations and vulnerability to clinical chronic pain. In 32 healthy controls and 11 subjects with minor depression and free of treatment, ischemic pain was first induced by applying a tourniquet on the dominant arm, and then followed by paresthesias during the reperfusion of arm as the tourniquet is released. Ischemic muscular pain, post-ischemic paresthesias and associated cardiovascular responses were recorded throughout the experimental procedure. The affective category's score was correlated linearly in individual form with the greatest number of variables and it was adjusted to a model of multiple regressions that almost explained the variance in 100% with a contribution of the sensorial and autonomic variables of a 70% and 30%, respectively. In addition, the affective category was 50% greater in subjects with persistent clinical pain. The Zung's index and the other categories had a smaller number of individual linear correlations and models of multiple correlations that only explained between 30-70% of the variance, with a more predominant contribution of the autonomic variables (20-50%), especially in the psychological category. This suggests that the affective category predicts cutaneous-muscular sensorial alterations with greater effectiveness than the Zung's total index.

Psychosomatische Aspekte der Endometriose – aktueller Stand der wissenschaftlichen Kenntnisse und der klinischen Erfahrungen

Current therapeutic options allow successful treatment in only part of the women presenting with endometriosis. Pain, fatigue/exhaustion, intensive and repeated therapies as well as a concentration on the disease lead to a variety of consequences concerning education/ profession, body perception, self-esteem, partnership/social contacts, sexuality and psychic well-being. Difficulties in becoming pregnant represent a further central problem in dealing with endometriosis. Therefore, biopsychosocial aspects should be integrated into current somatically oriented models of medical support.

Psychosomatic disorders in pregnancy

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Common and important psychosomatic disorders in pregnancy reviewed here include perinatal depression, posttraumatic stress disorders, anxiety disorders, eating disorders, and postpartum psychosis.

RECENT FINDINGS

Research has focused on antenatal depression as postpartum depression often has onset prior to delivery. Certain psychosocial and psychological interventions can effectively prevent postnatal depression. Although the use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors was associated with miscarriage, preterm delivery, and fetal death, discontinuation of antidepressants also increased the relapse rate during pregnancy. Studies also show that about 8% of mothers had eating problems during their pregnancy, which increased to 19% in the postpartum period. Postpartum psychosis is an important diagnosis related to maternal death from suicide. Personal and family history of bipolar disorders are important risk factors.

SUMMARY

Recent findings highlight the importance of correct diagnosis and awareness of serious mental illness. In view of the higher rate of relapse, women should be counselled carefully regarding discontinuation of antidepressants during pregnancy. Differentiation of posttraumatic stress disorders with comorbid anxiety and depression, awareness of risk factors, and clinical features of psychosis are important in the management of psychosomatic disorders in pregnancy.

[Psychosomatic disorders in officers of special military forces with Internal Ministry: incidence, secondary prophylaxis]

The authors defined incidence of psychosomatic disorders in officers participated in counter-terrorist operations. Studies covered therapeutic influence of complex rehabilitation and recreation on anxious and depressive conditions, on premorbid hemodynamic changes.

Prädiktoren dissozialen Verhaltens

Many studies have shown that psychophysiological parameters of processing emotional stimuli are associated with different personality traits in children, adolescents, and adults. Individuals with low autonomic baseline arousal, low orienting reaction, accelerated habituation, and reduced excitability particularly to punishing stimuli are characterised by a reduced experience of anxiety, decreased behaviour inhibition, and increased sensation seeking. These characteristics seem to raise the likelihood of dis-social behavior and are perceived as prognostically favourable for the development of antisocial personality disorders in childhood and adolescence. In contrast, an increased disposition towards anxiety, which is associated with increased autonomic reactivity, is recognised as a protective factor. Current data have shown that through special training, child and adolescent autonomic reactivity could be enhanced. Due to its versatility, this biological marker might be used for prevention in children at greater risk of developing antisocial behaviour.

Effects of Antibullying School Program on Bullying and Health Complaints

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the effects of an antibullying school intervention in elementary schools.

DESIGN

Two-year follow-up randomized intervention group-control group.

SETTING

Forty-seven elementary schools in the Netherlands.

PARTICIPANTS

Three thousand eight hundred sixteen children aged 9 to 12 years.

INTERVENTION

During the first study year, an antibullying school program was implemented in the schools in the intervention group.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

A questionnaire measuring bullying behavior, depression, psychosomatic complaints, delinquent behavior, and satisfaction with school life and peer relationships was filled out by the students at 3 times to obtain the following data: a baseline measurement, a first-effect measurement at the end of the first year, and a second-effect measurement at the end of the second year.

RESULTS

The number of bullied children decreased by 25% in the intervention group compared with the control group (relative risk, 0.75; 95% confidence interval, 0.57-0.98). The intervention group also showed a decline in the scale scores of victimization (-1.06 vs 0.28; P< .01) and active bullying behaviors (-0.47 vs 0.12, P< .05). Self-reported peer relationships also improved in the intervention schools (0.48 vs 0.11; P< .05), and there was a trend for a decrease in reported depression in the intervention schools (-0.33 vs -0.10; P< .10). At follow-up, there were no differences between the intervention and control groups for the outcome measures. Schools had also lowered their antibullying activities during the second study year.

CONCLUSIONS

An antibullying school policy can reduce bullying behavior. To keep bullying at a consistently low level, schools must continue antibullying measures every year. Continued counseling may help schools in their efforts to establish a lasting antibullying policy.

The role of psychosocial factors in peptic ulcer disease: beyond Helicobacter pylori and NSAIDs

A variety of organic etiologies are associated with peptic ulcer disease, and the most relevant of these are infection with Helicobacter pylori and use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Between 5% and 20% of patients with gastric or duodenal ulcer, however, lack an identifiable organic etiology. In these patients particularly and in all ulcer patients in general, psychosocial factors may play a significant role. At present, there is no definitive study proving a causal relationship between psychological stress and the development of ulcer disease. Studies to date suffer from significant methodological limitations and have not effectively addressed the poor correlation between ulcer craters and ulcer symptoms. A conservative application of available data would suggest that psychosocial factors play a significant role in symptom perception and reporting in patients with dyspeptic symptoms and may play a role in ulcer formation.

Climacteric symptoms and hormones

Climacteric symptoms are so closely associated with the menopause to be practically considered its hallmark. However, symptoms can already appear before the onset of menopause. The frequency, extent and intensity of symptoms are dependent on social factors, body composition, race and geographical region. In about 20-25% of menopausal women they do not occur at all. These symptoms are most prominent in women who are suddenly deprived of their endogenous estrogen secretion, for instance by bilateral ovariectomy, particularly in younger women. Climacteric symptoms can to be subdivided into five categories: menstrual bleeding disorders; vegetative symptoms; psychosomatic symptoms; somatotrophic changes; and metabolic changes. For prevention and treatment of the various symptoms, estrogen/progestogen replacement therapy (HRT) or estrogen replacement therapy (ERT) in individualized dosages and various forms of applications are the most cost-effective modalities in order to control menopausal symptoms and restore organic function, or prevent all of this and improve women's quality of life. Recent publications indicate that gene polymorphisms may be associated with severe and persistent climacteric symptoms. This is also true for current and ever cigarette smokers.

Prevention of delayed recovery and disability of work-related upper extremity disorders

There is always a psychological component to any illness or injury, and unless it is appropriately addressed, such factors can complicate or delay the recovery from a work-related illness or injury. When a worker experiences delayed recovery and unexpected disability, significant contributing psychosocial factors must be assessed for and managed appropriately. A maladaptive belief or understanding about the condition and disability by a patient presents an obstacle to successful treatment. Using cognitive behavioral therapy techniques may be an effective means of managing this challenge for the clinician.

Transplantation okay--psyche okay? Reflections on psychosomatics in the field of organ transplantation

Transplantation puts a large burden on patients' psyche, before and after the operation. Psychosomatic care implicates helping patients to take a firm decision in favour of a new organ, of a new life. Incorporation of the graft, efficient doctor-patient-relations, pregnancy and sexuality, everything is possible but crucial to many patients. Psychosomatic knowledge and specified consulting help them and their families and even the doctors and nurses to cope with overwhelming emotions, fear and a lifelong danger of losing the organ. Transplantation means crossing borders, going into unknown psychic regions. And the recent rapid development of living liver transplantation does not facilitate things.

[Value of the concept of attachment in somatic medicine]

Since the nineteen nineties, the theory of attachment, initially developed in paedopsychiatry, has increasingly been applied to somatic medicine. The main fields explored have been the links between the individual's attachment style, response to stress and attitude towards health: seeking help from professionals, using health care systems and compliance to treatment. A so-called 'secure" attachment corresponds to an inner resource related to more constructive response to stressful events; an"insecure" attachment (including three categories: preoccupied,detached and fearful) can be considered a risk factor leading to less efficient adaptation to stress or "coping" with it. Attachment styles appear to influence attitudes towards health. Adults with secure attachment have positive expectations with regard to the help that care workers will provide and to the trust they can have in them. Detached-type insecure patients tend to minimize their signs of distress and do not necessarily seek help. Preoccupied-type insecure adults tend to maximize distress signals and excessively appeal to the medical corps. Fearful-type insecure patients only seek help in situations of great distress and rarely have faith in the health professionals.

[Prophylaxis of psychosomatic disorders in sailors]

Subject of the analysis was incidence of incipient and clinical forms of psychosomatic pathologies (PSP) in the military personnel of a remote garrison on the Kola Peninsula including contractors on active (AS) and written off (WS) nuclear submarines, and in coastguard unit (CU). Incipient PSP was found in 15.61 % of the military. The PCP percentage rose to 13.44, 14.18 and 20.15 in the crews of active and written battleships, and the coastguard unit, respectively. Dynamics of the PCP incidence was age-dependent. Within the PCP structure cardiovascular diseases averaged 11.3 % (AS - 7.69 %, WS - 7.09 % and CU - 20.16 %) and gastro-intestinal disturbances averaged 67.63 % (AS - 6.11 %, WS - 5.91 % and CU - 8.12 %). The analysis produced an ample proof of the necessity to give psychotherapeutic consultation to somatic patients and laid a ground for a concept of treatment of these patients.

Bruxism – a function of the masticatory organ to cope with stress

Bruxism is generally defined as a parafunctional clenching and grinding action between the upper and lower teeth. During this activity, extremely strong forces can be applied for time periods exceeding those of functional mastication. These biomechanical loads create many dental problems, such as abfractions, hypersensitivity, periodontal distraction, and temporo-mandibular dysfunction. Researchers studying Bruxism have long discussed psychic stress and emotional tension. It has also been indicated that an aggressive biting is associated with a significant attenuation of the stress-induced increase of nor-adrenalin turnover in the brain, of the striatal DOPAC contents and with the prevention of stomach ulcer formation in experimental animals. The concept of stress management based on the psychological background of Bruxism and the benefits attributable to masticatory muscle activity in attenuating stress-related symptoms such as stomach ulcer. The clenching and bruxing function of the masticatory organ is an emergency exit during periods of psychic overloading. Therefore, occlusion of the masticatory organ contributes significantly to an individual's ability to manage stress. Bruxism in proper dentition can be recognized as a valid system prophylaxis for all stress related diseases.

The short-term effects of a body awareness program: better self-management of health problems for individuals with chronic a-specific psychosomatic symptoms

A three-day residential Body Awareness Program (BAP) was developed to teach people with Chronic A-specific Psychosomatic Symptoms (CAPS) to react adequately to disturbances of the balance between a daily workload and the capacity to deal with it. The short-term effects of the program for people with CAPS are presented in this study. The design is a non-control group design with pre- and post-measures (2 months after the program). The sample for this paper was formed by 187 participants. The mean age is 42.3 (S.D. = 8.9), and 57% is female. The results showed decreased stress-related symptoms, increased quality of life, increased self-efficacy, less depressive attribution style, more expression of emotions, and a positive change of lifestyle. Most of these measured changes can be interpreted as clinically relevant outcomes with medium-to-large effect sizes. Personal pre-training goals were attained by 85% of the participants. Spouses also confirmed the found effects. Evaluation of the BAP gives enough evidence to conclude that this program leads to positive effects in CAPS. Participants react more adequately to disturbances between daily workload and the capacity to deal with this load. They are more capable of self-management in coping with stress and psychosomatic symptoms. Conclusions are drawn about the prevention by early interventions for patients with a-specific physical symptoms.

The control of feather pecking by serotonin

Feather-pecking behavior in laying hens (Callus gallus) may be considered a behavioral pathology, comparable to human psychopathological disorders. Scientific knowledge on the causation of such disorders strongly suggests involvement of the serotonergic (5-hydroxytryptamine; 5-HT) system in feather pecking. Previously, chicks from a high-feather-pecking (HFP) line were found to display lower 5-HT turnover levels than chicks from a low-feather-pecking (LFP) line (in response to acute stress; Y. M. van Hierden et al., 2002). The present study investigated whether low 5-HT neurotransmission modulates feather pecking. First. S-15535, a somatodendritic 5-HT-sub(1A) autoreceptor agonist, was demonstrated to be an excellent tool for reducing 5-HT turnover in the forebrain of LFP and HFP chicks. Second, the most effective dose of S-15535 (4.0 mg/kg body weight) significantly increased severe feather-pecking behavior. The results confirmed the postulation that the performance of feather pecking is triggered by low 5-HT neurotransmission.

[Emotional stress as an illness-related factor]

INTRODUCTION

Emotions represent reactions of living organisms to changes of one's inner sphere, as well as to different factors from our surroundings. Emotions manifest in many ways. Failing to fulfill one's needs on chronic or acute basis leads to conflict situations. These needs may be either biological or social. Conflict situations occur prior to stress itself.

EMOTIONAL STRESS

Modern technology development provides no friendly environment for workers, with many consequences causing psychosomatic disorders. Researches have been made to evaluate the amount of inflicted stress on patients. One of successful theories regarding this question is the theory of functional systems. The idea was to quantify processes of everyday living.

PROPHYLAXIS AND REHABILITATION OF PERSONS EXPOSED TO EMOTIONAL STRESS

The primary goal was to measure one's adaptation abilities. In order to follow up these parameters a machine was created. This appliance can determine the level of stress, by measuring certain physiological parameters. That is way scientists may apply preventive measures in order to increase stress resistance.

CONCLUSION

We differ hereditary and individual resistance to stress factors. That is why it is necessary to assess each patient individually. This type of individual approach offers an opportunity to create a specific program, in order to increase stress resistance.

Associations between psychosocial factors and happiness among school adolescents

The concept of health contains aspects of social and mental well-being and not just the absence of disease. The concept of well-being is sometimes used interchangeably with the term happiness, although focus has been on other aspects as well. Here we explore associations between happiness and experience of stress at school, personal and social factors among 887 Norwegian school adolescents participating in a World Health Organization project on health-promoting schools. Happiness was measured by a one item question (ordered responses 1-4). The psychosocial factors were represented by an average score of 3-12 items. Odds ratios of feeling very/quite happy were calculated in multiple logistic regression analyses. An increasing degree of stress experience reduced the feeling of happiness significantly. Furthermore, increasing levels of general self-efficacy increased the odds of feeling happy, whereas the more specific measure of school self-efficacy showed no independent effect. Social support from teachers also enhanced happiness significantly. A less consistent pattern was found for support from peers, but the most happy pupils experienced significantly more support than pupils who reported being unhappy. No significant trend was found with decision control. We also explored associations between happiness and psychosomatic symptoms. Pupils feeling unhappy reported a particular symptom more often and they also had the highest mean number of reported symptoms. To evaluate whether these health indicators represent different dimensions of health, a comparison of strength of associations with common risk factors is made. Implications for health promotion practice are discussed.

[Psychological stress and musculoskeletal disorders: psychobiological mechanisms. Lack of rest and recovery greater problem than workload]

Psychosocial stress is assumed to contribute to musculoskeletal disorders, particularly neck and shoulder pain. Experimental studies show that mental stress induces a significant increase in muscle tension in the trapezius muscle and several explanatory models have been proposed in order to understand the mechanisms linking low sustained muscle tension to musculoskeletal disorders. Recently, it has been demonstrated that the same motor units are activated by mental stress as by physical demands, which means that mental stress may keep low threshold motor units active also during breaks at work and off the job. In the modern society, lack of rest and recovery seems even more important for health than the magnitude of stress and physical demands during work.

[Prevention and health promotion]

Health as well as illness is not a state but a dynamic process. It depends among others on internal and external resources and possibilities which are given or not. Health behavior means the contribution of the individual to foster and develop their health. This includes all measures and behavior which contribute to early prevention or detection of illness. Traditional medicine engages in the investigation of causes and processes of disease and has not yet investigated prevention or health promoting behavior in the same way. This can also be seen in the concept of primary, secondary and tertiary prevention, which is disease oriented. Health promotion however--as stated in the Ottawa Charta in 1986 is the process of enabling people to increase control over and to improve their health.

Partner violence, depression, and practice implications with families of Chinese descent

Because the Chinese tend to display psychological problems such as depression in somatic This article examines cultural aspects, experiences, and the mental health consequences of partner violence among families of Chinese descent. A total of 262 Chinese men and women participated in a telephone survey about partner violence and psychological well-being. Symptoms, two indicators of mental health were employed in the research study. Findings indicated a high level of verbal aggression both perpetrated and sustained by participants. Rates of physical abuse were lower; however, these figures dispel the model minority myth associated with Asian Americans. In addition, findings showed a positive correlation between depression and partner violence. Those who experienced verbal and physical aggression by a spouse/intimate partner in the last 12 months were more likely to experience depression. Those who perpetrated physical aggression were more likely to experience somatic symptoms. Practice and research implications are highlighted.

[Measures for psychological prophylaxis of the psychogenic adaptation disorders among flying personnel]

Adaptation disorders lie behind 70 to 80% of morbidity among and medical disqualification of flyers. Mental health is the hallmark of the psychoprophylaxis system defining its structural and methodical principles, and purpose. Counteraction to the psych dependent adaptation disorders requires consolidation of efforts of the services responsible for flyers professional health and flight safety; emphasis on motivation and social well-being of flyers is imperative.