Psychosomatic disorders in developing countries: current issues and future challenges
- 1 March 2006
- journal article
- review article
- Published by Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health) in Current Opinion in Psychiatry
- Vol. 19 (2), 201-206
- https://doi.org/10.1097/01.yco.0000214349.46411.6a
Abstract
This paper focuses on understanding of the concept, recent advances, and challenges to be faced in the field of psychosomatic disorders by the developing countries. Changing health scenario in developing countries has led to imminent epidemic of noncommunicable diseases along with the unmet agenda of controlling infectious diseases. Psychosomatic medicine has a role to play in curtailing the upcoming epidemic. Research studies on psychosomatic disorders from developing countries are very few. Most of the publications are in nonpsychiatric medical journals covering explorative to intervention studies. Traditional, complementary, and alternative medicines such as ayurveda are already playing their role in the area of psychosomatic disorders in developing countries. The role and responsibility of the psychiatrist is changing from treating major mental disorders to preventing and treating psychosomatic disorders. In this regard, developing countries have to meet various challenges such as development of manpower, training of medical and paramedical staff, funding resources for clinical practice and research, coordinating with complementary and alternative medicines, and networking with policy makers in combating the imminent epidemic.Keywords
This publication has 35 references indexed in Scilit:
- Relationship between somatization and remission with ECTPsychiatry Research, 2004
- Gender-Biased Diagnosing of Women's Medical Complaints: Contributions of Feminist Thought, 1970–1995Women & Health, 2004
- Somatic symptoms most often associated with depression in an urban hospital medical setting in JapanPsychiatry Research, 2004
- Focus on psychiatry in EgyptThe British Journal of Psychiatry, 2004
- “Psychosomatic”: A Systematic Review of Its Meaning in Newspaper ArticlesPsychosomatics, 2004
- Somatoform disorders in general practiceThe British Journal of Psychiatry, 2004
- What can we learn from a cross-national study of somatic distress?Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 2004
- The Changing Content of Psychosomatics: Reflection of the Growth of Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry?Psychosomatics, 2004
- Globalisation and mental disordersThe British Journal of Psychiatry, 2004
- Gender in medicine – an issue for women only? A survey of physician teachers' gender attitudesInternational Journal for Equity in Health, 2003