This article describes the psychological assessment and management for trauma survivors. An appropriate assessment is essential to ensure that psychotherapy, behavioural treatment and support networks are sufficient for the trauma survivor’s long-term needs or until the individual is capable of functioning normally. In line with the mission of the American Psychological Association (APA) Division 56 (Trauma Psychology), this article suggests practical guidelines for psychologists, counselors and social health workers. Issues discussed include definition of trauma, post-incident symptoms and trauma recovery. Among the types of trauma examined were cancer, sudden death, sexual abuse and AIDS. A working model to initiate assessment was presented together with projected treatment modalities. Additionally, this article also incorporates knowledge on profesional and public education about dissociation, trauma and trauma related disorders besides strengthening knowledge about trauma, dissociation and disorders related to chronic trauma. This article also supports communication and cooperation among clinicians and other profesionals in the field of dissociation and trauma as well as stimulating national and international research projects. Different individuals react differently to a similar event. A person may experience trauma as a reaction to the event while another person may not. Not all individuals who experience a potentially traumatic event will be psychologically traumatised.
Behavioral Medicine

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this paper is to formulate standards for assessing the Undergraduate Curriculum of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine. METHODOLOGY: A modified version of Stake's Responsive Evaluation Approach was used. Content analysis was done. RESULTS: Fourteen standards emerged from data gathered and were reflective of and responsive to the concerns and issues of the stakeholders. CONCLUSIONS: The standards which were formulated from the study are specific for the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine of the University of the Philippines College of Medicine and may therefore be limited in application to the evaluative object. The procedure by which the standards were arrived at, however, can be used by other medical schools for their own curriculum. The procedure is fairly easy to follow and is flexible enough to accommodate reasonable constraints in ones situation and available resources. As such, this approach is highly recommended for use by other schools.

Psychiatry ; Curriculum ; Education ; Behavioral Medicine

Behavioral Medicine ; Child ; Child Behavior ; Child Behavior Disorders ; diagnosis ; prevention & control ; psychology ; Child Development ; Child Health Services ; trends ; China ; Developmental Disabilities ; diagnosis ; prevention & control ; History, 20th Century ; History, 21st Century ; Humans ; Pediatrics ; history ; trends ; Prospective Studies ; Psychology, Child

Psychosomatic medicine is a part of medicine which is to find the effect of psychological, behavioural, and medical factors on the human body and disease. In the early 20th century, the idea of psychogenesis had been developed and resulted in the concept of psychosomatic disease which was believed to be caused by psychological factors. However a multifactorial model of illness developed and it allowed illness to be viewed as a result of biopsychosocial interactions. The following have been highlighted by consultation-liaison psychiatry. Psychosomatic medicine has addressed stress and psychiatric factors which affect the etiology, course, and treatment of medical disorders. Moreover it contributes the growth of other related disciplines such as psychoneuroendocrinology, psychoimmunology, behavioral medicine, health psychology and quality of life research. Nowadays, psychosomatic field becomes enlarged because medical and surgical departments have been developed rapidly, and research methods and tools have brought forth rapid progress and advance in medical science. Therefore the author reviews the past and present psychosomatic researches and suggests the future of psychosomatic research in Korea.
Behavioral Medicine ; Human Body ; Korea ; Psychoneuroimmunology ; Psychosomatic Medicine ; Quality of Life

BACKGROUND: The family medicine residency program consists mainly of clinical rotations in other specialties and the family medicine-specific training. We conducted this study to investigate how family medicine residents evaluated their training program that include family-oriented medicine, clinical preventive medicine, behavioral science and research in primary care. METHODS: In 2009, third-year residents of 129 training hospitals in Korea were surveyed to investigate the current state and their expectation of the residency program. The contents of questionnaires included training periods, conferences, procedures, interview techniques, outpatient and inpatient consultations, and written thesis. RESULTS: Total 133 out of 142 residents (93.7%) responded that 3 years of training is ideal or pertinent. Residents responded that the types of conference that they need most are journal review (81%), staff lecture (73.2%), and clinical topic review (73.2%), in that order. Procedures and interview techniques that the residents want to learn most were gastroscopy (72.5%), abdominal ultrasonography (65.2%), and pain management (46.4%). Hospitals where family medicine residents do not see hospitalized patients or patients in the outpatient clinic were 7.9% and 6.5%, respectively, whereas hospitals that maintain continuous family medicine outpatient clinics were only 40.8%. Education in outpatient clinic and articlewriting seminars was done less frequently in the secondary hospitals than in the tertiary hospitals. CONCLUSION: Evaluation and quality improvement of family medicine training program as well as specialty rotations should be considered in order to foster better family physicians. The efforts have to be made to minimize the difference in quality of each family medicine residency program.
Ambulatory Care Facilities ; Behavioral Sciences ; Clinical Medicine ; Congresses as Topic ; Family Practice ; Gastroscopy ; Humans ; Inpatients ; Internship and Residency ; Korea ; Outpatients ; Pain Management ; Physicians, Family ; Preventive Medicine ; Quality Improvement ; Referral and Consultation

AIMMental health professionals can contribute to generating a strong evidence base for policy and practice in psychiatry. An insight into their perception of psychiatric research is important for planning support strategies. This study explored healthcare professionals' perceptions of barriers, benefits and concerns about psychiatric research in a Singapore psychiatric hospital.

MATERIALS AND METHODSSelf-administered questionnaire was employed to collect socio-demographic data and opinions on research. Likert scale was used for the responses and descriptive statistics and ordinal regression were used for data analysing.

RESULTS93.8% respondents perceived "contribution to medical knowledge/public health" to be a major benefit of conducting research. 86.7% respondents felt that "learning experience" was important. "Prestige/publication" (52.7%) and "financial gain" (76%) were perceived to be unimportant. "Clinical load of patients", "lack of skilled personnel to assist in research" and "insufficient funding" were identified as important barriers by 72.4%, 70.6% and 68.9% respondents. "Time constraints", "patient and family readiness to research participation", "insufficient training" and "concerns about patient welfare" are major concerns while conducting research.

CONCLUSIONTo the study team's best knowledge, this is the only study of mental health professionals' perceptions on psychiatric research. It is useful for strategising research planning and enhancing the research culture in the hospital.

Adult ; Attitude of Health Personnel ; Behavioral Medicine ; Behavioral Research ; Cohort Studies ; Data Collection ; Female ; Hospitals, Psychiatric ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Personnel, Hospital ; Singapore ; Young Adult

Behavioral Medicine ; Humans ; Public Health ; methods

No Abstract available.
Behavioral Medicine* ; Life Style*

No Abstract available.
Behavioral Medicine* ; Life Style*

Last one quarter century has witnessed the enlightenment of social and behavioral science in medicine. The aims of incorporating social and behavioral science in medical education are to equip future physicians with nonbiomedical clinical competencies. The contents of this "soft science of medicine" include mind-body interactions in health and disease, patient behavior, physician role and behavior, physician-patient interactions, social and cultural issues in health care, helath policy and economics, etc. Up to now, the integration of social and behavioral science in medical school curriculum are of less than satifaction due to several barriers. By broadening the perspectives of various domains of social and behavioral science and by collaborating with the professionals from other fields of medicine, psychiatrists should potentially play important roles in educational leadership.
Behavioral Medicine* ; Behavioral Sciences ; Curriculum* ; Delivery of Health Care ; Education, Medical ; Humans ; Interpersonal Relations ; Leadership* ; Physician's Role ; Psychiatry* ; Schools, Medical