European Perspectives in Psychosomatic Medicine: Integration Through Interaction and Networking

Abstract

The importance of psychosomatic medicine has increased in both research and health care. It is obvious that in the last century medicine has described several mechanisms of the etiology of different diseases along with new treatments. The scope of psychosomatic medicine has grown and been spread into new dimensions. Mental disorders are highly prevalent in Europe and impose a major burden on individuals, society and the economy. Communication between all professions in the field seems useful. The idea was born that different international and European psychosomatic/behavioural societies should be able to communicate in special research, health care, and psychosomatic training questions. This chapter describes an attempt to increase communication between the professions involved in psychosomatic medicine. It begins with the history of the ECPR (European Conference on Psychosomatic Research), following with a description of the ENPM (European Network on Psychosomatic Medicine) aims and development. It discusses the combining of the ENPM and the EACLPP (European Association of Consultation Liaison Psychiatry and Psychosomatics) and the limited success of this cooperation, and provides future directions of the aims and ideas of the ENPM. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved)