Health psychology : official journal of the Division of Health Psychology, American Psychological Association
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Randomized Controlled Trial
A life-stress, emotional awareness, and expression interview for primary care patients with medically unexplained symptoms: A randomized controlled trial.
Lifetime trauma, relationship adversities, and emotional conflicts are elevated in primary care patients with medically unexplained symptoms (MUS), and these risk factors likely trigger or exacerbate symptoms. Helping patients disclose stressors, increase awareness and expression of inhibited emotions, and link emotions to physical symptoms may improve health. We developed an emotional awareness and expression interview that targets stressful life experiences and conflicts and then tested its effects on primary care patients with MUS. ⋯ This study provides preliminary evidence for the value of integrating a disclosure and emotional awareness and expression interview into the primary care setting for patients with MUS. (PsycINFO Database Record