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Biomedical subjects

M A Budd

Publications and source records attributed to M A Budd.

11 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1997

Treatment of somatization in primary care.

A large proportion of patients present to primary care with chronic, stress-related symptoms having no organic cause. Biomedical treatment of these patients is usually ineffective and expensive. A 6-week behavioral medicine intervention designed to provide adjunctive treatment to primary care was evaluated in a randomized, controlled study. Thirty-eight individuals receiving treatment and 44 waiting for treatment completed the SCL-90-R at times corresponding to 1 week before (time 1) and 1 week after the course (time 2). The treatment group was then followed up at 6 months. After correction for initial levels, the treatment group reported significantly less somatization, anxiety, and depression than did the wait-list group at time 2. Within the treatment group, decreases in somatization, anxiety, and depression were statistically significant and were maintained 6 months later. Within the wait-list group, distress remained unchanged. A review of relevant literature reveals that a general behavioral medicine course such as the one studied here has an important adjunctive role in primary care, since 1) subsyndromal psychological distress is common in primary care; 2) physicians are reluctant to address psychosocial issues; 3) negative mood is associated with poor health; 4) negative mood is associated with high, inappropriate medical utilization; and 5) negative mood is associated with help-seeking behavior.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Treatment of somatization in primary care: evaluation of the Personal Health Improvement Program.

The objective of this evaluation is to examine the clinical utility of a behavioral medicine intervention for treatment of prevalent, ill-defined physical symptoms in primary care. Commonly known as somatization, these symptoms have no known organic or psychiatric cause, and are poorly treated by biomedicine alone. Designed to treat these mood-related physical symptoms, the Personal Health Improvement Program (PHIP) is a 6-week structured group intervention which includes classroom videos, exercises and home study assignments. Data were collected from 21 PHIP courses offered at both staff and group model delivery sites at Harvard Pilgrim Health Care. One hundred and seventy-one participants filled out questionnaires at the first and last session of the course, and returned follow-up questionnaires by mail 3 months later. In order to obtain clinical data, medical charts were reviewed for the periods 1 year before and 1 year after the course. Questionnaire data included a Medical Symptoms Checklist, the Brief Symptom Inventory, the SF-36, a course satisfaction form, and visits to the health care site. After PHIP, participants reported decreases in emotional and physical distress, increases in functional status, and high levels of satisfaction. Patient improvement was also reflected in decreased use of medical resources after a long-standing pattern of high utilization. These data suggest that by addressing physical complaints that are resistant to biomedical treatment alone, PHIP has practical utility, promoting increased quality of care, increased patient satisfaction, and better allocation of health care resources.

Behavioral Medicine↗
PubMed1995

Behavioral disorders: an unrecognized epidemic with implications for providers.

It is reported that behavioral and mood-related problems are associated with more than 25% of medical visits. Many patients seeking help are misdiagnosed or not effectively treated by their physicians. We believe that medical education has not prepared primary care providers to evaluate and treat behavioral problems. The traditional medical or biological model needs to be replaced by a more integrated and comprehensive biopsychosocial approach. HMO delivery systems should take the lead in developing this new framework for care.

Health Maintenance Organizations↗