Bioenergetic exercises in inpatient treatment of Turkish immigrants with chronic somatoform disorders: A randomized, controlled study

Nickel, Marius; Cangoez, Birsen; Bachler, Egon; Muehlbacher, Moritz; Lojewski, Nilufer; Mueller-Rabe, Neila; Mitterlehner, Ferdinand O.; Leiberich, Peter; Rother, Nadine; Buschmann, Wiebke; Kettler, Christian; Gil, Francisco Pedrosa; Lahmann, Claas; Egger, Christoph; Fartacek, Reinhold; Rother, Wolfhardt K.; Loew, Thomas H.; Nickel, Cerstin

doi:10.1016/j.jpsychores.2006.01.004

« Previous Next »Journal of Psychosomatic Research
Volume 61, Issue 4 , Pages 507-513, October 2006

Bioenergetic exercises in inpatient treatment of Turkish immigrants with chronic somatoform disorders: A randomized, controlled study

Marius Nickel
- Clinic for Psychosomatic Medicine, Inntalklinik, Simbach/Inn, Germany
- University Clinic for Psychiatry 1, PMU, Salzburg, Austria
- Section of Psychosomatic Medicine, Clinic of University Regensburg, Germany
- Corresponding author. Inntalklinik, D-84359 Simbach am Inn, Bavaria, Germany. Tel.: +49 8571 985302; fax: +49 8571 985303.
Birsen Cangoez
- Clinic for Psychosomatic Medicine, Inntalklinik, Simbach/Inn, Germany
Egon Bachler
- Outpatient Therapeutic Family Counseling, Salzburg, Austria
Moritz Muehlbacher
- University Clinic for Psychiatry 1, PMU, Salzburg, Austria
Nilufer Lojewski
- Clinic for Psychosomatic Medicine, Inntalklinik, Simbach/Inn, Germany
Neila Mueller-Rabe
- Clinic for Psychosomatic Medicine, Inntalklinik, Simbach/Inn, Germany
Ferdinand O. Mitterlehner
- Clinic for Psychosomatic Medicine, Inntalklinik, Simbach/Inn, Germany
Peter Leiberich
- Clinic for Psychosomatic Medicine, Inntalklinik, Simbach/Inn, Germany
Nadine Rother
- Clinic for Psychosomatic Medicine, Inntalklinik, Simbach/Inn, Germany
Wiebke Buschmann
- University Clinic for Psychiatry 1, PMU, Salzburg, Austria
Christian Kettler
- Clinic for Psychosomatic Medicine, Inntalklinik, Simbach/Inn, Germany
Francisco Pedrosa Gil
- Psychosomatic Outpatient Clinic, University Medicine Clinic, LMU, Munich, Germany
Claas Lahmann
- Section of Psychosomatic Medicine, Clinic of University Regensburg, Germany
Christoph Egger
- University Clinic for Psychiatry 1, PMU, Salzburg, Austria
Reinhold Fartacek
- University Clinic for Psychiatry 1, PMU, Salzburg, Austria
Wolfhardt K. Rother
- Clinic for Psychosomatic Medicine, Inntalklinik, Simbach/Inn, Germany
Thomas H. Loew
- Section of Psychosomatic Medicine, Clinic of University Regensburg, Germany
Cerstin Nickel
- Clinic for Psychosomatic Medicine, Inntalklinik, Simbach/Inn, Germany

Received 11 July 2005; received in revised form 4 January 2006; accepted 5 January 2006.

Abstract

Objective

The aim of this study was to examine whether bioenergetic exercises (BE) significantly influence the inpatient psychotherapeutic treatment results for Turkish immigrants with chronic somatoform disorders.

Method

In a 6-week randomized, prospective, controlled trial, we treated a sample of 128 Turkish patients: 64 were randomly assigned to BE and 64 participated in gymnastic exercises in lieu of BE. The Symptom Checklist (SCL-90-R) and State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory (STAXI) were employed.

Results

According to the intent-to-treat principle, the bioenergetic analysis group achieved significantly better treatment results on most of the SCL-90-R and STAXI scales.

Conclusions

BE appears to improve symptoms of somatization, social insecurity, depressiveness, anxiety, and hostility in the inpatient therapy of subjects with chronic somatoform disorders. Reduction of the anger level and reduction in directing anger inwards, with a simultaneous increase of spontaneous outward emotional expression, could be expected.

Keywords: Immigrants, Chronic somatoform disorders, Anger, Bioenergetic exercises, Body-oriented psychotherapy