An interdisciplinary multimodal integrative healthcare program for somatic symptom disorder, with predominant (spinal) pain

Abstract

Objective

Although multimodal interventions are generally recommended in patients with long-term somatic symptom disorders (SSD), available evidence is limited. The current study evaluates the effectiveness of an outpatient secondary care interdisciplinary multimodal integrative healthcare program for patients with SSD and predominant (spinal) pain.

Method

The healthcare program consisted of two active treatment phases: main 20-week program and a 12-month relapse prevention program. Participants were 4453 patients diagnosed with SSD. The primary outcome was health-related quality of life (HRQoL) assessed using the RAND-36 (i.e., mental/physical component summary) and secondary outcomes included physical and psychological symptoms assessed using the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) and RAND-36 subscales. Mixed linear models were used to examine the effects of the multimodal healthcare program on primary/secondary outcomes over four time points: before start 20-week program (T0), halfway 20-week program (T1), end of 20-week program (T2) and end of relapse prevention program (T3).

Results

Significant improvements were found from T0 to T2 for all primary variables (i.e., mental/physical component summary) and secondary variables (i.e., BSI/RAND-36 subscales), which were maintained until the end of the relapse prevention program (T3).

Conclusion

An interdisciplinary multimodal integrative treatment for SSD is effective for improving HRQoL and reducing physical and psychological symptoms.

Keywords:

• somatic symptom disorder
• multimodal intervention
• spinal pain
• behavioral therapy
• psychosomatic
• interdisciplinary

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank all involved healthcare professionals of “Het Rughuis” for collaborating in data collection and all patients for consenting for the use of their data in scientific research. Without the help of patients and healthcare professionals across all locations of “Het Rughuis” this manuscript would not have been possible.

Disclosure Statement

J.W., G.v.H., N.L.G., M.L.P., M.W.H.G., and J.d.J. are employed by Intergrin Academy. Intergrin Academy evaluates and improves specialized secondary care formats such as offered at “Het Rughuis.” Intergrin Academy and “Het Rughuis” are part of the same overarching organization: Investors In Care Group (IIC Group).

Supplemental data

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed here https://doi.org/10.1080/10503307.2022.2144528.

Correction Statement

This article has been corrected with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.