Change in the moving bodymind: Quantitative results from a pilot study on the use of the BodyMind approach (BMA) to psychotherapeutic group work with patients with medically unexplained symptoms (MUSs)

Abstract

Background: This article reports quantitative results from a pilot study in primary care (PC) undertaken from 2004–2007. The intervention programme, derived from movement psychotherapy, was termed ‘Learning groups: the BodyMind approach (BMA),’ and emphasised a verbal and non-verbal integrated model, awareness of the inter-relationship between body and mind and a self-managing framework. Aim: To evaluate systematically the outcomes of a 12-week group BMA intervention programme with patients suffering from anxiety/depression with at least one chronic (over two years) medically unexplained symptom (MUS), another term for a psychosomatic condition or somatoform disorder. Method: A mixed method was applied to a single-case design. Outcome measures completed at baseline, mid-, post- intervention and three-month follow-up were the Measure Yourself Medical Outcome Profile (MYMOP) and the Counselling Outcome Routine Evaluation (CORE). Results: Increased activity levels and well-being; more effective coping/functioning strategies; reduction in anxiety/depression, GP-consultation and medication usage, and symptom distress. All changes were maintained at three-month follow-up.

Keywords:

• pilot study
• medically unexplained symptoms
• body-mind approach
• well-being
• anxiety/depression

Acknowledgements

Appreciations go out to the participants of the study, the research assistants and the steering group as well as to Sarah Webb, Head of WelHat Counselling Service at the time and to the University of Hertfordshire for funding the project.

Notes

1. A full literature review is available in Payne (2009b).

2. Counselling Outcomes Routine Evaluation (CORE) is the first standardised public-domain approach to audit, evaluation and outcome measurement for UK psychological therapy and counselling services. It was developed by the Psychological Therapies Research Centre, University of Leeds which co-ordinated it from 1995–1998 through a multi-disciplinary team of researchers and practitioners representing the major psychological therapy professions. http://www.coreims.co.uk

3. Measure Your own Medical Profile (MYMOP) is a patient-generated instrument for measuring outcomes developed by the Department of Social Medicine, University of Bristol and evaluated in the NHS and complementary health care settings (7 October 2004). Available from: http://www.coreims.co.uk/outcomecore.htm

4. Further findings from the qualitative data analysis can be found in Payne (2009a ,b ,d) and a summary of the outcomes from both the quantitative and qualitative analyses can be found in Payne (2009c) – see reference list.