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Psychodynamic psychotherapy in serious physical illness: A systematic literature review of approaches and techniques for the treatment of existential distress and mental disorders.

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Title: Psychodynamic psychotherapy in serious physical illness: A systematic literature review of approaches and techniques for the treatment of existential distress and mental disorders.
Authors: Philipp, Rebecca, Walbaum, Charlotte, Vehling, Sigrun
Source: Death Studies. 2025, Vol. 49 Issue 5, p676-697. 22p.
Subjects: Mental illness prevention, Mental illness treatment, Chronic disease treatment, Psychological distress, Psychodynamic psychotherapy, Research funding, CINAHL database, Descriptive statistics, Affective disorders, Loneliness, Systematic reviews, MEDLINE, Morale, Social support, Interpersonal relations, Anxiety disorders, Grief, Psychology information storage & retrieval systems
Abstract: Individuals with life-limiting physical illness experience lower mental health due to existential distress (e.g., demoralization, death anxiety) and mental disorders (e.g., depression, anxiety). Psychodynamic psychotherapy may be helpful in alleviating such distress by focusing patients' unconscious emotional and relational motivations. There is yet limited knowledge on the application of psychodynamic psychotherapies in this population. We systematically searched electronic databases and analyzed results using meta-ethnography. Of 15,112 identified records, we included 31 qualitative studies applying psychodynamic psychotherapies (n = 69, mean age: 49.3 [SD = 16.9)], 56% female). Psychodynamic treatment in this population can be beneficial when considering modification of the treatment setting to the illness reality, balancing needs for autonomy and separation in light of helplessness and death anxiety, and careful integration of supportive interventions and conflict-oriented interventions (e.g., exploring relational issues that interfere with mourning illness-related loss). We discuss future directions for the development and evaluation of treatments specific to serious physical illness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Death Studies is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection
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  Data: Individuals with life-limiting physical illness experience lower mental health due to existential distress (e.g., demoralization, death anxiety) and mental disorders (e.g., depression, anxiety). Psychodynamic psychotherapy may be helpful in alleviating such distress by focusing patients' unconscious emotional and relational motivations. There is yet limited knowledge on the application of psychodynamic psychotherapies in this population. We systematically searched electronic databases and analyzed results using meta-ethnography. Of 15,112 identified records, we included 31 qualitative studies applying psychodynamic psychotherapies (n = 69, mean age: 49.3 [SD = 16.9)], 56% female). Psychodynamic treatment in this population can be beneficial when considering modification of the treatment setting to the illness reality, balancing needs for autonomy and separation in light of helplessness and death anxiety, and careful integration of supportive interventions and conflict-oriented interventions (e.g., exploring relational issues that interfere with mourning illness-related loss). We discuss future directions for the development and evaluation of treatments specific to serious physical illness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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  Data: <i>Copyright of Death Studies is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=pbh&AN=184036168
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        Value: 10.1080/07481187.2024.2353362
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      – Code: eng
        Text: English
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        PageCount: 22
        StartPage: 676
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Mental illness prevention
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Mental illness treatment
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Chronic disease treatment
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Psychological distress
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Psychodynamic psychotherapy
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Research funding
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: CINAHL database
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Descriptive statistics
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Affective disorders
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Loneliness
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Systematic reviews
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: MEDLINE
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Morale
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Social support
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Interpersonal relations
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Anxiety disorders
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Grief
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Psychology information storage & retrieval systems
        Type: general
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      – TitleFull: Psychodynamic psychotherapy in serious physical illness: A systematic literature review of approaches and techniques for the treatment of existential distress and mental disorders.
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            NameFull: Walbaum, Charlotte
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              M: 05
              Text: 2025
              Type: published
              Y: 2025
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              Value: 49
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