Abstract

RUIZ MORALES, Álvaro J. Effects of Psychosocial Interventions in Chronic Diseases: A Review of the Available Literature. rev.colomb.psiquiatr. [online]. 2007, vol.36, n.3, pp.530-541. ISSN 0034-7450.

Introduction: Even though there is a great deal of information about the importance of the psychosocial aspects in human health and particularly in chronic diseases, there is no certainty on the effectiveness of interventions on those factors and their capacity to modify the outcomes or prognosis of diseases. Method: A review of the available literature. Results: A review is offered of studies that evaluated psychosocial aspects or impact of interventions on them, such as a structured psychiatric intervention and effects on patients with melanoma; hopelessness and risk of mortality or incidence of myocardial infarction and cancer; six year survival and post myocardial infarction depression; stress reduction interventions and hypertension; writing about stressful experiences and symptoms in both asthma and rheumatoid arthritis. Conclusions: There is agreement on the relationship between psychosocial aspects and human health, in particular in chronic diseases. However, multiple methodological defects or errors in the interpretation of fi nal data do not allow for solid conclusions.

Keywords : Psychosocial impact; methodology; stress; chronic; disease.

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