The BodyMind Approach for medically unexplained symptoms

What is it about?

This article outlines the major practice based clinical outcomes using aggregated data from the delivery of a new and novel clinical service in primary care for patients with persistent bodily symptoms for which tests and scans come back negative, and are termed medically unexplained symptoms (MUS). The service is based on a proof of concept research study (Payne and Stott 2010) and practice-based evidence from several early adopters (Payne 2014; Payne 2015; Payne and Brooks 2016), which transferred the research into real-world clinical delivery. A summary of outcomes is presented which have been from different therapists and in different centres in one county in England. A typical patient profile is included for illustration. The group intervention, termed The BodyMind Approach™ (TBMA), employs an enactive, embodied methodology emanating from recent neuroscience research (Gallese 2011; Shore 2012) integrating body and mind (physical and mental health). GP or self-referred participants attend 12 group sessions and one to one meetings with group facilitators prior to, and following, the group experience. Phase two engages patients in non-face-to-face contact over six months to embed their self-designed action plan based on their new perceptions following the group process. Data presented is from practice-based evidence pre and post intervention in anxiety, depression, symptom distress, functioning/activity and wellbeing. At post course the following percentages of people report reliable improvement in outcomes including reductions in symptom distress 63% (39/62), anxiety 42% (13/31) and depression 35% (11/31) and increases in activity levels 58% (18/31) and wellbeing 55% (17/31) resulting in the self-management of their symptoms. Despite the small number of patients involved it can be cautiously concluded that this intervention may offer a useful solution to the vast numbers in primary care with MUS who reject, or try and find unsatisfying, psychological therapies e.g. cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT).

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Why is it important?

A different approach, holistic and biopsychosocial, employing embodied social cognition to support people with very few pathways for care and support apart from psychological therapy which most avoid due to their explanatory model as physical.

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