Treatments: Psychosomatic Medicine

What is Psychosomatic Medicine?

Recently a number of academic medical societies (Academy of Psychosomatic Medicine, The Association of Medicine and Psychiatry) applied and were approved by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology and American Board of Medical Specialties, for the recognition of ”Psychosomatic Medicine” a subspecialty field of psychiatry.

This was in response to the growing body of scientific evidence demonstrating the high prevalence of psychiatric disorders in patients with medical, surgical, obstetrical and neurological conditions, particularly for patients with complex and/or chronic conditions (“the complex medically ill”), and the critical importance of addressing these disorders in managing their care.

Psychosomatic medicine psychiatrists constitute a group of individuals in psychiatry who have specialized expertise in the diagnosis and treatment of psychiatric disorders/difficulties in complex medically ill patients.

The first subspecialty certification examination was offered in 2005 by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. Dr. Oddy was certified in Psychosomatic Medicine at this important time in the development of the subspecialty.