Dr. Porcelli presents in Part One a general introduction to Psychosomatics and its clinical assessment, and proceeds to study in detail the use of the Rorschach in Alexithymia, Cancer, Cronic Pain, and other somatic disorders. The Author illustrates every condition with clinical vignettes. Part Two comprises six complete clinical cases. An Index includes normative data for Alexithymic Patients.

Contents:

PART ONE
Theoretical Issues

CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION: THE PSYCHOSOMATIC QUESTION
THE HYPHEN IN THE MIND-BODY SYSTEM
HISTORY OF PSYCHOSOMATIC MEDICINE
WHAT IS PSYCHOSOMATIC MEDICINE?

CHAPTER 2
DIAGNOSTIC ASPECTS OF PSYCHOSOMATIC DISORDERS
WHAT IS DIAGNOSIS
SYMPTOM PRESENTATION
ILLNESS CLASSIFICATION: THE DSM-IV
CRITICISM TO DSM-IV
ALTERNATIVES TO DSM-IV: THE DIMENSIONAL APPROACH
ALTERNATIVES TO DSM-IV: THE DATEGORICAL APPROACH
THE DIAGNOSTIC CRITERIA FOR PSYCHOSOMATIC RESEARCH (DCPR)
CONCLUSION

CHAPTER 3
RORSCHACH AND PSYCHOSOMATICS
BODY IMAGE AND RORSCHACH SCORES
REVIEW OF RORSCHACH FINDINGS IN PSYCHOSOMATIC MEDICINE
PURPOSES AND USE OF THE RORSCHACH TEST IN MEDICAL SETTINGS

CHAPTER 4
RORSCHACH AND ALEXITHYMIA
THE ALEXITHYMIA CONSTRUCT
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND AND CLINICAL FEATURES OF ALEXITHYMIA
PREVALENCE OF ALEXITHYMIA IN PSYCHIATRIC AND MEDICAL ILLNESSES
THE NEUROBIOLOGY OF ALEXITHYMIA
ALEXITHYMIA AND DEVELOPMENTAL FACTORS
ASSESSMENT MEASURES OF ALEXITHYMIA
RORSCHACH STUDIES ON ALEXITHYMIA
ALEXITHYMIA STUDIES WITH MISCELLANEOUSRORSCHACH SYSTEMS
ALEXITHYMIA STUDIES WITH THE RORSCHACH COMPREHENSIVE SYSTEM
CONCLUSIONS

CHAPTER 5
RORSCHACH AND CANCER
PSYCHOLOGICAL RISK FACTORS OF CANCER
RORSCHACH STUDIES ON PSYCHOLOGICAL PREDICTOR OF CANCER DEVELOPMENT
PSYCHOLOGICAL CONSEQUENCES OF CANCER
RORSCHACH STUDIES ON PSYCHOLOGICAL CONSEQUENCES OF CANCER
CONCLUSIONS

CHAPTER 6
RORSCHACH, CHRONIC PAIN AND OTHER SOMATIC DISORDERS
CHRONIC PAIN AND PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS
RORSCHACH STUDIES ON PAIN DISORDER
RORSCHACH STUDIES ON OTHER SOMATIC CONDITIONS (OBSESITY, PANCREATITIS, HYPERTENSION)
OBESITY
CHRONIC PROSTATITIS
HYPERTENSION

CHAPTER 7
CONCLUSIONS

PART TWO
Clinical Issues

CASE 1
ALEXITHYMIA IN MEDICAL DISEASE WITH SOMATIZATION SYMPTOMS

CASE 2
ALEXITHYMIA IN PAIN DISORDER WITH PSYCHIATRIC COMORBIDITY

CASE 3
PSYCHOLOGICAL ADJUSTMENT TO SURGERY FOR LIFE-THREATENING DISEASE

CASE 4
CHRONIC FATIGUE SYNDROME

CASE 5
BREAST CANCER

CASE 6
SOMATIZATION DISORDER

APPENDIX: DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICS FOR ALEXITHYMIC MEDICAL PATIENTS

REFERENCES & SUBJECT INDEX

Psychosomatic Medicine and the Rorschach Test, published in Madrid, 2004