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Travelling at a hundred miles an hour and not being able to get off: Examining a patient’s journey from medically unexplained symptoms

Kelvin Leung, Foluke Odeyale, Itoro Udo

Abstract


Objectives: To understand a patient’s experience of treatment and recovery from medically unexplained tremors affecting hand and neck. The patient attended a Liaison Psychiatry Outpatient Clinic.

Method: A case study using interview method focusing on the nature and severity of illness; effects of symptoms; expectations of treatment; changes observed and the patient’s expectation of services.

Results: The patient was “extremely” stressed about his symptoms and “apprehensive” about attending mental health services. He experienced resolution of physical symptoms and improvements in mental wellbeing. Mental health treatment comprised medications and psychological therapies.

Conclusions: Persons experiencing medically unexplained symptoms deserve positive experiences of well-funded specialist healthcare.

Keywords


Communication skills, functional disorders, medically unexplained symptoms, liaison psychiatry, patient experience, person-centered healthcare, post-traumatic stress disorder, quality of life, recovery, somatoform disorders

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References


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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5750/ejpch.v6i3.1514

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