The European Network on Psychosomatic Medicine

Fax +41 61 306 12 34 E-Mail [email protected] www.karger.com ICPM News Section Psychother Psychosom 2008;77:132 DOI: 10.1159/000112893 3. The ENPM is integrative, the scope of clinical work and research is the whole medical field and all sub-disciplines, which means psychosomatic medicine is dedicated to the biological, psychological and social aspects of medicine, including cognitions, emotions, behaviour and physiology. For us as the organizers of the ENPM, it would be extremely helpful to announce information and links on our website (www. enpm.eu), make contacts to bring people together and develop activities in different directions. So it would be extremely helpful for us to get: (a) Internet addresses (links) of all national and international European societies working in the psychosomatic (behavioural/ consultation/liaison) field. (b) Links to all national and international journals, publishing in the psychosomatic/behavioural/consultation-liaison field. (c) Links to all European foundations giving money for psychosomatic projects and other research activities. (d) Links to European/international research groups, working in an international project and getting money from the European Union or other international/national foundations. We believe that time needs actions to combine all strengths to bring forward ideas and initiatives in the psychosomatic field for better health care of our patients in Europe. Hans-Christian Deter , [email protected] R a m i r o V e r i s s i m o , [email protected] Dear colleagues, The new website of the European Network on Psychosomatic Medicine is now working under www.enpm.eu. We invite all European scientists to take part and bring their contacts, ideas and organisations in. An information and discussion process to integrate psychosomatic thinking and make psychosomatic actions in the European field is necessary! The European Network of Psychosomatic Medicine was organized for clinicians and scientists working in the medical field and trying to describe psychosomatic correlations in a scientific way. The treatment of patients with disturbances, illnesses and diseases influenced by psychosomatic factors seems to be an important topic in national and European health care. Therapeutic medical actions in a psychosomatic perspective include psychotherapeutic methods, changing human beings and behaviours of patients and the acceptance of therapeutic modalities which are congruent with basic human values. 1. The ENPM is a discussion forum to coordinate all strengths in the field of psychosomatic/behavioural medicine to make common actions according health care facilities in the European countries especially – on an European level – in primary care and the specialties. A sufficient infrastructure in a European Union health care system will be triggered by European Guidelines in different somatic diseases. This important tool has to be discussed under psychosomatic aspects, moreover ENPM initiates and coordinates actions for common research funding in the European Union. 2. The ENPM is interdisciplinary, which means all professions working or doing research in the medical field can take part without preference for any profession: medical doctors in primary care, all kinds of specialists in psychiatry, internal medicine, gynaecology, dermatology, etc.; psychologists, sociologists, nurses and other professions. Published online: January 25, 2008 © 2008 S. Karger AG, Basel 0033–3190/08/0772–0132$24.50/0 Accessible online at: www.karger.com/pps ICPM Established 1970