[Effects of integrated internal medicine-psychosomatic management on coping with illness by patients]

60 patients of a medical department in a general hospital, who had been treated by an integrated internal-psychosomatic approach, were compared with a control group of the same size who had undergone traditional therapy of internal medicine, in regard to coping with illness. Both samples did not differ in their social situation, characteristics of the illnesses (including primary diagnosis) and circumstances of treatment (methods of care, accommodation, duration of hospital stay, etc.) As also expected there were no differences in coping styles. Two of four hypotheses on social support by doctors and nursing staff and four of six hypotheses on emotional adaptation were confirmed. Furthermore explorative analyses showed significant differences in 20 of 49 items answered by the patients. With one exception, all these differences also reflect a more favourable view of those patients, who had undergone integrated internal-psychosomatic treatment: They felt better supported by the doctors (not by the nursing staff) and were less emotionally disturbed. We conclude that an integrated internal-psychosomatic approach helps patients with internal diseases in general hospital to cope with illness.