Further education and training

Hybrid event online and in the small lecture hall of the ZLF at the University Hospital Basel

When procrastination jeopardizes health: Basic mechanisms and perspectives

Dr. Lena M. Wieland

DIPF ¦niz Institute for Research and Information in Education, Department of Cognitive Development, Frankfurt am Main

"Procrastination describes the unnecessary postponement of necessary action despite the knowledge of possible negative consequences. Most people are familiar with procrastination from their own experience. However, if procrastination occurs on a regular basis, the behavior can become problematic. Procrastination is not only negatively associated with academic and professional success, but also with health developments and the implementation of functional health behaviors. The individual tendency to procrastinate is relatively stable over time and is associated with impulsiveness and low conscientiousness. However, the actual occurrence of the behavior is also influenced by contextual factors and the subjective perception of the task to be completed. Against this background, procrastination is described as a problem of self-regulation that is based on complex cognitive-affective mechanisms. Although the direction of the connections between procrastination and health-related problem areas has not yet been sufficiently researched, strategies can be derived from this observation that can be helpful in dealing with procrastination in practice."

Registration link

Hybrid event online and in the small lecture hall of the ZLF at the University Hospital Basel

When procrastination jeopardizes health: Basic mechanisms and perspectives

Dr. Lena M. Wieland

DIPF ¦niz Institute for Research and Information in Education, Department of Cognitive Development, Frankfurt am Main

"Procrastination describes the unnecessary postponement of necessary action despite the knowledge of possible negative consequences. Most people are familiar with procrastination from their own experience. However, if procrastination occurs on a regular basis, the behavior can become problematic. Procrastination is not only negatively associated with academic and professional success, but also with health developments and the implementation of functional health behaviors. The individual tendency to procrastinate is relatively stable over time and is associated with impulsiveness and low conscientiousness. However, the actual occurrence of the behavior is also influenced by contextual factors and the subjective perception of the task to be completed. Against this background, procrastination is described as a problem of self-regulation that is based on complex cognitive-affective mechanisms. Although the direction of the connections between procrastination and health-related problem areas has not yet been sufficiently researched, strategies can be derived from this observation that can be helpful in dealing with procrastination in practice."

Registration link

Hybrid event online and in the small lecture hall of the ZLF at the University Hospital Basel

When procrastination jeopardizes health: Basic mechanisms and perspectives

Dr. Lena M. Wieland

DIPF ¦niz Institute for Research and Information in Education, Department of Cognitive Development, Frankfurt am Main

"Procrastination describes the unnecessary postponement of necessary action despite the knowledge of possible negative consequences. Most people are familiar with procrastination from their own experience. However, if procrastination occurs on a regular basis, the behavior can become problematic. Procrastination is not only negatively associated with academic and professional success, but also with health developments and the implementation of functional health behaviors. The individual tendency to procrastinate is relatively stable over time and is associated with impulsiveness and low conscientiousness. However, the actual occurrence of the behavior is also influenced by contextual factors and the subjective perception of the task to be completed. Against this background, procrastination is described as a problem of self-regulation that is based on complex cognitive-affective mechanisms. Although the direction of the connections between procrastination and health-related problem areas has not yet been sufficiently researched, strategies can be derived from this observation that can be helpful in dealing with procrastination in practice."

Registration link

Handout

Functional neurological disorders: Psychogenic non-epileptic seizures

PD Dr. med. Martin Hardmeier

Head of Long-Term Video Monitoring Unit, Department of Neurology, University Hospital Basel

"Psychogenic non-epileptic seizures are a manifestation of functional neurological disorders (functional neurological symptom disorder according to DSM 5) with a prevalence of 33/100,000 and often with first manifestation in young adulthood. There is comorbidity with medically unexplained symptoms and psychiatric illnesses. Patients are usually severely restricted in their everyday lives.

In addition to a general overview, the current lecture focuses on the disease concepts developed in recent years and supported by experimental data, on the diagnosis of psychogenic non-epileptic seizures, including the importance of long-term EEG video monitoring and possible therapeutic approaches."

Registration link

Handout

Trauma processing in cognitive behavioral therapy

Dr. phil. Elisabeth Nyberg
Head Psychologist, Autism Consultation, Psychodiagnostics, Assessments, Health Center Psychiatry, UPK Basel

"When working with traumatized people, phrases such as "not stable enough" and fear of "re-traumatization" are often used. In this lecture, which is geared towards psychotherapeutic work in practice, the concept of stability is presented in detail as a prerequisite for trauma-focused work. The focus of the lecture is on teaching a confrontational approach to dealing with traumatic memories, as recommended in the S3 guidelines, and on dealing with dissociative symptoms in trauma therapy. Since dissociative symptoms are usually the result of traumatization and respond particularly well to a trauma-focused approach, it is necessary to find an approach that makes this possible. To this end, excerpts from an instructional video are shown. At the end, strategies for stimulus discrimination and dealing with feelings of guilt are briefly summarized..."

Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Gunther Meinlschmidt, Head of the Department of Digital and Combined Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy & Head of Research, Department of Psychosomatics, University Hospital and University of Basel; Professor of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy (focus on behavioral therapy), International Psychoanalytic University (IPU) Berlin

"The application of recent developments in artificial intelligence (AI), in particular the potential use of large-scale language models, in psychosomatics and psychotherapy raises a number of questions - is it a blessing for the diagnosis and treatment of people with mental/psychosomatic disorders or a curse that brings with it new ethical and practical problems? The lecture will take a look at current developments and scientific findings, discuss the associated opportunities and challenges and shed light on what these technologies could mean for the future of our professions. A balancing act between fear and hope that needs to be navigated."

Registration link

Handout for the event

November 14, 2023

Dr. phil. Elisabeth Nyberg, ADHD/Aspergers consultation, Health Center Psychiatry, UPK Basel

"When working with traumatized people, phrases such as "not stable enough" and fear of "re-traumatization" are often used. In this lecture, which is geared towards psychotherapeutic work in practice, the concept of stability as a prerequisite for trauma-focused work is presented in detail. The focus of the lecture is on teaching a confrontational approach to dealing with traumatic memories, as recommended in the S3 guidelines, and on dealing with dissociative symptoms in trauma therapy. Since dissociative symptoms are usually the result of traumatization and respond particularly well to a trauma-focused approach, it is necessary to find an approach that makes this possible. To this end, excerpts from an instructional video are shown. At the end, strategies for stimulus discrimination and dealing with feelings of guilt are briefly summarized."

October 17, 2023 12:30 p.m.

Gender medicine in Switzerland: Change is coming

Prof. Dr. med. Dr. sc. nat. Catherine Gebhard, Head of Invasive Cardiology, Department of Cardiology, Inselspital Bern

"A steadily growing number of studies show that a universal approach to researching and treating diseases has long since ceased to make sense. While in the age of personalized medicine therapy concepts are already being adapted to individual genes, the difference between men and women is hardly noticed in the specialist literature and in clinical routine. Gender medicine, still a young discipline, now aims to close the existing knowledge gaps in research, teaching and clinical medicine. The presentation highlights important gender differences in the development, communication, treatment, course and management of diseases and provides an overview of current gender medicine initiatives in Switzerland."

August 22, 2023 12:30 p.m.

Primary chronic pain according to ICD-11: concept, causalities and consequences

PD Dr. Niklaus Egloff, President of the Swiss Academy for Psychosomatic and Psychosocial Medicine (SAPPM)

"As far as the categorization of chronic pain is concerned, there is a welcome development with ICD-11: chronic pain is listed as an independent disease for the first time. ICD-11 avoids reducing "pain without a lesional cause" to a psychiatric or psychogenic cause, but instead speaks of "primary chronic pain" in a neutral way. For all forms of chronic pain disorders, the new diagnostic grid queries both the phenomenology of the subjective perception of pain as well as psychosocial concomitant symptoms. Implicitly, the understanding of pain in ICD-11 approaches a non-dual view of the human being and creates a good basis for understanding the multimodal treatment approach. "

June 27, 2023 12:30 p.m.

What influences our personality development?

Prof. Dr. Wiebke Bleidorn, University of Zurich, Institute of Psychology, Differential Psychology and Diagnostics

"How stable versus changeable is our personality? While personality traits have traditionally been considered highly stable, unchangeable and predominantly genetically determined, current findings show that personality differences, despite their high stability, are changeable and that these changes can be genetically and environmentally determined. In this lecture, I will present current findings on the causes, consequences and limits of personality changes. Finally, I will explore the question of whether and how we can specifically change our personality."

May 16, 2023 12:30 p.m.

Mentalization-based therapy (MBT) - a helpful approach for eating disorders too?

Prof. Dr. med. Almut Zeeck, Clinic for Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Freiburg, Germany

"The treatment of eating disorders still poses great challenges for therapists today. The reasons for this include the ambivalence of patients with regard to changing their symptoms and intense transference/countertransference dynamics. Insecure attachment patterns and mentalization deficits are often found in the background. Based on clinical experience and empirical findings, the lecture will discuss the extent to which the mentalization concept and MBT, which was actually developed for borderline personality disorder, could be helpful for understanding and treating eating disorders."

Handout for the event

April 18, 2023 12:30 p.m.

Obsessive-compulsive disorders in the peripartum period - overview of symptoms, frequency and their influence on maternal identity development

Dr. phil. Angela Häne, federally recognized psychotherapist & supervisor, Zurich

"What if I drop my baby? What if I hurt my baby? What if I'm secretly a bad mother?" These thoughts are not what most of us associate with early motherhood, but for many women they are a reality. They are intrusive, tormenting thoughts, ideas or impulses that proliferate in the minds of affected young mothers and cause considerable distress. Obsessive thoughts can occur as part of a postpartum depression or anxiety disorder, or as a single predominant disorder (Fairbrother et al., 2015).

In clinical practice, the peripartum period is considered a risk phase for the onset or worsening of obsessive-compulsive disorder (Winston & Seif, 2018; Russel et al, 2013). In addition to the stress caused by the tormenting obsessive thoughts themselves, there may be further negative consequences for the young mother, particularly with regard to her self-concept as a mother.

Handout for the event

March 28, 2023 12:30 p.m.

Pharmacological treatment of depression in family medicine - a critical analysis

PD Dr. Michael P. Hengartner, Zurich University of Applied Sciences, Department of Clinical Psychology and Health Psychology

Most antidepressants for depression are now prescribed by GPs/family doctors. The rising prescription rates are also mainly due to long-term treatments, which are often not in line with guidelines. Furthermore, it was found that most antidepressants are prescribed to patients with mild and subclinical depression - this is also a peculiarity that is (often) not in line with guidelines. These problematic aspects, as well as the controversial debate on the efficacy of antidepressants, will be discussed extensively and critically in this presentation.

March 7, 2023 12:30 p.m.

Psychosomatic aspects of the post/long COVID syndrome

Dr. Christine Allwang, Senior Consultant at the Clinic and Polyclinic for Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich

Long/post-COVID is a complex condition whose etiology and possible underlying pathomechanisms are still not fully understood. The clinical-therapeutic care of those affected, some of whom are severely impaired in their quality of life, continues to pose a considerable challenge for all practitioners. The lecture will revolve around the history of the development of post/long COVID syndrome and current etiological hypotheses. In addition, a psychosomatic-psychotherapeutic view of the overall topic will be taken and initial psychotherapeutic approaches will be described.

13.12.2022 12:30

Prof. Dr. Katharina Timper, Endocrinology, Diabetology and Metabolism, University Hospital Basel

Eating disorders are a broad spectrum of diseases that often go unrecognized but are associated with high morbidity and mortality. The latest findings from basic research not only open up a fundamentally different understanding of the pathophysiology of diseases such as anorexia, but also reveal possible completely new treatment approaches for affected patients.

On the one hand, the lecture will take you into the fantastic world of the brain and give you insights into neurobiological connections that you have probably never seen before. On the other hand, it offers practical recommendations for dealing with patients who are suspected of having eating disorders in everyday practice.

Handout of the event

08.11.2022 12:30

Dr. med. Christiane Rosin, Clinic for Psychosomatics, University Hospital Basel

How could our practice change if we recognized the relevance of the microbiome and the associated mind-body structures for concepts of inflammatory medicine and neurodegeneration? What therapeutic concepts from the fields of nutrition, stress medicine, psyche and identity could then arise for the treatment of "disorders of gut-brain interaction" such as irritable bowel syndrome and numerous other diseases of civilization?

Where are there structures for this in conventional medicine, where do ambiguities or even difficulties arise due to our previous ways of thinking and procedures, and how can these be discussed with patients in a shared decision model? Is this even possible? If you would like to join me in looking behind the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, I promise not to talk about bowel movements too often.

28.06.2022 12:30

Prof. Dr. Urs M. Nater, University of Vienna, Faculty of Psychology, Department of Clinical Psychology of Adulthood

he "Music & Health Lab" at the University of Vienna is investigating the potentially positive effects of music on health and illness. Of particular interest here is the role of listening to music, which, if used correctly, can lead to a reduction in stress, which in turn can trigger health-promoting effects. Within the framework of experimental studies and methodological approaches in the everyday life of the test person, the connections between listening to music, psychological and biological parameters (in particular the endocrine stress axis) and health parameters (in particular the immune system) are examined. The lecture gives an overview of previous, current and planned psychosis, state of tension, etc.).