American Journal of Medical and Clinical Research & Reviews

Beyond Chemical Reductionism: How New Depression Research Supports Embodied Medicine

2025-08-11T05:22:54+03:00

A landmark systematic umbrella review by University College London researchers published in Molecular Psychiatry found no solid scientific evidence supporting the serotonin theory of depression, challenging the foundational "chemical imbalance" hypothesis underlying SSRI treatment and opening new avenues for alternative therapeutic approaches.

This essay examines how the collapse of the chemical imbalance theory validates embodied medicine approaches to depression that recognize the inseparable unity of mind, body, and environment, moving beyond Cartesian dualism toward holistic healing paradigms.

We synthesize findings from the UCL review with phenomenological research, embodied cognitive science, and integrative healing approaches, drawing particularly on the work of Thomas Fuchs, Kevin Aho, and Julian Ungar-Sargon's critique of reductionist medicine.

The convergence of evidence demonstrates that depression emerges not from isolated neurochemical deficiencies but from disruptions in embodied consciousness, intercorporeality, and the person's dynamic engagement with their world. Phenomenological research reveals depression as involving spatial-temporal disruption, corporeal alienation, and breakdown of meaning-making processes. Body-oriented psychotherapies and embodied interventions show promise as alternatives to purely pharmacological approaches.

Conclusions: The collapse of the serotonin theory represents more than a scientific correction—it signals a paradigm shift toward understanding depression as a meaningful response of embodied persons to life circumstances rather than a brain disease. This supports therapeutic approaches that address the person's total existential situation, restore embodied agency, and honor the sacred dimensions of healing encounters. Future research should focus on developing integrative frameworks that transcend the artificial mind-body split while maintaining scientific rigor.

Language and its Psychosomatic Clinical Meaning

2025-08-03T07:37:36+03:00

The text proposes an interdisciplinary approach to understanding speech, language and psychosomatic phenomena, with an emphasis on psychoanalysis. Initially, it presents the main schools of thought in psychology - structuralism, functionalism, gestalt, psychoanalysis, behaviorism, humanism, and cognitivism - each offering different perspectives on human behavior and mental processes. Next, the focus falls on somatization, understood as a physical expression of psychic conflicts. The text highlights that psychosomatic symptoms often resist the classical physiological explanation, which requires a deeper look from psychoanalysis. McDougall classifies somatization into three forms: logical (neurotic), alexithymic (psychosomatic), and paralogical (psychotic). The concept of "organ thinking", especially in patients with psychotic or borderline conditions, is explored as a primitive and unconscious form of communication, in which the body "speaks" through symptoms. Bion contributes his theory of the alpha function, distinguishing alpha elements (digested thoughts) from beta (undigested) elements, which, when not transformed into language, can manifest as somatizations. Somatization can act as a defense against psychic collapse, functioning as a symbolic substitute for speech. The articulation between emotion, thought and body is fundamental to understand psychosomatic suffering. Finally, the text proposes the concept of "psychosomatic ness", essential to interpret why certain organs are chosen as the seat of symptoms, reflecting a logic of the unconscious - not rational, but symbolic, affective and mythopoetic.

Spiritual Liberty in the Light of the Constitution of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste (2025)

2025-08-03T07:11:37+03:00

Introduction: Spiritual liberty consists of freedom to profess their faith, liberty of conscience and worship duration, and is considered a fundamental right of citizens, which is positive in the fundamental law of state law. Spiritual liberty is a fundamental human right enshrined in the United Nations of Human Rights in the implementation of the world (1948; cited by (Corte Real AG., et al, 2025), is positive in Timor-Leste according the fundamental law.

Research Objectives: To study the legal presuppositions of existing spiritual liberty and their legal effects on religious practice and enjoyment of spiritual rights by religious citizens and defense of spiritual admissions in Timor-Leste, to study the fundamental multicultural of fundamental rights on spiritual liberty, identify gaps, challenges and propose legislative-alternative solutions to the protection of the rights of spiritual minorities to liberty as a fundamental right that is exercised through spiritual concessions.

Result Discussion: Spiritual liberty is one of the rights of man and woman, that is, a right inherent to the human person and needs to be positive to be respected. The right of spiritual liberty in Timor-Leste requires a lot of reflection, because every right is related to the juridic order and the social reality of the country.

Conclusion: To influence this goalmouth, it has the finalize to analyze carefully about spiritual self-determination, being a fundamental right inherent to the human person and show the challenges, before a country with so much multi-cultural and holy diversity, maintain the laity, in the implementation practice that has and liberty of application according to (Corte Real AG., et al, 2025).

Are "We Doing All We Can for Mothers and Their Babies"? Depression, Early Birth, Breast milk needs government support: A Narrative Review"

2025-08-04T05:27:23+03:00

Introduction
Low breastfeeding rates have a history from the past to the present and into the future. The mechanisation of the food industry aims to include human breast milk produced by mothers after giving Birth. The overly commercialized foods may induce Cancer in humans through environmental diseases. Commercialised foods have replaced breast milk.

Methodology
Women and those who immigrate have special needs. Breastmilk studies have identified the protective effect of breastmilk for mothers and babies. Postnatal depression is at least 10% or higher, which requires careful counseling. Health and Counseling needs for immigrants globally need to be addressed by Health Authorities, as documents suggest governments could do more to increase breastfeeding rates.

About Changes in the Nutritional Status of Pulmonary Tuberculosis Patients Previously and Afterward Treatment at Bairopite Clinic Dili Timor Leste (2025)

2025-08-03T07:23:31+03:00

Introduction: Based on data from the World Health Organization (WHO, 2024), there were 10 million people in the world who were infected with TB germs (WHO, 2022). In 2023 there were 9.8 million people in the world infected with TB germs (WHO, 2019). In 2018, the highest number of pulmonary TB cases were in the African region (36%), the Southeast Asia region (27%), and the Eastern Mediterranean region (15%) (WHO, 2017). At the Bairopite Clinic, there were 36 cases and in 2019 the first quarter was 22 cases and the second quarter was 18 cases.

Research Objectives: To investigates the changes in the nutritional status of pulmonary TB patients previously and afterward treatment at the Bairopite Clinic Dili Timor-Leste.

Research Methodology: A quantitative research of study conducted using a pre-experimental approach with a one group pre and post-test design with sampling technique were Simple Random and population of this study was 34 respondents. Data analysis is carried out use Pair T-Test statistic by using a SPSS version 24.

Result Discussion: In comparison with the population sample, the population is composed of only secondary schools of junior at the state level of malnutrition previously and subsequently treatment. Level of complementary treatment and clinical outcomes were also analyzed with logistical regression and adjustments to pre-specified factors that were disordered. Caplan-Meier survival estimates were used to examine the relationship between intervention and the time of death. Signification based on P < 0.05.

Conclusion: There are changes in the nutritional status of pulmonary TB patients previously and afterward treatment at the Bairopite Clinic Dili, with the results of the Paired Samples Test shows that the Mean Paired Changes value is 2.123.

Spatial Assessment of Health Outcomes and Complications of Gas Flared Pollutants on Residents within Operational Radius of Agbada II Flow Station, Port Harcourt, Rivers State

2025-08-03T06:53:40+03:00

Gas flaring do not only contribute to contamination and deterioration of the air quality of surrounding areas but also has adverse environmental and public health implications. The main focus of this study was to unravel the health outcomes and complications prevalent among residents around Agbada II flow station in Rivers State. The experimental research design was adopted while the data for this study were sourced from both primary and secondary sources. The primary data included air quality parameters recorded at various sampled locations while the secondary data included different health challenges obtained from the archive of the health centre within the flaring sites in the study area. The statistical tool employed to analyze the data were Pearson Product Moment Correlation and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). The relationship between O₃, NO₂, SO₂, VOC and PM_2.5,CH_4,H₂S and the health challenges in the area showed positive correlation at P<0.05. On the other hand, ANOVA revealed that the spatial variation in health challenges within the flared pollutants area was equally significant at P<0.05 (CD-. F=10.40109, sig = 0.00, Cancer F=12.30989, sig = 0.00; ND- F=13.32089, sig = 0.00; GD- F=12.30989, sig = 0.00; KD- F=9.21989, sig = 0.00; LD- F=5.32989, sig = 0.00; SD-F=8.81089, sig = 0.00; A- F=9.41989, sig = 0.00; B- F=14.10089, sig = 0.00 and COPD-F=32.21979, sig = 0.00). Arising from the foregoing, reduction in the quantity of gas flared at source, diversion of ecological fund into massive investment in functional, accessible and affordable healthcare infrastructure, stringent enforcement of zero tolerance for defaulting companies on the regulations and laws on flaring of gases, enactment of laws prohibiting construction of housing facilities in proximity to gas flaring sites were recommended for urgent takeoff.