In their practice, psychotherapists and physicians often encounter patients presenting with physical complaints in which positive somatic findings are either completely absent or do not adequately explain the symptoms presented. Diverse labels are used in this area, the most common of which is 'medically unexplained physical symptoms' (MUPS). Meta-analyses tend to show that the effectiveness of psychotherapy is not as high as for other types of problems. Our aim has been to contribute to the understanding of the extent to which psychotherapy works, through which mechanisms, and for which types of clients. Our research design includes four strands:

1. An analysis of the theoretical underpinnings and practices applied in different psychotherapeutic approaches, with an emphasis on discovering common factors.
2. Analysis of psychotherapists' experience working with clients with MUPS.
3. Qualitative analysis of group psychotherapy experience of clients suffering from MUPS
4. Quantitative assessment of the effectiveness of group psychotherapy and change mechanisms in clients with MUPS

The research was conducted in collaboration with the Czech Society for Psychosomatic Medicine and was supported by the Czech Science Foundation (Project No. GA18-08512S). More about the project can be found here.

Publications

Bachroníková, M., & Řiháček, T. (2017). Skúsenosť ľudí s nešpecifickými črevnými zápalmi. Psychosom, 14(2), 99-110.

Čevelíček, M., Roubal, J., Hytych, R., & Řiháček, T. (2023). What works in the treatment of medically unexplained physical symptoms? The psychotherapist perspective. Counselling Psychology Quarterly, 36(3), 503-524. https://doi.org/10.1080/09515070.2022.2123785

Klocek, A., & Řiháček, T. (2023). A multicomponent psychodynamic treatment for comorbid disorders: A baseline and post-treatment network comparison. Counselling Psychology Quarterly. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/09515070.2023.2292212

Klocek, A., & Řiháček, T. (2023). The associations between interoceptive awareness, emotion regulation, acceptance, and well-being in patients receiving multicomponent treatment: A dynamic panel network model. Research in Psychotherapy: Psychopathology, Process, and Outcome, 26(2). https://doi.org/10.4081/ripppo.2023.659

Kostolanská, E., & Řiháček, T. (2021). Medicínsky nevysvětlené symptomy a jejich změna v čase. Psychoterapie, 15(2), 150-164.

Nováček, T., Řiháček, T., & Cígler, H. (2020). Personalizovaný síťový model pro medicínsky nevysvětlené tělesné symptomy. Československá psychologie, 64(3), 257-271.

Polakovská, L., Čevelíček, M., Roubal, J., & Řiháček, T. (2023). Changes after multicomponent group-based treatment in patients with medically unexplained physical symptoms. Counselling Psychology Quarterly, 36(4), 571-591. https://doi.org/10.1080/09515070.2022.2142200

Polakovská, L., Roubal, J., Čevelíček, M., & Řiháček, T (2024). Contrasting two improved and two unimproved cases of patients with medically unexplained physical symptoms after multicomponent treatment. Counselling Psychology Quarterly, 37(1), 25-46. https://doi.org/10.1080/09515070.2023.2169900

Polakovská, L., & Řiháček, T. (2022). What is it like to live with medically unexplained physical symptoms? A qualitative meta-summary. Psychology & Health, 37(5), 580-596. https://doi.org/10.1080/08870446.2021.1901900

Pourová, M., Řiháček, T., Boehnke, J. R., Šimek, J., Saic, M., Kabát, J., & Šilhán, P. (2024). Effectiveness of a multicomponent group-based treatment in patients with medically unexplained physical symptoms: A multisite naturalistic study. Journal of Contemporary Psychotherapy, 54, 47-57. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10879-023-09597-4

Pourová, M., Řiháček, T., Chvála, Ľ., Vybíral, Z., & Boehnke, J. R. (2023). Negative effects during multicomponent group-based treatment: A multisite study. Psychotherapy Research, 33(3), 282-297. https://doi.org/10.1080/10503307.2022.2095237

Roubal, J., Hytych, R., Čevelíček, M., & Řiháček, T. (2021). Personal therapeutic approach in Gestalt therapists working with clients suffering from medically unexplained psychosomatic symptoms. Research in Psychotherapy: Psychopathology, Process and Outcome, 24(3), 295-305.​ https://doi.org/10.4081/ripppo.2021.535

Řiháček, T., & Čevelíček, M. (2019). Common therapeutic strategies in psychological treatments for medically unexplained somatic symptoms. Psychotherapy Research, 30(4), 532-545. https://doi.org/10.1080/10503307.2019.1645370

Řiháček, T., Čevelíček, M., Boehnke, J. R., Pourová, M., & Roubal, J. (2022). Mechanisms of change in multicomponent group-based treatment for patients suffering from medically unexplained physical symptoms. Psychotherapy Research, 32(8), 1016-1033. https://doi.org/10.1080/10503307.2022.2061874

Řiháček, T., Pavlenko, P., & Franke, H. (2017). Účinnost psychoterapeutických postupů u pacientů s medicínsky nevysvětlenými tělesnými symptomy: Shrnutí metaanalýz a přehledových studií. Československá psychologie, 61(4), 350-362.