Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40926497›Full record

ArticleBJPsych open2025

Safe and soothed: randomised clinical pilot study on the subjective and psychophysiological impact of a new physiotherapeutic intervention in patients with dissociative disorders.

Lea Stief, Heribert Sattel, Karin Paschinger, Martin Sack, Eva Schäflein

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BJPsych open, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Lea StiefDepartment of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Rechts der Isar Munich, Technical University of Munich (TUM), Germany.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0009-8102-9350
Heribert SattelDepartment of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Rechts der Isar Munich, Technical University of Munich (TUM), Germany.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5378-4628
Karin PaschingerDepartment of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Rechts der Isar Munich, Technical University of Munich (TUM), Germany.
Martin SackDepartment of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Rechts der Isar Munich, Technical University of Munich (TUM), Germany.
Eva SchäfleinDepartment of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Rechts der Isar Munich, Technical University of Munich (TUM), Germany.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2380-4848

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundDissociative disorders frequently co-occur with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), yet many individuals lack adequate treatment. Existing interventions often prioritise reducing arousal over promoting safety and self-soothing, tending to neglect the bodily experience.

aimsThis randomised clinical within-person pilot study examined the effects of the nest position, a physiotherapeutic intervention designed to enhance safety and self-soothing, on patients with dissociative disorders and healthy controls (German Clinical Trials Register No.: DRKS00030669).

methodEighteen patients with dissociative disorders and 18 healthy controls alternated between the nest position and a neutral supine position across two rounds of a measurement session. The order of the experimental conditions (nest position or supine only) was randomised for each participant. We assessed self-reported distress and comfort (Subjective Units of Distress and Comfort) and autonomic nervous system activity during three baseline phases and imagination of stressful and comforting situations.

resultsBoth patients and healthy controls experienced lower distress and greater comfort in the nest position. Heart rate and sympathetic tone decreased, particularly in the healthy controls. There were no significant changes in parasympathetic tone in both groups. Linear mixed models revealed a significant effect of the nest position on distress, comfort and sympathetic tone.

conclusionsThe nest position is a potentially promising additional intervention for highly dissociative patients. Our findings help to better understand the importance of self-soothing and safety in these individuals and to address the research gap in physiotherapy within in-patient mental health care.

Indexed as

Dissociative disordersphysiotherapypost-traumatic stress disorderpsychophysiologysafety

Identifiers

PMID40926497
PMCPMC12451716

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.