Specialty Chief Editor, Professor Gianluca Castelnuovo from the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart (Milan, Italy) now leads the new Psychology for Clinical Settings specialty in Frontiers in Psychology.

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Research shows what works and what doesn’t

Research in how clinical procedures for reducing, managing and treating psychologically-based distress provides the evidence of which measures work and what can be improved. Professor Castelnuovo says “…only methodologically well-structured research can demonstrate the best practices for mental health professionals”.

Research from medicine, neuroscience, psychotherapy is as relevant as sociology, philosophy, anthropology, educational sciences and more

Professor Castelnuovo highlights “Since Hippocrates’ era as well as Engel’s biopsychosocial model (from 1977), it’s been important for clinicians and mental health professionals to recognize plural factors (biological components, psychological variables, family and social determinants) in treating many psychopathological disorders. There’s a tendency to consider either the biological or the sociological components of these disorders, when in fact they are a result of different variables from across these components. Clinical psychology can address this complexity through learning from medicine, neuroscience, psychotherapy as well as sociology, philosophy, anthropology, educational sciences and much more.”

No medicine without psychology

As clinical psychology achieves important results in many areas in the clinical field, especially the medical field, Professor Castelnuovo invites scientists to recognize this important achievement. The contributions of clinical psychology to other fields is significant. He points to the theories and techniques of psychological treatments and psychotherapies that support care management in medicine, psychiatry and other fields, including psychosomatics.

Something very challenging and amazing

Gianluca Castelnuovo

“The possibility to help others suffering for psychopathological reasons using words, relational techniques and other psychological procedures is something very challenging and amazing,” says Professor Castelnuovo. “To cure or treat others you have to use yourself, listening to strange, particular and long personal histories. You find something that can be used for each patient to change their histories for the better. This profession is a privilege for persons who would like to help others. Since I was young, I tried to help others using the most basic and powerful tool that I knew: words! Clinical psychology has developed many impressive techniques (not only words!) and during my activity in a hospital-based Clinical Psychology Service I use these protocols with clinical psychologists with great respect and professional satisfaction.”

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