XIV National Congress of the Research Group in Psychosomatics (RGP).

Abstract

Foreword: In recent years, growing scientific attention has been directed toward understanding how the environment shapes health outcomes, not only from a biomedical perspective but also in light of psychosocial dimensions. This special issue gathers the abstracts from the XIV Congresso Nazionale del Gruppo di Ricerca in Psicosomatica, that took place on the 19-20th of June 2025 at the University of Verona, entitled: "The individual and their environment within the integrated psychosomatic approach". The event was conceived as a platform for interdisciplinary dialogue and brought together clinicians, researchers, and scholars from diverse disciplines to reflect on the profound and complex influence that environmental factors exert on individual well-being. This special issue includes the abstracts from a wide range of contributions, encompassing 3 pre-congress workshops, 13 symposia, and 6 thematic sessions, for a total of 79 oral presentations, 22 posters, and 3 clinical case discussions. Also included are the abstracts of the two keynote lectures, titled: "The future of psychosomatic medicine" and "Navigating Ethical and Clinical Challenges in Global Surgery: Reflections from the Field". All abstracts highlighted how biopsychosocial variables may contribute in shaping health and illness trajectories, particularly when facing chronicity or disability, psychosomatic conditions, mental health or social vulnerabilities, and public health challenges. Through multiple sessions, experts addressed key topics such as the positive impact of nature-based interventions, the role of bodily self-awareness and somatic correlates in conditions like fibromyalgia, and the affective dimensions of alexithymia, for example in functional disorders. Other contributions explored the interplay between early trauma, epigenetic mechanisms, and psychosomatic adaptation. Ethical and psychological challenges of organ transplan-tation or taking care of people living with oncological conditions or at high risk have been also proposed. Presentations further focused on integrated care models in different settings, proposing hospitals as an environment for mental health promotion for patients, professionals, and the broader community. This special issue not only serves as a record of the multifaced scientific contributions presented during the conference but also as stimulus for the adoption of integrative approaches to healthcare. It reaffirms the importance of a biopsychosocial model that respects the complexity of human experience, including also the environment in all its dimensions. We hope that these abstracts will inspire further research, collaborative practice, and innovative interventions that honor the full spectrum of factors influencing health, ultimately advancing a more sustainable, inclusive, and compassionate vision of care.