Arndt Büssing

The Professorship of Life Quality, Spirituality and Coping is orientated towards the scientific foundation of integrative medical issues, in particular in the field of mind-body medicine, and corresponding content. The aim is to develop evidence-based topics relevant to the department in order to be able to justify them in terms of patient-centred healthcare. It is assigned to the Chair of Medical Theory, Integrative and Anthroposophic Medicine assigned to it.

The research activities can be summarised in two main subject areas:
 

a) Spirituality as a resource and spiritual needs
b) Non-pharmacological interventions (focus: meditation, yoga and eurythmy therapy).
 

The aim of the professorship is interprofessional research into the complex interrelationships that contribute to healing and recovery, in particular the salutogenic resources and coping strategies of chronically ill people. Particular attention is paid here to the spiritual needs of chronically ill and elderly people, which are given little consideration in the healthcare system.

We conduct clinical studies in the field of mind-body medicine, which modulate the coping and recovery resources of chronically ill people and contribute to improving their quality of life and satisfaction as well as the symptoms of their illness. The long-term goal is thus that patients (against the background of improved self-management) are once again able to actively shape their lives - possibly even with existing disease symptoms.
 

Studies and research projects:
 

• Pausing in awe and gratitude and experiencing nature:
  The frequency of this feeling can be measured using the awe/gratitude questionnaire (GrAw-7) and the nature experience scale (ENS).
• Spiritual needs:
  Standardised assessment and multidisciplinary support for the spiritual needs of chronically ill people, older people and young adults.
• Spiritualcare competences:
  The support provided by healthcare professionals takes into account the spiritual needs, options and resources of the patients being supported.
• SpECi - Spiritual care at the end of life:
  Development and testing of an implementation strategy as part of a pilot project.
• Spiritualdryness:
  Background information on the experience of spiritual dryness - i.e. living through a crisis of life or faith - by different groups of people and development of measurement methods.
• Yoga studies:
  Importance of the philosophical/spiritual background of yoga for practitioners.
• Behaviour during the corona pandemic:
  Changes in attitudes and behaviour during the corona pandemic.

Publications:

Mareike Gerundt, M. A.
Scientific project assistant

Yvonne Beerenbrock, M. A.
Research assistant

Academic education

1984 –1991
Study of medicine at the Medical Faculty Aachen

1984 –1991
Additional training in acupuncture

1994
Doctoral studies at the Medical Faculty of RWTH Aachen University in the field of paediatrics/human genetics (title: Sister chromatid exchange rate in children with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia)

2002
Postdoctoral university lecturing qualification at Witten/Herdecke University ("Experimental Medicine - Clinical and Experimental Phytotherapy")

2007
Associate Professor at Witten/Herdecke University

2010
Associate Professor at Witten/Herdecke University

 

Appointments

1991 –1992
GP practice in Linnich

1992 –1995
Department of Medical Immunology, RWTH Aachen University Hospital

1995 –2005
Head of the Department of Applied Immunology, Krebsforschung Herdecke e.V. / Tumour Outpatient Clinic at Herdecke Community Hospital

1999 –2020
Member of Commission C, Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM)

Since 2003:
Academic staff member at the Chair of Medical Theory and Complementary Medicine at Witten/Herdecke University

Since 2010 
Professorship of Life Quality, Spirituality and Coping at Witten/Herdecke University

2012 –2014 
Senior Research Fellow at the Freiburg Institute for Advanced Studies (FRIAS)

2017 –2023 
Research Fellow (Research Professor) at IUNCTUS - Competence Centre for Christian Spirituality at the Philosophical-Theological University (PTH) Münster

The relevant content is taught to students as part of the university curriculum and is deepened in specialised lectures for doctors and patients.

• Spiritual Care,
• Spiritual needs,
• Pausing in awe and gratitude,
• Spiritual dryness as a crisis.

Main areas of work:

• Spirituality, quality of life and coping / non-pharmacological interventions
• Development of questionnaire instruments for quality of life research (disease acceptance and processing, spirituality, life satisfaction, etc.)
• Experimental and clinical principles of mistletoe therapy