Rome, 29 October 2025 Dear Editor,we were glad to see the article “The prevalence and estimated burden of somatoformdisorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis of their epidemiology” by Siig, et al.,published on Lancet Psychiatry in October 2025, as an indicator of greater attention towardssomatoform disorders, which are often underestimated both in frequency and in severity, […]
My speech offers a critical analysis of the gap between political rhetoric and the scientific understanding of human movement within the culture of public decision-makers, denouncing how the superficial use of concepts — and of the policies that should stem from them — undermines the country’s ability to recognize the fundamental importance of movement on a biopsychosocial and educational level. I discuss my experience of a parliamentary hearing to which I was invited, during which I highlighted the emerging cultural and institutional marginalization of movement, which has been improperly reduced to a mere synonym of sport. I then propose a systemic perspective: movement precedes life outside the womb, structures child development through motor play — a right enshrined in the UN Convention — and represents the neurobiological and functional basis of learning, health and social participation. Foundational motor education is identified as the cornerstone of individual and collective well-being, to be promoted through schools, families and qualified professionals. Sport constitutes only one possible expression of movement, not its foundation. I conclude by asserting the need to recognize movement as a vital societal infrastructure, clearly distinguishing it from sport, and to develop a national policy that protects it throughout the entire lifespan. Only in this way can movement become a driver of public health, educational equity and social cohesion.
This special issue is primarily dedicated to “Psychotherapy in Sport,” with five articles written by the speakers who participated in the conference on this topic. The event was organized as the concluding session of the Research Methodology course of the Center for Research in Psychotherapy’s School of Specialization. Key players from the world of sport […]
