Behavioral Medicine in China

Abstract

Behavioral medicine is a rapidly developing field of research in China. Research in this field addresses questions on basic bio-behavioral mechanisms; individual health and clinical interventions; and public health and health promotion. Scientific exchange between Chinese behavioral medicine researchers and colleagues elsewhere in the world is somewhat limited, mainly because of the language barrier, and some professional and cultural differences. Improved communication and collaboration will be of benefit to both Chinese researchers and researchers elsewhere.With this goal in mind, a call for contributions to a special issue of the International Journal of Behavioral Medicine was published in September 2012. In response to the call, 43 manuscripts were submitted. We are pleased to present the special issue on Behavioral Medicine in China, consisting of 20 interesting papers. Several manuscripts were not accepted: not addressing issues in behavioral medicine was by far the most frequent reason for not accepting these manuscripts. Most of these manuscripts addressed basic and clinical research questions in the field of mental health. Behavioral medicine and mental health are closely linked but distinct fields of research; apparently, these fields are less distinct in China than in other countries.Three major commentaries introduce the field of behavioral medicine in China. Bai and Ji [1] describe the history of behavioral medicine in China and the development of the Chinese Society of Behavioral Medicine (CSBM). With regard to the future, they emphasize techniques commonly used in the prevention and treatment of somatic and psychological disorders in China. They focus on mechanisms underlying these interventions. Yang et al. [2] review common behavior modification techniques used in clinical settings in China. These include behavior therapy, cognitive therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, health education, behavior management, behavioral relaxation training, stress management intervention, desensitization therapy, biofeedback therapy, and music therapy. These authors discuss possible biobehavioral mechanisms of these techniques. Ding et al. [3] describe the emergence of recent public health challenges in China, particularly those related to lifestyle-related non-communicable diseases. These authors also address the question about how behavioral medicine research and practice can be incorporated into the public health system in China in order to address these public health challenges.Biobehavioral mechanisms are addressed in the papers by Liang et al. [4] and Welmer et al. [5]. These studies focus on the interactions between lipid profile and depression and between cardiovascular risk factors and functional dependence in cardiovascular disease among Chinese older people.