Recent Developments in Psychosomatic Medicine

Abstract

A review of the major developments and trends in psychosomatic medicine during the last 5 years is presented. A similar review covering the preceding 2 decades is briefly summarized and used as a frame of reference for the analysis. This survey is largely confined to papers published in PSYCHOSOMATIC MEDICINE. It is found that psychiatrists continue to contribute most of the relevant research, but there is increasing participation by psychologists and other scientists. One notes a shift from clinical observation to laboratory research and from retrospective psychodynamic reconstructions to phenomenological description of behavior in more or less clearly defined experimental situations. Methodology has focused on experimental replication of psychological stress by a variety of means and the study of various physiological variables as presumed indicators of such stress. There has been a notable decline of theoretical speculation regarding psychological antecedents of somatic change and disease. Predictive studies of psychosomatic relationships have been undertaken in several areas. There is a new interest in the frequency, nature, and possible sociocultural determinants of psychosomatic disorders in non-Western societies. In general, psychosomatic medicine has continued to flourish as a science rather than as a clinical discipline. Sweeping generalizations regarding the nature and influence of psychological variables in the causation of bodily disease which characterized the earlier phase of psychosomatic medicine have largely been replaced by sober research design and low-level hypotheses. The assets and dangers of this shift are discussed, future trends in research interests are predicted, and promising areas for exploration suggested.A N PSYCHOSOMATIC MEDICINE, as in any research interests and allows one to make other area of scientific endeavor, there tentative predictions about future deis need for periodic stocktaking involv-velopments. Furthermore, one feels ening a review of what seem to be siinifi-couraged to suggest which kinds of probcant advances in research methodology lems could be profitably explored. The and in the formulation of hypotheses as present review covers the period of the well as in attempts at their validation, last 5 years and thus supplements an Such a survey reveals current trends in earlier similar publication 1 which sur-" From the Allan

Problems and Challenges of Consultation Psychiatry in Gynecology and Obstetrics

“…Different views and approaches on the important aspects of the role of psychological thought in the medical practice have been expressed by pioneers in this field, like Kaufman (12,13); Bibring ( 4 -6 ) , Meyer (19); Wittkower (29); Engel (8,9); Balint (2); Rosenbaum and Reiser (24). Their ideas and works stimulated new trends in integrating psychiatry to general hospitals and general medical practice on the one hand, advocated new vistas in psychosomatic medi cine, on the other.…”

The Problem of a Psychosomatic Theory and the Mind-body-unity Model

“…I will attempt, therefore, neither the project of a Linneaean system of classifying the existing concepts nor a trend anal ysis inasmuch as this has been done repeatedly so by W it t k o w e r [2]. In stead of reviewing the various concepts and their deficiencies, I would pre fer to discuss the underlying causes of these deficiencies -that is to re view the goals and premises which are the basis of the body/mind unity models.…”

Psychosomatic theory.

“…The problem of choice has been difficult because many other workers, as, for example, Garma [10], Kubie [11], Margohn [12], Ruesch and Bateson [13], Halliday [14], and Szasz [15], have made significant contributions to the subject, but the focus of this book prohibits an exhaustive explanation of psychosomatic theory and much of importance has had to be omitted. Recent Developments in Psychosomatic Medicine [16] presents in Chap. I a brief but reasonably comprehensive account of the points of view expressed by these and other workers.…”