Medical psychology: Toward definition, clarification, and organization.

Abstract

A definition for the term and field of medical psychology is proposed. The area is seen as comprising psychosomatics, somatopsychology, health care studies, and behavioral medicine. Suggestions for supporting the growth of this psychological specialty are offered.It has been suggested recently (Asken, 1975) that medical psychology is a rapidly expanding field of study with an even greater potential for development. Recent articles in this and other journals (APA Task Force on Health Research, 1976;Schofield, 1976;Wexler, 1976;Wiggins, 1976) provide ample evidence that the suggestion was not superfluous. Psychology and medicine are now more than ever seriously recognizing their possible mutual contributions. Recent surveys show more and more psychologists are working in health care settings in expanded and changing roles (Routh, 1972;Wagner, 1968;Witkin, Mensh, & Gates, 1972).One question raised, or left unanswered, by all of these articles, however, is just what constitutes medical psychology. This is not surprising, for the simplicity of the question fails to intimate the complexity of the response required. Nonetheless, this article will present an initial definition for this emerging field.The need for such definition is extremely acute, for although more and more psychologists are becoming involved in medical psychology, the term has no standard definition, and the label is not applied routinely to related activities. For example, Duke University Medical Center (Edwards, Note 1) supports a Division of Medical Psychology, and Baylor University (Kirk, Note 2) offers a graduate course entitled "Medical Psychology." Neither of these endeavors solely emphasizes material that will be described as germane to medical psychology as a field, however. Further, despite their titles, the British Journal of Medical Psychology and Psychological Medicine are mainly focused on traditional psychiatric disorders. Conversely, articles and pursuits that might appropriately be termed medical psychology can be found in journals ranging from the Journal of Abnormal Psychology to the Journal of the American Medical Association to the Journal of Occupational Therapy and under a variety of descriptive titles including "behavioral medicine," "psychological and social medicine," "psychosocial medicine," and "health care psychology."This lack of definition for the field results in more than just semantic confusion, however. Definitional incongruities make evaluative statements about medical psychology as an activity difficult because the target of the evaluation is so elusive. Protestations of unjust inclusion or exclusion often result, because individuals can never be sure whether their interests and activities have or have not been included under one of these nonstandardized terms (e.g., Kreiger, 1975). Further, definitional discrepancies make the assimilation of information from medical-psychological endeavors difficult because many important activities are flourishing but in isolated self-labeled pockets. Without concurrence and coor...

Kluczowe znaczenie rozumienia zdrowia dla nawyków żywieniowych: porównania międzygrupowe i analiza korelacji wśród nauczycieli edukacji wczesnoszkolnej i wychowania przedszkolnego oraz studentów tego kierunku

“…W literaturze przedmiotu odnajdziemy różnorodne definicje odnoszące się do pojęcia "bycia zdrowym". W koncepcjach psychologicznych dotyczą one przede wszystkim relacji pomiędzy jednostką a otoczeniem (Asken 1979;Heszen-Klemens 1983), w koncepcjach medycznych, to poszukiwanie dróg mających na celu poprawę zdrowia ludzkości, a w koncepcjach pedagogicznych, to szerzenie oświaty zdrowotnej poprzez wychowanie zdrowotne (Syrek 2000, za: Demel 1972. Samo pojęcie 'zdrowie' doczekało się już około 120 definicji (Kowalski, Gaweł 2007).…”

Psychological problems in family practice: Implications for training∗

“…Certainly it seems unrealistic to expect family physicians to perform 30 to 60 minute therapeutic sessions on major psychotic and affective illnesses. Further, the development of medical psychological concerns which, while attracting the interest of more and more psychologists, (Asken, 1977) and certainly germaine to the work of the family physicians, was ignored or only represented in the Family Practice curricula in a limited manner.…”

“…In formulating our curriculum it seemed the family physician stood in a unique position to deal most effectively with a group of psychological problems perhaps best labeled as medical psychology (Asken 1977). The development of communications skills, interviewing techniques, and brief therapeutic strategies for the variety of "problems of coping" as well as a sensitivity to the psychological dimensions of health care, are only selections from a list of more appropriate subjects for the graduate medical education of family physicians.…”

Health‐Related School Guidance: Practical Applications in Primary Prevention

“…Behavioral medicine deals with issues such as psychological analysis of headaches, the doctor-patient relationship, psychological modification of smoking, patient management, compliance and adherence to medical regimens, uncooperativeness of children during dental treatment, and coronaryrelated behavior patterns. As such, the theory and practice of psychology is applied to medical disorders (e.g., Asken, 1979;Matarazzo, 1980Matarazzo, , 1982Melamed & Siegel, 1980;Rachman, 1977;Schwartz & Weiss, 1978;Stensrud & Stensrud, 1982;Stone, Cohen, & Adler, 1979).…”