Medical psychology (also known as Clinical Health Psychology, Psychosomatic Medicine, Health Care Psychology, Behavioral Medicine, or Health Psychology) revolves around the idea that both the body and mind are one, indivisible structure. Continuing with this line of thought, all diseases whether of the mind or of the physical body must be treated as if they have both been effected. With regard to living things, a body is the integral physical material of an individual, and contrasts with soul, personality and behavior. ... The mind is the term most commonly used to describe the higher functions of the human brain, particularly those of which humans are subjectively conscious, such as personality, thought, reason, memory, intelligence and emotion. ... A disease is any abnormal condition of the body or mind that causes discomfort, dysfunction, or distress to the person affected or those in contact with the person. ...

This belief that the corporeal and the physical bodies are one is by no means new. Socrates introduced the Greeks to this idea in several of his works, however for a time in the Early Modern period, it was lost to René Descartes' (also known as Cartesian) belief of the two separate bodies. Only recently has this arcane thoguht been reintroduced into medical schools across the world. Socrates This article is about the ancient Greek philosopher, for all other uses see: Socrates (disambiguation) Socrates (June 4, 470 – May 7, 399 BC) (Greek Σωκράτης Sōkrátēs) was a Greek (Athenian) philosopher and one of the most important icons of the Western philosophical tradition. ... Greece, officaly called the Hellenic Republic (Greek: Ελληνική Δημοκρατία), is a country in the southeast of Europe on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula. ... The early modern period is a term used by historians to refer to the period in Western Europe and its first colonies, between the Middle Ages and modern society. ... René Descartes René Descartes (IPA: , March 31, 1596 – February 11, 1650), also known as Cartesius, worked as a philosopher and mathematician. ... Medical school generally refers to a tertiary educational institution (or part of such an institution) which is involved in the education of future medical practitioners (medical doctors). ...

The intent of Medical Psychology is to apply knowledge from all branches of psychology and medicine in the prevention, assessment, and treatment of all forms of physical diseases. Medical psychology asserts its main function in the determination of personality styles of coping and the examination of attitudes of an individual in response to subjective and objective stressors. Medical psychologists also help in the determination of genetic, biochemical, and physiologic factors in illnesses and reaction to illness. These, then, are joined with psychosocial factors deemed contributory to diseases processes. Specific behavioral methods are then used to help the person match coping and management skills to the person’s abilities, character, and personality style.

Background

Some doctors and philosophers today believe that this Cartesian line of thought is outdated. Some anecdotal evidence has been raised concerning the lack of effective treatment for things such as migraines, pains and cancer and that perhaps the cure should not only be centred on the body but also the mind. Some also raise the argument that most uncurable diseases are brought about not merely by physical ailments, but by mental problems. All evidence is of course unproven and will likely remain as such for a long time to come. Doctor means teacher in Latin. ... A philosopher is a person devoted to studying and producing results in philosophy. ... Cartesian means of or relating to the French philosopher and mathematician René Descartes. ... Migraine is a form of headache, usually very intense and disabling. ... Pain is both a sensory and emotional experience, generally associated with tissue damage, or inflammation. ... When normal cells are damaged or old they undergo apoptosis; cancer cells, however, avoid apoptosis. ...

The contribution of medical psychologists to general health care increased with their use as primary care doctors in the world's largest HMO, the California Kaiser Permanente. These psychologists work along with primary care physicians in order to determine optimum treatment plans for all patients with physical and/or mental illnesses. Health care or healthcare is the delivery of medical services by specialist providers, such as midwives, doctors, nurses, home health aides, vaccination technicians and physicians assistants. ... A health maintenance organization (HMO) is a prepaid health plan. ... Kaiser Permanente is a not-for-profit comprehensive and integrated health care provider based in Oakland, California. ...

Education

An important contribution of medical psychology is in the education of patients (psychoeducation) in disease processes. Frequently, such education of the patient and the family insures substantially better compliance with treatment recommendations by physicians. Medical psychologists are particularly successful in the treatment of asthma, gastrointestinal illnesses, cardiac conditions, spinal cord and brain injuries, chronic pain, headaches, and addictions (drugs, smoking, eating, alcohol, etc.). A patient is the name given to any person who is ill or injured and is being treated by, or in need of treatment by, a physician or other medical professional. ... A disease is any abnormal condition of the body or mind that causes discomfort, dysfunction, or distress to the person affected or those in contact with the person. ... Therapy (in Greek: θεραπεία) or treatment is the attempted remediation of a health problem, usually following a diagnosis. ... Asthma is an immunological disease which causes difficulty in breathing. ... Gastroenterology or Gastrology might be better described as the field of digestive diseases, which are traditionally separated by anatomic or functional category. ... Cardiology is the branch of medicine dealing with disorders of the heart and blood vessels. ... Spinal cord injury, or myelopathy, is a disturbance of the spinal cord that results in loss of sensation and mobility. ... Brain damage or brain injury is the destruction or degeneration of brain cells. ... Chronic pain is medically defined as pain that has lasted 6 months or longer. ... A headache is a condition of mild to severe pain in the head; sometimes upper back or neck pain may also be interpreted as a headache. ... Addictive redirects here. ... Drug addiction, or dependency is the compulsive use of drugs, to the point where the user has no effective choice but to continue use. ... Smoking is cool. ... Eating disorders are a group of mental disorders that interfere with normal food consumption. ... Alcoholism is an addictive dependency on alcohol characterized by craving (a strong need to drink); loss of control (being unable to stop); physical dependence and withdrawal symptoms; and tolerance (increasing difficulty of becoming drunk). ...

Training in medical psychology entails a doctoral degree (Ph.D., or Psy.D.) in clinical psychology, an internship, and postdoctoral training in one of the branches of medicine traditionally associated with psychological fields: psychosomatic medicine, rehabilitation, neuropsychology (central nervous system functioning - brain functions), substance abuse, pain medicine, among others. Doctor of Philosophy (Ph. ... The Psy. ... Clinical psychology is the application of psychology to mental illness or mental health problems. ... For information about a medical intern, see the article on Medical residency. ... A postdoctoral (colloquially, post-doc) appointment is a usually temporary academic job held by a person who has completed his or her doctoral studies. ... See drugs, medication, and pharmacology for substances that are used to treat patients. ... Rehabilitation is the restoration of lost capabilities, or the treatment aimed at producing it. ... Neuropsychology is a branch of psychology that aims to understand how the structure and function of the brain relates to specific psychological processes. ... The human central nervous system consists of the brain and spinal cord. ... Drug addiction, or dependency is the compulsive use of drugs, to the point where the user has no effective choice but to continue use. ... Pain medicine is a branch of anaesthetics concerned with the treatment of acute and chronic pain. ...

See also

• Health psychology

Health psychology is the use of psychological principles to promote health and to prevent illness (Taylor, 1990). ...

External links

• Medical Psychology Graduate Program (http://www.psy.uab.edu/medpsych.htm?durki=45058) at The University of Alabama at Birmingham