Medicinal 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.
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.
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Some doctors and philosophers today believe that this Cartesian line of thought is outdated.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.
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.
Education
Education (termed psychoeducation) is one of the most important factors in medicinal psychology and often leads to a better rate of compliance and adherence to treatment. This is of course true for any branch of medicine or psychiatry.
Psychology differs from sociology, anthropology, economics, and political science, in part, by studying the behavior of individuals (alone or in groups) rather than the behavior of the groups or aggregates themselves.
Modern psychology is often called the scientific study of behavior, though (as in cognitive psychology) its purported object is often not behavior but various mental events.
Both psychology and its related discipline psychiatry (whose practitioners are medical doctors with a specialty in mental health) are criticized by a vocal and well-credentialed (if small) minority in medical and academic circles.
Psychology differs from sociology, anthropology, economics, and political science, in part, by studying the behavior of individuals (alone or in groups) rather than the behavior of the groups or aggregates themselves.
Skinner it argued that psychology should be a science of behaviour, not the mind, and rejected the idea of internal mental states such as beliefs, desires or goals, believing all behaviour and learning to be a reaction to the environment.
Behaviourism was the dominant model in psychology for much of the early 20th century, largely due to the creation and successful application (not least of which in advertising) of conditioning theories as scientific models of human behaviour.
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