Behavioral Medicine
Behavioral Medicine
The word " behavioural medicine " started to appear in the literature in the early 1970s as a
behavioural science field that applies scientific expertise and methods to physical illness
prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and recovery and physical health management. Recognizing
that psychological and behavioural factors interact with physical health/illness beneficially
and continuously is a central component of behavioural Medicine. In this flashback, linear
subjectivity does not exist. Instead, behavioural medicine approaches suggest that the overall
clinical image of the disorder would change by modifying psychosocial and behavioural
variables related to the disease in question. Therapies for pain patients were predominantly
biomedical in origin during the early days of pain medicine, targeting basic anatomy,
physiology, and neurochemistry to modify nociceptors' feedback. The prevalence of
behavioural studies, moreover, identifies several behavioural and psychological variables,
especially chronic cases, that contribute to the perception of pain, which has triggered the use
of behavioural medicine approaches to pain management (Okifuji and Ackerlind, 2007).
During the next ten years, technical advancements are expected to continue their exponential
development and significantly affect the study and practise of behavioural Medicine.
Repeated, lengthy journeys to specialist centres located in major tertiary medical centres are
frequently needed for patients who need behavioural practitioners. Technological advances
are progressing to provide behavioural medicine services in a manner that can yield positive
results and be analytically, feasibly and cost-effectively applied. The use of the telephone is a
comparatively common technique for offering behavioural medicine services. In several
studies, telephone-based, individually or in groups counselling approaches have been used.
Behavioural medicine researchers are now studying other elevated methods. In a variety of
fields in behavioural Medicine, computer-based measures were used, such as arthritis self-
management. (Keefe et al., 2002).
Somatoform diseases are a category of recurrent clinical signs and complaints not entirely
responsible for an illness that can be diagnosed. Clinicians experience significant difficulties
in treating somatoform conditions. Patients with unknown health problems face severe
anxiety and cause unpredictable medical attention requests. The cognitive-Behavioral therapy
(CBT) approaches in symptom-focused and behavioural Medicine can be more useful for
managing somatoform diseases since they do not have to presume the disorder's neurological
pathogenesis and appear satisfactory for patients when provided as a way to deal with
physical issues. In the sense of a strong relationship between the psychiatrist and medical
professionals and the affirmation of the patient's knowledge of physical pain, particularly
continuing medication management, patients' participation in psychiatric therapy and
continuation of a clinical partnership is quite expected to achieve. This can be encouraged by
receiving services in a hospital environment in the form of mutual healthcare. (Looper and
Kirmayer, 2002)
For chronic conditions, including asthma, stomach diseases, and severe headaches,
Behavioral medicine therapies have become widely accepted as essential parts of care. It is
the least costly to adopt and has no adverse impacts on pain, headache and chronic insomnia.
Like, Relaxation therapy and biofeedback have been implemented to resolve multiple health
conditions, and assessing the effects of these interventions indicates beneficial effects of
severe depression. While behavioural medicine treatment itself provides benefits, many
patients stop therapy early. Medical Psychosocial experts have recorded levels of pain relief
services between 4 to 70%, the chronic headache of 38 percent and 66% of weight control
(Davis and Addis. 1999).
Davidson, K. W., Goldstein, M., Kaplan, R. M., Kaufmann, P. G., Knatterud, G. L., Orleans,
C. T., ... & Whitlock, E. P. (2003). Evidence-based behavioral medicine: what is it and how
do we achieve it?. Annals of behavioral medicine, 26(3), 161-171.
Keefe, F. J., Buffington, A. L., Studts, J. L., & Rumble, M. E. (2002). Behavioral medicine:
2002 and beyond. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 70(3), 852.
Davis, M. J., & Addis, M. E. (1999). Predictors of attrition from behavioral medicine
treatments. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 21(4), 339-349.
Chesney, M. A., Darbes, L. A., Hoerster, K., Taylor, J. M., Chambers, D. B., & Anderson, D.
E. (2005). Positive emotions: Exploring the other hemisphere in behavioral
medicine. International Journal