What is Behavioral Medicine
Behavioral medicine is an evidence based development and integration of behavioral, psychosocial, and biomedical science knowledge and techniques relevant to the understanding of health and illness, and the application of this knowledge and these techniques to prevention, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation. Health professionals are involved in behavioral medicine research and practice, including biomedical neurosciecntists, cardiologists, chiropractors, counselors, epidemiologists, exercise therapists, exercise physiologists, family physicians, health coaches, health educators, internists, nurses, nutritionists, pediatricians, physical therapists, psychiatrists, psychologists and reflexologists. Behavioral medicine takes a lifespan approach to health and health care, working with children, teens, adults and seniors individually and in groups, and working with racially and ethnically diverse communities in the United States and abroad.
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Areas of Behavioral Medicine Research and Intervention
Areas of behavioral medicine research include adolescent health, aging, anxiety, arthritis, asthma, cancer, cardiovascular disease (heart disease, hypertension, stroke), children's health, chronic pain, cystic fibrosis, depression, diabetes, disease-related pain, eating disorders, environmental health, headaches, HIV/AIDS, incontinence, insomnia, low back pain, minority health, myofascial pain, obesity, public health, pulmonary disease, quality of life, rehabilitation, sexually transmitted diseases, social support, sports medicine, substance abuse (alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs) and women's health.
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Health and Behavior
Changes in behavior and lifestyle can improve health, prevent illness and reduce symptoms of illness. More than 25 years of research, clinical practice and community-based interventions in the field of behavioral medicine have shown that behavioral changes can help people feel better physically and emotionally, improve their health status, increase their self-care skills and improve their ability to live with chronic illness. Behavioral interventions also can improve the effectiveness of medical interventions, reduce over utilization of the healthcare system and reduce the overall costs of care.
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Key Strategies for Successful Behavior Change
Lifestyle Changes
Improve nutrition, increase physical activity, stop smoking, use medications appropriately, practice safer sex, and prevent and reduce alcohol and drug abuse.
Training
Coping, relaxation, self-monitoring, stress management, time management, pain management, problem-solving, communication skills, time management and priority-setting.
Social Support
Group education, caretaker support and training, health counseling, and community-based sports events.
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Research Shows that Behavioral Interventions can Affect Health
Examples include: prevent disease onset; lower blood pressure; lower serum cholesterol; reduce body fat; reverse atherosclerosis; decrease pain; reduce surgical complications; decrease complications of pregnancy; enhance immune response; increase relaxation; increase functional capacity; improve sleep; improve productivity at work and school; improve strength, endurance and mobility; and improve quality of life.