Behavioral and Social Science in Medicine: Principles and Practice of Biopsychosocial Care

Behavioral and Social Science in Medicine: Principles and Practice of Biopsychosocial Care provides state of the art reviews of the critical topic areas in undergraduate medical education identified in the 2004 Institute of Medicine (IOM) report, ＂Improving Medical Education: Enhancing the Behavioral and Social Sciences Content of Medical School Curricula.＂ The text is supplemented by web-enhanced learning materials including linked case studies, PDA materials, a study guide, and other online supplementary materials designed to actively engage learners while allowing for adaptations to learner and/or program needs. Although this text meets essential specific knowledge objectives in multiple domains, it emphasizes a core biopsychosocial approach across all content domains. The text focuses on helping learners develop the skills necessary to integrate complex interacting health-related variables across multiple frames of reference. The textbook addresses each of the six IOM domains: 1)Mind-body interactions in health and disease - focuses on the four primary pathways of disease (biological, behavioral, psychological, and social). Students need to recognize and understand the many complex interactions among these pathways that may be compromising a patient’s physical and/or mental health. 2) Patient behavior - centers on behavioral pathways to promoting health and preventing disease. Educating medical students about behaviors that pose a risk to health will better equip them to provide appropriate interventions and influence patient behavior. 3) Physician role and behavior - emphasizes the physician’s personal background and beliefs as they may affect patient care, as well as the physician’s own well-being. 4) Physician-patient interactions - focuses on the ability to communicate effectively, which, as noted above, is a critical component of medical practice. 5) Social and cultural issues in health care - addresses what physicians need to know and do to provide appropriate care to patients with differing social, cultural, and economic backgrounds. 6) Health policy and economics - includes those topics to which medical students should be exposed to help them understand the health care system in which they will eventually practice. Currently, many medical educators are required to piece together readings and other teaching materials to satisfy the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) requirements for behavioral and social science content in medical education. This volume is designed to satisfy LCME content requirements with the latest evidence-based materials in the social and behavioral sciences.

Shari Waldstein, Ph.D. is an associate professor of psychology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. She received her masters and doctoral degrees in clinical psychology from the University of Pittsburgh and completed her clinical psychology internship at Brown University, with special training in cardiovascular behavioral medicine. Her research program in cardiovascular behavioral medicine combines conceptual and methodological approaches from behavioral medicine, biomedicine, neuropsychology, and psychophysiology. One area of collaborative investigation examines the impact of cardiovascular risk factors, cardiovascular reactivity, and cardiovascular disease on cognitive function and quality of life among older adults. A second area of investigation involves the study of individual differences in the magnitude and patterning of acute cardiovascular responses to mental stress. Dr. Waldstein is recipient of an Early Career Award from the American Psychosomatic Society (APS), an Outstanding Contributions to Health Psychology (Early Career) Award from Division 38 of the American Psychological Association (APA), and a Distinguished Service Award from the Society of Behavioral Medicine (SBM). She is a Fellow of APA Division 38 (Health Psychology), SBM, and the Academy of Behavioral Medicine Research. Dr. Waldstein has served as an Associate Editor for the journal Health Psychology, as a member of the APS’s Executive Council, as Member-at-Large for Division 38 (Health Psychology) of the APA, and as Chair of the Education and Training Council for the SBM’s Board of Directors. Currently, she is president-elect of the American Psychosomatic Society. She has edited one book and has authored or co-authored 54 articles and book chapters.