The Basis and Development of Psychosomatic Medicine in Japan

<p>Psychosomatic medicine originated in Germany, and today all German universities have departments of psychosomatic medicine. Spreading beyond Europe, psychosomatic medicine was widely adopted in the United States, where it developed mainly in conjunction with liaison psychiatry, basic research, and behavioral medicine. Japan adopted many of the psychosomatic medicine practices prevalent in the United States, but the direction it chose is similar to that of Germany. Since 2005, the number of members in the Japanese Psychosomatic Medicine Association has declined. This decline may reflect the growth in opportunities to study standard psychosomatic medicine without being affiliated with any university’s psychosomatic department. </p><p>I have been engaged in clinical and research work in psychosomatic medicine focusing on three main themes : 1) research on the effects of low nutritional status on the body and mind, 2) education on effective psychotherapy for eating disorders, and 3) activities to promote medical cooperation and consultation by telephone and e-mail for patients with eating disorders and their families. Although good results have been observed, challenges remain in securing specialized treatment facilities and providing adequate treatment for the pathological aspects of the diseases. In recent years, advances in medical science have led to significant improvements in the treatment outcomes for cancer, infectious diseases, diabetes, and collagen diseases. However, stress-related diseases, including eating disorders, suffer greatly from a lack of established treatment regimens, which has led to distress for patients and their families. These stress-related diseases are difficult to resolve with pharmacotherapy alone. Therefore, it is important to integrate psychosomatic medicine into the treatment to achieve better results.</p>