Psychodynamic psychiatry in the general medical setting

For more than half a century analytically trained psychiatrists have been making observations about psychodynamic factors impacting on medical illness and treatment. Some of these reports have been subsequently supported by evidence-based research while others have been found to be clinically useful to varying degrees even if not substantiated by research. In this article we have presented some of the highlights of the application of psychodynamics to the treatment of physical illness in the general medical setting. It is not meant to be a comprehensive review but we hope it will demonstrate how psychodynamic thinking has permeated many aspects of care in the general medical setting. Topics considered include onset of disease (giving up complex, specificity, role of stress, anniversary reactions), reactions to illness (psychological defenses, fantasies, role of psychotherapy), specific conditions (pregnancy, cancer, human immunodeficiency virus, conversion and alexithymia, heart disease, death and dying), and the doctor-patient relationship.