The Roots of Psychosomatic Medicine II: George L. Engel

The purpose of this article is to examine and appreciate the contributions of George Libman Engel, MD, to psychosomatic medicine.

Engel was a prolific researcher, medical educator, and writer who championed the biopsychosocial model, which has been widely embraced and practiced in psychiatry and medicine to this day. In the late 1970s, when Engel published his seminal article on the biopsychosocial model, the dominant model of medicine was still the biomedical model. This model considered the most important and scientifically sound aspects of patient history to be those that could be easily quantified, such as laboratory values. The biomedical model left no room for the psychosocial aspects, such as the patient's relationships and social status, to be integrated into patient care. Though many had expressed dissatisfaction with the biomedical model and suspected that it was too 1 dimensional to provide adequate patient care, Engel was among the first to propose a replacement model. Furthermore, he stipulated that there is a scientific necessity to consider psychosocial aspects of patient history to provide the most complete diagnoses and treatment plan. Along with his biopsychosocial approach to the patient, Engel also contributed heavily to research and to education of medical students. His legacy is one of compassionate, scientific doctoring.