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Holistic medicine: toward a new medical model
The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry
|March 1, 1981
Summary
Holistic medicine integrates physical, mental, and spiritual health, emphasizing patient-centered care and diverse healing traditions. This approach seeks to humanize modern biomedicine by considering the whole person and their context.
Area of Science:
- Integrative Medicine
- Health Psychology
- Medical Anthropology
Background:
- Modern biomedicine often overlooks the interconnectedness of physical, mental, and spiritual well-being.
- There is a growing recognition of the psychosocial factors influencing health and illness.
- Traditional healing practices offer valuable insights often excluded from conventional care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To define the paradigm of holistic medicine.
- To explore the historical development and foundational evidence of holistic approaches.
- To discuss the implications of holistic medicine for contemporary medical practice.
Main Methods:
- Literature review and historical analysis of medical philosophies.
- Examination of the core principles and characteristics of the holistic health model.
- Synthesis of evidence supporting holistic concepts.
Main Results:
- Holistic medicine emphasizes the whole person, including physical, mental, and spiritual dimensions.
- It values the patient-physician partnership and integrates diverse healing traditions.
- The approach aims to enlarge and humanize the scope of modern biomedicine.
Conclusions:
- Holistic medicine offers a comprehensive framework for health and healing.
- Its principles promote a more patient-centered and integrated model of care.
- Further integration of holistic practices can enhance the effectiveness and humanistic quality of medical care.
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