Psychosocial predictors of cancer and internal diseases. An overview

In 1965, questionnaire data were obtained for 1,353 inhabitants of a Yugoslavian town on the following variables: blocked expression of feelings and needs; psychosocial stress in the form of either lasting depression and hopelessness or lasting anger and irritation; harmonization and idealization, with negation of self; rational orientation with repression of emotions; psychopathological symptoms; "explosive behavior", including exposure to adverse environmental conditions, abuse of medicines etc, ignoring signs of illness, hyperactivity. These variables were related to the incidence of cancer and internal diseases over the next 10 years.A discriminant analysis yielded 93% correct predictions. The results, beyond their theoretical significance, open up substantive possibilities of early recogninition as well as preventive and curative sociopsychotherapy of cancer and internal diseases.