Implications of mind-body theory for integration in psychiatry

Recently, several authors have called for an integration of philosophy, psychology, and neuroscience regarding the mind-brain problem (Brothers 1989; Cooper 1985; Hundert 1989). In this essay I review two philosophical theories of mind that lead to very different conclusions regarding integration. Reductionist materialism is the theory that currently has the widest acceptance. Unity theory, a less familiar theory, may present the most plausible alternative to reductionism currently available. Numerous examples from the psychiatric literature are used to illustrate the challenge that faces each of these theories. Critical evaluation of how they meet the challenge, particularly in accounting for apparent psychosomatic causation, shows the strengths and weaknesses of each theory, particularly regarding their clinical utility in psychiatry.