[Psychoneuroimmunologic research in psychosomatic medicine]

In German psychosomatics there appears to exist a selective appraisal of studies investigating the correlations of psychological stress and immunity within the much wider spectrum of psychoneuroimmunological research. This is so despite the fact that so far these studies show contradictory results which are difficult to apply to clinical questions. Immuno-behavioral or immuno-psychological effects are mainly dealt with within a biological psychiatric framework. The network theories referred to in the text do not yield a satisfactory integration as yet. Using the question of mind, behaviour and multiple sclerosis as an example, it can be shown that psychoneuroimmunological research may contribute to empirically testable hypotheses for a better integration of (immune-)biological effects on the mind--without giving in to incompatibly reductionist theories.