History, concepts and aims of internationally active societies in psychosomatic and behavioural medicine

Many scientists and practitioners from different countries and organizations are working in the field of Psychosomatic and Behavioural Medicine. The clinicians are looking for a better health care and are trying to increase their quality in an individual patient. The scientists are trying to understand the interaction in a patient between mind, body and social environment. Different countries and cultures experienced different developments. This has an impact on the present situation in theory and practice of their medicine. To compare these activities in an overview over different societies from Asia, America and Europe could be provide an example for many others, active in this medical field. Especially their aims and future perspectives can be focused to understand the complexity of ideas and thoughts in these groups of physicians, psychologists and sociologists and their different points of view. Following these perspectives, the diagnostic evaluation of diseases with their bio-psycho-social background can be demonstrated. The understanding of their psycho social mechanism leads to different treatment options. Not surprisingly these depend on the knowledge and their cultural meaning of triggering and influencing factors of such diseases. In the following series we offer an overview, what are experiences and perspectives in selected national (countries with a great membership and long history) and internationally active societies of psychosomatic and behavioural medicine. We describe their ideas, aims and activities. The reader will get an understanding and an overview about fields, tasks and hopefully he/she will be stimulated for activities and cooperation, which are necessary in the future of Psychosomatic and Behavioural Medicine. Well known authors and members of the respective societies describe crucial events in their history, concepts and aims, which were now summarized in the following papers: