Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Definition And Characteristics Of Behavioral Medicine, And Main Tasks And Goals Of The International Society Of Behavioral Medicine –An International Delphi Study, Joost Dekker, Marie Amitami, Anne H. Berman, Helen Brown, Bryan Cleal, Maria João Figueiras, Lila J. Finney Rutten, Egil A. Fors, Konstadina Griva, Jing Gu, Chris Keyworth, Maria Kleinstäuber, Claas Lahmann, Joseph T. F. Lau, Bernd Leplow

Psychology Faculty Publications

Background: In the past decades, behavioral medicine has attained global recognition. Due to its global reach, a critical need has emerged to consider whether the original definition of behavioral medicine is still valid, comprehensive, and inclusive, and to reconsider the main tasks and goals of the International Society of Behavioral Medicine (ISBM), as the umbrella organization in the field. The purpose of the present study was to (i) update the definition and scope of behavioral medicine and its defining characteristics; and (ii) develop a proposal on ISBM’s main tasks and goals. Method: Our study used the Delphi method. A core …