Mind-Body Integration Strategies in Health Promotion and Care: Special Edition Introduction

Abstract

Behavioral health, mental health, and primary physical health care have integrated services since the 1970s.  With this growth, there has also been growth in integrating treatment strategies for mind and body collaboration in the healing process.  Many of these have roots in Traditional Chinese Medicine or Ayurvedic Medicine and have included assessment of physical presentations to denote physical or mental health issues, the use of mind-based strategies to promote healing of both mental and physical health conditions, and the use of physical strategies to promote healing of both mental and physical health conditions. Review and background are provided for mind-body integration healthcare strategies and rationale for journal article contributions.  Practitioners share articles in representative approaches with further explanation of these modalities and presentation of examples of work for efficacy in the modalities. These representative approaches reflect the employment of the mind to heal the body and the body to heal the mind, resulting in efficacy in synergistic whole-person healing.  A conclusion is provided with a summary of both efficacy attained and continuing needs for further research.