[Psychosomatic medicine as a scientific approach for the 21st century].
OBJECTIVE
Subject of the article is the future of psychosomatic medicine as a science in the 21st century.


METHODS
The state of the art is reviewed from the perspective of philosophy of science and sociology. The subjects of psychosomatic research are dealt with as well as theory and research methodology.


RESULTS
Psychosomatic medicine will be influenced by a decrease in concrete interpersonal interaction and an increase in interaction directed by electronic media of communication. Holistic theories will be replaced by a variety of consistent and interdisciplinary informed middle range theories. And, last but not least, naive research concepts of the subjects of psychosomatic research will be supplemented by more complex concepts due to the multiplicity of qualitative and quantitative aspects of psychosomatic phenomena.


CONCLUSIONS
The theoretical approach developed in this article will be illustrated by concrete examples from some research projects, in particular a project on the psychology of donors in living donor liver transplantation.
Frommer
Jörg
J
Abteilung für Pschosomatische Medizin und Psychotherapie, Klinikum der Otto-von-Guericke-Universität Magdeburg, Leipziger Strasse 44, 39120 Magdeburg, Germany. joerg.frommer@medizin.uni-magdeburg.de
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003142:Communication; D005544:Forecasting; D005858:Germany; D000882:Haplorhini; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000523:psychology; D019520:Living Donors / Q000523:psychology; D008426:Maternal Deprivation; D009769:Object Attachment; D010686:Philosophy, Medical; D011582:Psychological Theory; D011610:Psychosocial Deprivation; D011611:Psychosomatic Medicine / Q000639:trends*; D011613:Psychotherapy / Q000639:trends; D012106:Research / Q000639:trends; D012586:Science / Q000639:trends*; D012922:Social Change