Psychosomatics and SDG 3

27.4.2017

Question for written answer E-002969-17
to the Commission
Rule 130
Claudiu Ciprian Tănăsescu (S&D)

At present, it is not possible to achieve SDG 3 without taking a holistic (psychosomatic) approach to patients. The psychosomatic approach to medicine began in ancient Greece, when Hippocrates drew attention to important psychic factors in the social and physical environment that need to be understood by physicians, though it was not until 1818 that the physician Heinroth introduced the term ‘psychosomatic’.

Psychosomatic medicine concerns research on and treatment of two aspects: a psychological component and a somatic component, and the study of interactions between the mind, body and social environment. Research shows that basic psychosomatic disorders include bronchial asthma, arterial hypertension, stenocardia, peptic ulcer disease, ulcerative colitis, atopic dermatitis and diabetes.

To ensure a healthy life and promote good health for people of all ages, a positive attitude towards the patient is needed, which directs all actions and measures towards the patient, not the illness, by replacing the biomedical model with a biopsychosocial model. By so doing, efforts will be focused not only on eliminating disorders, but also on finding ways to prevent them.

Would the Commission consider a holistic approach to patients, based on specific research and studies, as part of the EU’s strategies and policies for sustainable development?