As a graduate student a decade ago, I recall vividly reading the
inaugural issue of the Journal of Behavioral Medicine when it appeared
in 1978. Its purpose was described as "a broadly conceived
interdisciplinary publication devoted to fur- thering our understanding
of physical health and illness through knowledge and techniques of
behavioral science: ' The articles in that first issue addressed such
topics as the biofeedback treatment of neuromuscular disorders, anxiety
manage- ment of Type A behavior, and premorbid psychological factors
related to cancer incidence. At that time, coursework in behavioral
medicine was in its infancy at my university, and I, along with many
classmates, was eager to learn more of this "new and emerging field: '
Thinking back to those times, it is astonishing for one to reflect on
the rapid evolution of behavioral medicine and its current status as a
clinical and scientific discipline. Organizations such as the Society of
Behavioral Medicine now include a broad-based membership that is
convened yeady at a major convention. In addition to the Journal of
Behavioral Medicine, professionals can avail them- selves of several
other specialty journals (Annals of Behavioral Medicine, Behavioral
Medicine Abstracts, Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pedi-
atrics) as well as the numerous articles on behavioral medicine that
appear regu- larly in the clinical psychology, psychiatry,
rehabilitation, and behavior therapy literature. And behavioral medicine
services and training programs are encoun- tered with increasing
frequency within clinic, hospital, and academic settings.