Behavioral Medicine and Developmental Disabilities

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.