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Chapter 35: Holistic Care, Integrative Medicine, and Behavioral Health

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instructor material

DOI:

10.1891/9780826116819.0035

Authors

  • Schadt, Emily

Abstract

The human body is an incredibly complex system with a wide variety of healing capabilities. Over the course of time, human beings have been able to tolerate and heal physical, behavioral, and mental illnesses through a vast array of mechanisms. Although Western medicine plays a tremendous role in how practitioners provide patient care, improvements and recent advances in the field of epigenetics and integrative medicine are also impacting healthcare. Patients are much more aware of their bodies and the alternative treatments and therapies available for certain disease and illness states. This chapter provides insights into the general concepts of holistic and patient-centered care with a focus on improving behavioral health in the pediatric, adolescent, and young adult populations. Pediatric primary care providers (P-PCPs) must understand the concepts of complementary, alternative, and integrative medical practices and the impact these modalities may have on intercepting adverse behaviors in these populations.