CHAPTER I - SOCIOLOGICAL APPROACH TO HEALTH CARE & TB CONTROL <<Back
 
c) Behavioural And Psychological Factors
 
067
AU : Mohamed Ali S
TI : Emotional factors in the causation of pulmonary tuberculosis.
SO : Tuberculosis and Chest Diseases Workers Conference, 17th, Cuttack, India, 31 Jan.-3 Feb. 1961, p. 196-203.
DT : CP
AB :

The purpose of this paper was to emphasize that the emotional factors preceding the onset of pulmonary TB were of greater importance than the mere presence of the bacilli. A historical review of this topic reveals that as early as 1,500 B.C., Hindus mentioned grief as one factor in the development of TB. The discovery that micro-organisms caused diseases pushed this and similar observations into the background with the result that psychological factors, which gained credence in the 19th century, were paid scant attention. Wittkower (1949, 1952, 1955) was one of the earliest contributors to the study of emotional factors in the causation of TB. While the value of his research findings was greatly reduced because of a lack of control series, the finding that the predominant personality trait in TB patients was an "Inordinate need for affection" was echoed in several studies (Friddmann, Kastelin & Kooperstein (1946), Westermann (1951) using the psychosomatic approach. A rigorously designed series of studies by Kissen (1955 - 1957) found emotional factors preceding the onset of TB in a significantly higher proportion as compared with controls. The predominant emotional factor was a break in a love-link. Psychosocial situations corroborating Kissen's finding are presented and the implication for the choice of home or hospital treatment is discussed.

KEYWORDS: SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY; INDIA.
 
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