About
What is Behavioral Medicine?
Most of the world’s health challenges have behavioral causes and can be greatly helped by behavioral solutions. Unhealthy behaviors like tobacco use, sedentary lifestyle, poor sleep, and unhealthy eating play a key contributing role for much of the diseases, suffering, and early deaths in the United States. Healthy behaviors—like quitting smoking, exercising, sleeping well, eating right, getting cancer screenings, managing stress, getting vaccinated, and using mindfulness techniques—can prevent disease, be a vital part of a disease treatment plan, and significantly improve quality of life.
But these behaviors are easier said than done. That's where behavioral medicine comes in. Behavioral medicine is a multi-disciplinary field with scientifically proven strategies for improving health behaviors in individual patients' lives and in entire communities. What you do matters, and so does where you live. The Society of Behavioral Medicine (SBM) is here to help.
Working Together for Better Health
SBM is a nonprofit organization comprising researchers, clinicians, educators, industry professionals, and policymakers from over 20 healthcare disciplines. With a focus on behavioral, psychosocial, environmental, and biomedical factors, SBM members conduct research on various conditions such as cardiovascular diseases, obesity, diabetes, chronic pain, and cancer. They conduct research on specialty populations like children, women, veterans, aging adults, and minority groups. And they conduct research on clinical care and healthcare delivery, from in-person appointments to telemedicine and health apps. They use these research findings to enhance clinical practice, improve public health policies, and promote affordable and equitable healthcare. Since 1978, SBM has been providing vital support to its members as they work towards better health outcomes.
SBM and Behavioral Medicine Historical Timeline
Special thanks to Ellen Beckjord, PhD, MPH, FSBM, Marc D. Gellman, PhD, FSBM, Christine Hunter, PhD, ABPP, and Sherry L. Pagoto, PhD, FSBM for their work on this timeline. Click for full timeline
Strategic and Corporate Partnerships
Join SBM and its members in making a significant impact in healthcare. Partnerships allow SBM to collaborate with community groups, corporations, health systems, educational institutions, government entities, research labs, legislators, and other professional organizations. By working together, SBM and its partners strive to improve health outcomes, create innovative solutions, and shape policies that promote cheaper and fairer healthcare. Notable Strategic Partners and Affiliate Members include Johnson & Johnson, Mayo Clinic, Fitabase, and Modern Health.