Conceptual Comparison with Medical Paradigms from Whole Person Health (WPH) Perspectives
Bando H, Nishikiori Y, Bando M and Yoshioka A
Published on: 2026-02-22
Abstract
The importance of whole person health (WPH) has been recently emphasized. From body-mind-society-spirit points of view, holistic medicine (HM) has common and related concepts with psychosomatic medicine (PM), integrative medicine (IM), complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), Western medicine (WM), and primary care (PC). These conceptual paradigms were compared for similar and different aspects. The biopsychosocial (PBS) model has been discussed from three perspectives, which are biopsychosocial model by George L. Engel, World Health Organization (WHO), and National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH). Equivalent basic conception would be people-centered care and social determinants of health (SDH).
Keywords
Whole person health (WPH); Body-mind-society-spirit; Biopsychosocial (PBS); Social determinants of health (SDH); Hinohara-ismCommentary
Along with the recent medical development, the importance of whole person health (WPH) has been emphasized in the actual medical practice so far [1]. Holistic medicine (HM) has emphasized a comprehensive understanding of human health, which is by integrating physical, psychological, social, and various spiritual dimensions of each person. While this concept has been discussed for long in the category of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), holistic medicine and its integrative approaches have attracted attention for mainstream healthcare systems. From historical progress point of view, holistic medicine has provided a valuable theoretical and practical foundation so far [2]. It has addressed the complex health challenges of chronic disease prevalence and aging societies. Future research will focus on methodological strictness, standardized outcome measures, the integration of health policy and medical education in the enlarged holistic area.
From recent reviews, holistic medicine has been consistently presented as an overarching framework rather than an alternative to conventional biomedicine [3]. Among them, key themes have included self-regulatory capacity, patient-centered care, lifestyle modification, and also interprofessional collaboration. Clinical applications were extensively investigated for chronic disease management, primary care, oncology, and palliative situations. These holistic interventions showed association with improvements in symptom burden, QOL and treatment adherence. As their concept, the body-mind-society-spirit model has proposed for useful integrative framework in order to capture the multidimensional aspects of health and illness [4].
In this article, generalized philosophy and perspectives are compared and discussed. The 6 related practical areas are in the followings: holistic medicine (HM), psychosomatic medicine (PM), integrative medicine (IM), complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), Western medicine (WM), and primary care (PC) [5]. Among them, mostly shortened essence key words are shown in each area. They are i) HM; Highest-level concept, including values, meaning, way of life, and spirit, and encompassing the fields of medical philosophy and medical ethics, ii) PM; Scientific implementation of the Engel model, psychosocial factors × physical illness, and institutionally established in Japan, iii) IM; Integrating CAM with WM at its core, defined by National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), and emphasis on evidence-based medicine, iv) CAM; Existed before the birth of traditional medicine (TM), philosophically close to HM, and degree of scientific validation varies, v) WM; Biomedical model, disease-centered and organ-centered, and foundation for everything, but insufficient on its own, and vi) PC; WHO's people-centered care, practical application of the BPS model, and core in chronic disease and geriatric care.
HM and related other 5 categories are compared from several points of view (Table 1). Among them, HM is positioned as a philosophical and ethical framework rather than a discrete medical system. PM represents the scientific and academic formalization of mind-body medicine within WM. IM functions as an operational integration model combining WM and evidence-based CAM. PC is the clinical embodiment of biopsychosocial and holistic principles in routine care [6]. As mentioned above, the ideas of the six areas are interrelated and have inclusive relationships.
Table 1: Conceptual comparison of major medical paradigms related to holistic care.
|
Category |
Core Definition |
Conceptual Focus |
Relationship to Biopsychosocial Model |
Typical Clinical Scope |
Position in Contemporary Medicine |
|
Holistic Medicine (HM) |
A philosophy of medicine that views health and illness as interactions among body, mind, society, and spirit |
Whole-person understanding, meaning, values, and interconnectedness |
Explicitly embraces bio-psycho-social-spiritual perspectives |
Health promotion, chronic illness, end-of-life care, lifestyle and meaning-centered interventions |
Overarching worldview and ethical framework |
|
Psychosomatic Medicine (PM) |
A medical discipline focusing on interactions between psychological factors and physical disease |
Scientific investigation of mind-body interactions |
Formal medical implementation of the biopsychosocial model |
Stress-related disorders, functional somatic symptoms, chronic diseases |
Subspecialty within Western medicine |
|
Integrative Medicine (IM) |
Evidence-informed integration of conventional medicine and complementary approaches |
Coordinated, patient-centered integration of therapies |
Strongly aligned with the biopsychosocial model |
Chronic disease management, oncology, pain, preventive care |
Practical clinical model bridging WM and CAM |
|
Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) |
Diverse medical practices and systems not traditionally part of conventional medicine |
Traditional, cultural, and natural healing practices |
Often implicitly biopsychosocial, historically holistic |
Acupuncture, herbal medicine, mind-body practices |
Adjunctive or alternative modalities depending on evidence |
|
Western Medicine (WM) |
Biomedical science-based medicine emphasizing diagnosis and treatment of disease |
Pathophysiology, biological mechanisms, technology |
Primarily biological; psychosocial factors historically secondary |
Acute care, surgery, pharmacotherapy, diagnostics |
Scientific foundation of modern healthcare |
|
Primary Care (PC) |
First-contact, continuous, comprehensive, and coordinated healthcare |
Person-centered, community-oriented clinical practice |
Operationalizes the biopsychosocial model in daily practice |
Preventive care, chronic disease, family and community health |
Core clinical platform for holistic practice |
One image proposal is shown in Figure 1. HM exists as a higher-level concept, within which PC, FM, and WH can be found. WH + CAM = IM, and there are cases where traditional medicine is dominant and cases where WH is dominant [7]. Overall, HM is thought to encompass the whole, from ancient times to the future.

Figure 1: Scheme of Relationships among holistic medicine and related medical paradigms.
These six concepts have been discussed in terms of their inclusive relationships, common philosophies, and differences. The biopsychosocial model has been discussed from three perspectives: i) Engel, ii) WHO, and iii) NCCIH, and there are some differences in perception between Western countries and Japan [8]. The background to these differences is as follows. From an international perspective, discussions on the ideas and definitions of HM began in the 1970s [9]. George L. Engel criticized the limitations of the biomedical mode of WM and proposed the biopsychosocial (PBS) model [10]. This later added a fourth factor, spirituality. The key point is that illness does not simply mean biological abnormalities. He also stated that the patient's subjective experience and social context are essential factors in medical treatment. This philosophy influenced and became the philosophical foundation of PM, HM, PC, and IM.
The World Health Organization (WHO) defines health as "a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being." [11]. It also adopts a holistic view of health that goes beyond the biomedical model. Primary Health Care (PHC) which was from the declaration of Alma-Ata and Astana, emphasizes people-centered care and social determinants of health (SDH) [12]. Consequently, PC medicine can be considered a form of clinical implementation of the HM/BPS model. The NCCIH has defined CAM and IM as follows: i) IM equals WM plus CAM with evidence, ii)?CAM means any system of care other than WM, iii) IM combines conventional medicine and complementary approaches in a coordinated way, and places emphasis on scientific evidence [13]. As a global trend, Engel's philosophy has been carried over into WHO comments, and PC/PM/IM are a consistent trend. HP represents a medical worldview, not a medical model.
Meanwhile, Japan, located in the Far East of Asia, has culturally embraced and integrated both Western and Eastern cultures, achieving a world-class level of culture, civility, science, and technology [14]. PM focuses on physical illnesses in which psychosocial factors contribute to the onset and progression of illness, and the Engel model has been implemented in medical education and clinical practice. Regarding the positioning of each field, PM is included in HM, PM is "scientifically verifiable BPS medicine," and PM and PC play the role of the actual carriers of HM. A distinctive feature of Japan is its understanding and general scope of expertise within the medical community. HM emphasizes medical ethics, anthropology, and spirituality, while PM has established academic societies and specialist systems. IM is centered around universities and research institutions and is EBM-oriented, while CAM includes traditional medicine (traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture, and moxibustion). In the field of PC, topics such as family medicine and community-based comprehensive care are being discussed, and active clinical and research activities continue in each field [15].
HM has various topics of discussion internationally. Among them, Japan has showed distinctive and characteristic developments. As the Eastern cultural background, IM, PM, existential medicine, nursing, and other fields have come together, and multifaceted discussions have been accumulating [16]. In other words, there is a shift from medicine that cures illness to medicine that supports lifestyles associated with containing illness. These perspectives demonstrate the importance of incorporating patients' outlooks on life and values ??into medical care. Furthermore, they are important as a practical concept that supports patients' dignity and meaning. Almost same perspectives are found in the philosophy of Hinohara-ism by Dr. Shigeaki Hinohara [17].
Related to BPS model, recent dynamic system would be 4 domains of body-mind-society-spirit recognized for useful perspectives. Its model with 4 factors seems to be effective for rehabilitation, disease prevention and treatment, community medicine and palliative care. They will hopefully serve as crucial theoretical foundation for developing future healthcare policy and medical education. From BPS point of view, noteworthy reports have been found for their application in cancer care and chronic diseases [18]. These studies have showed that nutritional and complementary methods are not peripheral but essential to improving the treatment tolerance, outcomes, and quality of life. Holistic interventions such as psychosocial support, exercise, nutrition, mindfulness, and spiritual care, may contribute to improved QOL, increased treatment adherence, and symptom relief in oncology. However, they also point out the necessity of evaluating the safety of interventions and ensuring the quality of evidence. Furthermore, HM with primary care perspectives can improve the quality of the patient-physician relationship and prevent medical care from becoming fragmented [19]. In the light of conceptual perspectives, the systematic review was found [20]. The term "holism" does not simply mean comprehensiveness, but is a philosophical stance that understands human relationships.
There is an meaningful and interesting report in the holistic care. From literature review for 11 years, holistic care domains showed interconnection of assessments and interventions for key features of palliative care [21]. Another recurring theme is the recognition of an individual's inherent capacity for self-regulation and adaptation. HM emphasizes lifestyle modification, behavioral change, and psychosocial support as core treatment strategies. Interventions such as mindfulness-based practices, physical activity, nutritional counseling, and social engagement are positioned as evidence-based adjuncts that may improve overall outcomes, rather than as substitutes for standard care [22]. For the latest report, an integrated novel care model was proposed [23]. It is the Minimally Disruptive Medicine frameworks in order to combine patient care, capacity, self-efficacy, activation, and resilience, and to decrease care burden through digital health, redesigned team, and policy reform.
In summary, several perspectives concerning WPH, BPS model, SDH for holistic medicine have been described in this article. In our recent complex society, we always pay attention to psychological and social aspects when we manage various patients. It is expected that current article will become useful reference for psychosomatic medical care region.
Conflict of interest: The authors declare no conflict of interest.
Funding: There was no funding received for this paper.
References
- DiGuiseppi G, Rodriguez A, Qureshi N, Zeng C, Coulter ID, Hays RD, et al. Measuring Whole Person Health: A Scoping Review. J Integr Complement Med. 2025; 31: 684-704
- Bueddefeld J, Reining CE, Lavallee L, Brady R, Groulx MW, Lemieux CJ. Measuring Adult Health and Well-Being Outcomes Associated With Nature Contact in Parks and Other Forms of Protected Areas: Protocol for a Scoping Review. JMIR Res Protoc. 2025; 14: e63338.
- Alzeer J. Lifestylopathy as Personalized Medicine: A Holistic Approach to Health. Medical Research Archives. 2025; 13: 1-10.
- Chan C, Ying Ho PS, Chow E. A Body-Mind-Spirit Model in Health: An Eastern Approach. Social Work in Health Care. 2002; 34: 261-282.
- Bando H, Yoshioka A, Bando M and Nishikiori Y. Meaningful 4 Factors in Holistic Medicine Similar to Psychosomatic Medicine and Hinohara-Ism. Int J Case Rep Clin Image. 2026; 8: 258.
- Stainton P, Danes-Daetz C, Haworth L, Karunanithi SP, Chohan A. Attitudes, knowledge and understanding towards mind-body practices as an asset for social prescribing in higher education. International Journal of Health Promotion and Education. 2025; 63: 96-110.
- Mulijono D. The Soul of Medicine: Can Holistic Physicians Survive a Technocratic System? Arch Epidemiol Pub Health Res. 2025; 4: 01-06.
- Gold SB, Costello A, Gissen M, Odman S, Green LA, Stange KC, et al. How Are You Doing… Really? A Review of Whole Person Health Assessments. Milbank Q. 2025; 103: 205-241.
- Lopez-Cruz O. The Engel’s Biopsychosocial Model in Engineering: Humanistic Education for Engineers, a Systemic View and Practice. Internat J Philosophy. 2025; 13: 164-174.
- Engel GL. The biopsychosocial model and the education of health professionals. General Hospital Psychiatry. 1979; 1: 156-165.
- Schramme T. Health as Complete Well-Being: The WHO Definition and Beyond. Public Health Ethics. 2023; 16: 210-218.
- Hassan I, Chisty A, Bui T. Structural and Social Determinants of Health. In: Lu LB, Fortuna RJ, Noronha CF, Sobel HG, Tobin DG (eds) Leading an Academic Medical Practice. 2023.
- Menard MB, Weeks J, Anderson B, Meeker W, Calabrese C, O'Bryon D, et al. Consensus Recommendations to NCCIH from Research Faculty in a Transdisciplinary Academic Consortium for Complementary and Integrative Health and Medicine. J Altern Complement Med. 2015; 21: 386-94.
- Nishikiori Y, Bando M, Yoshioka A, Bando H. General Research Perspectives with Human Spirit in Wider Range for Current Art Therapy. J Health Care and Research. 2025; 6: 16-19.
- Fernandez Ruiz-Gálvez E. Social Determinants of Health and the Indivisibility of Social Justice. In: Seoane JA, Vergara O (eds) The Discourse of Biorights. The International Library of Bioethics. 2024; 109.
- Yoshioka A, Bando H, Nishikiori Y, Bando M. Human Spirit Seems To Be the Key to Make Humanity Associated With Co-Existing Music for Long History. SunText Rev Neurosci Psychol. 2025; 6: 183.
- Uchida Y, Bando H, Nishikiori Y, Bando M and Yoshioka A. Assertive Thinking May Bring Beneficial Human Relationship in The Light of Psychosomatic Medicine and Hinohara-Ism. Int J Case Rep Clin Image. 2025; 7: 244.
- Frenkel M, Mathis SE. Editorial: Diet, Nutrition, Supplements, and Integrative Oncology in Cancer Care. Nutrients. 2025; 17: 3422.
- Nakandi K, Mora D, Stub T. Conventional health care service utilization among cancer survivors that visit traditional and complementary providers in the Tromsø study: a cross-sectional study. BMC Health Serv Res. 2022; 22: 53.
- Kligler B, Khung M, Schult T, Whitehead A. What We Have Learned About the Implementation of Whole Health in the Veterans Administration. J Integrat Complement Med. 2022; 29: 774-780.
- Bryk A, Roberts G, Hudson P, Harms L, Gerdtz M. The concept of holism applied in recent palliative care practice: A scoping review. Palliat Med. 2023; 37: 26-39.
- Bando H, Fukuda Y, Kitanishi T, Bando M and Nishikiori Y. Recent Trends Of Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) With Psychotherapeutic Practice in Integrative Medicine (IM). Arch Traditional Complementary Med. 2025; 4: 130.
- Abu Dabrh AM, Chebib FT, Hickson LJ. Reframing kidney care: toward whole person, integrative, and minimally disruptive healthcare delivery. BMC Nephrol. 2026; 27: 34.