There is a growing interest in psychiatry and somatic medicine to the
cognitive approach in psychology was associated with an increased interest
in the psychological and behavioral factors involved in the etiology and
pathogenesis of hypochondriacal disorders (HD). Th e paper gives a review of
modern psychological approaches to hypochondriasis. First, we analyze the role
of psychological phenomena in the diagnostics of HD demonstrating necessity
of hierarchical and system relationships between development and dynamics of
unexplained somatic symptoms, generalized anxiety and health anxiety. Second,
four factors possibly precipitating, triggering or perpetuating disease are analyzed:
somatosensory amplifi cation, health anxiety, motivational and personality factors,
illness behavior, “hypochondriac” discourse adopted in contemporary society. The
dynamics of hypochondriacal symptoms when each of the four factors dominate
in the clinical picture is discussed from body regulation psychology approach and
cultural-historical approach in psychosomatics. Possibilities of developing and
validating a psychological model of hypochondriasis are suggested.
The psychological aspects of interdisciplinary problems of human—environment interactions are discussed in the paper. increase of interest to the problem is justified resulting also from the intensification of global environmental problems humanity is facing and also from the needs of psychological maintenance of the concept of «Sustainable Development». Trends in western psychology combined by the common scientific problem of human-environment interaction having the substantive and methodological crossing are examined, among them: «Ecological psychology», «Ecopsychology», «Environmental psychology» and «Psychology of Sustainable Development». Multiple meanings of «ecology» notion widely used in modern psychological discourse are discussed. it is alleged that matches the context of foreign and russian studies will contribute to the more active insertion of psychologists in the reality of human interaction with the environment
