Biopsychosocial “Mapping” with Medical Students in Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry

This article discusses the technique and use of biopsychosocial “mapping” with medical students doing a psychiatric consultation-liaison rotation. The “mapping” exercise is a visual aid used to help the students develop a broader biopsychosocial perspective as well as help them find such biopsychosocial formulations more wieldy. The drawing up of such a “map” seems to encourage the students to direct their attention to psychosocial as well as biological issues. A brief case example is presented with an accompanying sample biopsychosocial “map.” Its usefulness as an aid in combating reductionistic thinking and in improving diagnostic formulations and treatment is discussed.