Integrating behavioral and social sciences research at the National Institutes of Health, U.S.A.

Readers of Social Science & Medicine may find it interesting to know that in 1993 the United States Congress established the Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the belief that scientific research on behavioral and social factors in order to facilitate a growth in this important area of research. As is discussed in this paper, the philosophy of the OBSSR is that, although discoveries in the behavioral and social sciences are as critical for health as those from the biomedical sciences, knowledge from both areas must ultimately be integrated. Such integration will accelerate our understanding and treatment of physical and mental illnesses in both the developed and the developing world. This paper briefly presents the scientific evidence supporting this philosophy, outlines the mandated responsibilities of the OBSSR, and discusses some of its current and planned activities.