Johanna Shapiro, PhD
It has been suggested that between 50% and 70% of patients seen by family physicians have an illness that is either stress induced or exacerbated by stress. Evidence also exists that stress is associated with increased utilization of health care and with increased morbidity. As medical specialists who recognize and advocate treating “the whole person” family physicians in particularly need to be sensitive to the existence of stress-induced or stress-compounded diseases.