The study outlines the historical development of efforts to introduce integra- tive approaches in medicine in former Czechoslovakia. Current activities in psychosomatic and behavioural medicine in both republics are documented in the results achieved by the authors of papers at the IX the Czechoslovak Conference on Psychosomatic and Behavioural Medicine, held in September 1998 in Plzeň, and at the 7th Pezinok Psychosomatic Days held in Modra in June 1998.

        Key words: behavioural medicine, biopsychosocial model of health and ill- ness, integrative approaches in medicine, corticovisceral concept, psychoso- matic medicine, systemic approach.