History

At the beginning of the 1970s, psychological topics were increasingly introduced into medicine. Relationships between psychological and somatic conditions were discussed, traditional medical definitions of diseases were debated and social and psychological origins of mental health problems were receiving increased attention. In 1970, psychosocial topics were included in the medical training regulation for the approbation of physicians.

Prof. Arthur Jores (1901-1982), who was the director of the Department of Internal Medicine at the UKE, was a strong supporter for establishing the Department of Medical Psychology. From 1957, Prof. Margit von Kerekjarto became the director of the Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and was appointed to be the director of the newly established Department of Psychology. She received professorship for medical psychology in 1975, which she held until her retirement in 1990.

  • Further directors
  • Further directors

    • Prof. Dr. Rolf Verres (1990-1990)
    • Prof. Dr. Dr. Uwe Koch (1993-2007) -> since 2008 dean of the Medical Faculty
    • Prof. Dr. Monika Bullinger (1996-present, as vice-director) and
    • Prof. Dr. Dr. Martin Härter (since 2008 director of the Department).

  • The history of the outpatient clinic for psycho-oncology started in 1974 with psychological liaison services for patients with cancer in the university hospital. In 1978, research on psycho-oncological topics began. In 1984, transplantation psychology started with its first liver transplantation at the UKE. In 1994, the Outpatient Clinic for Patients with HIV and AIDS and their relatives was established. In 1975, the Outpatient Clinic for Patients with Cancer and their relatives was established, and after renovation and expansion of the outpatient clinic in 2009, the Outpatient Clinic of the Department of Medical Psychology opened in 2011.