psychoprophylaxis

Noun

psychoprophylaxis (uncountable)

1. A method of preparing women for natural childbirth by means of special breathing, relaxation techniques and psychological conditioning, practiced without anaesthetics.
   • The growing emphasis on the emotional aspects of the physical bearing of children has greatly changed the practice of obstetrics across the world — from psychoprophylaxis in Russia to natural childbirth in America.1957, Briefs - Maternity Center Association, volumes 21-25, page 6
   • Psychoprophylaxis, the preparation of the mind to deal with pain naturally, has and is still being used for pain relief during labor and delivery.2001, Sanjay Datta, Childbirth and Pain Relief: An Anesthesiologist Explains Your Options

   Synonyms:

   Lamaze

2. (obsolete, rare) The prevention of disease by psychological means.
   • The essence of psychoprophylaxis, as of psychotherapy and education, was to associate useful activities with agreeable feeling tones, and to disassociate from useless or injurious acts the agreeable feeling tones they might have acquired.1909 May 29, International Record of Medicine and General Practice Clinics, volume 89, page 1100
   • Just as psychotherapy denotes not treatment of the mind, but treatment by psychic means, so I shall use the word psychoprophylaxis not to signify the prevention of psychic disorders, but to mean the preservation of health by psychic means.1910, Pacific Medical Journal, volume 53, page 84