The emotions of physicians. Significance of physicians' emotional reactions to the patients

During the last thirty years there has been a growing interest in research into physician-patient interaction. This article highlights the research which concerns the physician's countertransference feelings. The concept of countertransference is described and a classification with relevance for physicians in general is explained. The existing research into the incidence and consequences of countertransference is examined. Examples are given of categories of patients, who often evoke specific countertransference feelings in the physician. The consequences of the countertransference feelings for the physician himself are discussed and examples are given of particular situations where countertransference feelings could be of importance. Finally, the existing possibilities to learn about handling countertransference feelings are surveyed and the authors emphasize the need for more research in this particular field.