Ronald Grossarth-Maticek (19 June 1940 – 16 November 2025) was a German sociologist specializing in the field of medical sociology, working in the fields of psychosomatics, psycho-oncology and health promotion. He was the director of the Institute for Preventive Medicine and professor for postgraduate studies (ECPD). In 2019, some of the works of Maticek and his co-author, psychologist Hans Eysenck, were reviewed by King's College London and 26 were declared "unsafe".
Background Ronald Grossarth-Maticek was born in Budapest on 19 June 1940. In 1973, he received his PhD at the University of Heidelberg, Germany, and in 1991, a doctorate in medical sciences (Dr. med. sc.) in the medical faculty of the University of Belgrade. From 1975 to 1982, he headed the research project "Social Scientific Oncology", supported by the German Research Foundation and the Foundation for Education and Handicapped Support in Stuttgart, among others. From 1982 to 1990, he was the head of the international research program "Prospective Epidemiology and Preventive Behavioral Medicine". In 1990, he became Director of the Institute for Preventive Medicine and Political, Economic and Health Psychology in Heidelberg, an institution of the European Centre for Peace and Development (ECPD) in Belgrade, which belongs to the University for Peace in Costa Rica associated with the United Nations. Grossarth-Maticek was awarded the title Professor by the European Center for Peace and Development (ECPD), which he may use in Germany with the addition Professor for Postgraduate Studies, ECPD. His eldest son from his first marriage is Jan Grossarth, and from his second marriage he has two sons and two daughters. He died in Heidelberg, Germany on 16 November 2025, at the age of 85.Rhein-Neckar-Zeitung: Obituary, November 2025.
Research From 1973 to 1995, Grossarth-Maticek directed the Heidelberg Prospective Study, a long-term study in which around 30,000 people from 18,000 Heidelberg households were examined at regular intervals over a period of more than 20 years for a variety of health-influencing variables.Ronald Grossarth-Maticek and Helm Stierlin: Cancer Risks - Survival Opportunities - How Body, Soul and Social Environment Interact. Carl Auer Systems, Heidelberg 1998, page 110 On extensive questionnaires, he recorded dozens of physical factors (such as cigarette smoking, exercise, organ damage, genetic disposition and nutrition) as well as psychological factors (attachment to the mother in early childhood, stressors, distress, eustress, self-regulation). He developed his own behavioral typology, into which he classified the interviewees according to the degree of their self-regulation.
According to Grossarth-Maticek, this research shows the risk of illness is multiplied by an insufficient self-regulation. Physical risk factors work mainly in sum, but especially when psychological risk factors are present at the same time. In the Heidelberg Prospective Study, Grossarth showed a predominantly multi-causal origin of chronic diseases. Grossarth-Maticek speaks of a "peculiar compulsion to act without necessity in a certain way and not differently". Such behavior arises from a consolidation of behavior patterns in the first years of life.Brand eins: Wo das Dogma beginnt, ist das Leben am Ende If the "free flow of love" was disturbed by early childhood rejections, traumata, disappointment or other experiences, there could be disturbances of the inner and outer communication in adulthood, which, in combination with other factors synergistically, have an effect on health.Bedürfniskommunikation und Zugehörigkeitsgefühl. In: Psychotherapieforum. Springer Verlag, 2007. S. 127-133. Inspired by the cooperation with the psychologist Hans Jürgen Eysenck, Grossarth developed a new behavioural typology.
Grossarthian behavioral typology In the behavioral typology developed by Grossarth, six types of behavioral patterns are distinguished:R. Grossarth-Maticek: Self-regulation, autonomy and health. Disease risks and social health resources in the socio-psycho-biological system. 2002, Chapter 4. Grossarth's typology of behaviour pp. 118-120
Type I: Suffering in isolation: central and persistent orientation towards a longed-for but withdrawing object; inhibition in the realization of the longed-for proximity, thus inhibiting the satisfaction of this emotionally most important need.
Type II: Helpless excitement: Central and persistent orientation towards a disturbing, obstructive object, without reaching the desired distancing, with recurring overexcitation and a feeling of helplessly being at the mercy of others.
Type III: Ambivalence: narcissistic ambivalence and strong egocentrism. Emotional instability with interim phases of autonomous self-regulation, but also with phases of intensive search for closeness with emotional needs on the one hand and after injuries phases of hyperactive excessive distancing on the other hand.
Type IV: Good self-regulation: Orientation towards current objects that enable subjective well-being, pleasure and security through which a sense of purpose can be experienced. Flexible self-regulation adapted to the situation and needs.
Type V: Emphasizes rational: Rational and antiemotional behavior. When overwhelmed by emotions, psychological crises and depressive mood arise.
Type VI: Irrational-emotional: Irrational, behaviour dominated by one's own feelings, without rational verification of one's own behaviour.
This typology is the result of Grossarth-Maticek's investigations into and considerations for the history and frequency of chronic diseases and health. He emphasizes similarities between types I and II and sees type III as a hybrid of I and II. Of course, in one subject, characteristics of several behavior types may be present at the same time, but one of them is usually dominant in behavior.Ronald Grossarth-Maticek: Synergetische Präventivmedizin - Strategien für Gesundheit. Springer Medizin Verlag, 2008, pp. 58-59.
Autonomy training Grossarth-Maticek and his collaborators, as Helm Stierlin who wrote a preamble in Grossarth's book "Selbstregulation, Autonomie und Gesundheit",Ronald Grossarth-Maticek: Selbstregulation, Autonomie und Gesundheit - Krankheitsfaktoren und soziale Gesundheitsressourcen im sozio-psycho-biologischen System table of contents. De Gruyter Verlag 2003 developed an autonomy training aimed at stimulating self-regulation. The effectiveness of this cognitive behavioural therapy, which he refers to as autonomy training, was examined in an intervention study (Randomized controlled trial). In this relatively short period of autonomy training, the ability to achieve well-being, pleasure, security, and fulfilment of meaning through self-active problem solving is strengthened in conversations. The trainee is encouraged to perceive himself/herself and to recognize which activities increase his/her well-being.Theodor Dirk Petzold: Erfahrungen mit dem Autonomietraining nach Grossarth-Maticek - als Allgemeinarzt mit psychosomatischem Schwerpunkt und als Ausbilder im Autonomietraining 2005 Autonomy training is seen as a preventive intervention, which is suitable for achieving effective behavioural changes in a relatively short time and then incorporating them into a long-term preventive programme.Ronald Grossarth-Maticek: Kompentent Gesund page 10
Grossarth uses the term "autonomy" in the sense of an inner independence from objects with negative experienced consequences, which results from self-knowledge and redesign of communication. Self-regulation includes the personal ability to create the conditions for pleasure, well-being, security and inner balance through one's own behaviour in interpersonal relationships. However, the aim of this autonomy training is not egocentric Epicureanism, which ignores fellow human beings, but an attainment of happiness in a socially accepted framework, which respects and supports both the fellow human beings and one's own person.Interview with Ronald Grossarth: Wenn Liebe und Schmerz zur Versöhnung führen Rhein Neckar Zeitung, January 2019 In 2001 Grossarth-Maticek had this protected under trademark law under the term Autonomietraining Gesundheit und Problemlösung durch Anregung der Selbstregulation.Der Titelschutz Anzeiger Nr. 516, Woche 18/2001
The statistically average life-prolonging effect of autonomy training in cancer patients demonstrated in the Heidelberg prospective study cannot be interpreted in such a way that autonomy training is a method with which permanent healing can be achieved in any case, but the results show that the improvement of self-regulation is one of the factors that contribute to an improvement in the function of the immune system e.g. by changes in behaviour with regard to habits that are harmful to or promote health, stress reduction and increase in subjective well-being. His clinical study on mistletoe therapy in connection with improvement of self-regulation produced corresponding results.. According to Grossarth-Maticek's findings, a high degree of self-regulation is also a significant factor for prevention. This was evident both in those people examined in this longitudinal study who already had good self-regulation and in those who learned it in the course of autonomy training.Systemic epidemiology and preventive behavioural medicine of chronic diseases Strategies for maintaining health. De Gruyter, Berlin 1999 The database was verified by Werner W. Wittmann,Rhein-Neckar-Zeitung: Heidelberger Wissenschaftler Ronald Grossarth-Maticek über Radikalismen who wrote the preface of Grossarth's book "Synergetic Preventive Medicine" (2008).Synergetic Preventive Medicine. Strategies for Health. Springer, Heidelberg 2008. (Preamble from Werner W. Wittmann: page XI - XIX)Krebs-Chancen - References and expert opinions
Based on Grossarth-Maticek's autonomy training and the effects on salutogenesis, Dierk Petzold, a physician and lecturer for general medicine at the Hannover Medical School, developed the concept of salutogenic communication.Dierk Petzold, Nadja Lehmann: Salutogenesis, globalization, and communication
Reception in Japan