Book Description

This highly popular health psychology text, which is both a working reference manual for professional health psychologists and a highly regarded teaching tool, is now appearing in a fully revised and updated new edition. The first section looks at the foundations of good practice, including how to carry out an effective initial clinical interview and assessment. In the next main section, detailed chapters then address the most important medical conditions dealt with by psychologists, including cardiovascular and respiratory disorders, chronic pain, diabetes, endocrine and gastrointestinal problems, AIDS, MS, obstetric and gynecological conditions, and many more. The final section looks at community, social, spiritual, and creative involvement, including effective methods for helping patients cope with their medical conditions, alternative health methods, and risk reduction in minority populations. The authors and contributors have extensive academic and clinical experience in the diverse areaswhere health psychology techniques can be productively implemented, and their enthusiasm to help others master these methods come through in the clarity with which they explain the tools of the health psychologist's trade.