Mechanisms Underpinning the Link between Emotion, Physical Health and Longevity


Book Description

The 1990’s was designated as ‘the decade of the brain’ and now, common mental disorders are described as ‘brain disorders’. Yet intense research interest on the brain has largely side-lined the body as a passive observer, disconnecting mental from physical health and contributing to further societal stigma on the nature of psychiatric illness and mental distress. The biopsychosocial pathway to premature mortality or longevity is a complex one, involving a host of closely intertwined mechanisms and moderating factors, some of which are investigated in this special issue. All the articles published here provide new insights into the pathways linking emotion, physical health and longevity, highlighting the tight linkage between mind, brain and body.




ETERNALLY YOUNG


Book Description

"Eternally Young" is a book that explores the various factors that contribute to a long and healthy life. While acknowledging the importance of genetics, the book stresses that longevity is not determined solely by our genes. Instead, it proposes a holistic approach to health and wellness, highlighting the importance of a balanced diet, regular exercise, emotional well-being and positive social relationships. The author argues that we have the power to take control of our own health and well-being. Through research and personal anecdotes, the book explores a wide range of topics related to longevity, from the benefits of a plant-based diet to the importance of social connection and community. The book also addresses the topic of aging, presenting it as a complex, multidimensional process that can have both positive and negative aspects. Rather than focusing on the negative aspects of aging, the book focuses on how to maximize our chances of aging healthily, to live longer, happier and fuller lives. "Eternally Young" offers a holistic and hopeful approach to longevity and wellness, empowering readers to take charge of their health and contribute to a healthier world.







Applied Psychology


Book Description

For a significant portion of psychology students, their reason for choosing an undergraduate degree in psychology is their interest in applied psychology and a desire to use psychological knowledge to help solve personal and social problems. With this in mind, this textbook has been designed to satisfy these needs for applied psychology teaching at all undergraduate levels. Applied Psychology is designed to introduce students to the main areas of applied psychology (Clinical Psychology, Health Psychology, Educational Psychology, Occupational Psychology, Forensic Psychology, Sports & Exercise Psychology, Counselling Psychology and Teaching Psychology) from UK, European and international perspectives. It also introduces the core psychological knowledge that underpins these applied and professional areas. As a result, students learn core knowledge from the five main areas of psychology, as well as acquiring a thorough grounding in how this knowledge is applied, and the professional issues associated with that application. Highlights include a broad range of teaching and learning features designed to help the student learn and the teacher teach. These include: Focus Points, Colour Illustrations, Activity Boxes, Research Methods, Case Histories, Self-Test and Essay Questions, Learning Outcomes and Section Summaries, a Glossary as well as Links to Journal Articles and Further Reading. The chapters on Counselling Psychology and Teaching Psychology are available online via the Student Companion Site at: http://tinyurl.com/c3ztvtj The text is written to be accessible to Level 1 Introductory Psychology students, and also to provide the core knowledge and professional information that students at Levels 2 and 3 would require.




Psychology of Physical Activity


Book Description

The positive benefits of physical activity for physical and mental health are now widely acknowledged, yet levels of physical inactivity continue to be a major concern throughout the world. Understanding the psychology of physical activity has therefore become an important issue for scientists, health professionals and policy-makers alike as they address the challenge of behaviour change. Psychology of Physical Activity provides comprehensive and in-depth coverage of the fundamentals of exercise psychology, from mental health, to theories of motivation and adherence, and to the design of successful interventions for increasing participation. Now publishing in a fully revised, updated and expanded fourth edition, Psychology of Physical Activity is still the only textbook to offer a full survey of the evidence base for theory and practice in exercise psychology, and the only textbook that explains how to interpret the quality of the research evidence. As the field continues to grow rapidly, the new edition expands the behavioural science content of numerous important topics, including physical activity and cognitive functioning, automatic and affective frameworks for understanding physical activity involvement, new interventions designed to increase physical activity (including use of new technologies), and sedentary behaviour. A full companion website offers useful features to help students and lecturers get the most out of the book during their course, including multiple-choice revision questions, PowerPoint slides and a test bank of additional learning activities. Psychology of Physical Activity is the most authoritative, engaging and up-to-date book on exercise psychology currently available. It is essential reading for all students working in behavioural medicine, as well as the exercise and health sciences.







Children's Health, the Nation's Wealth


Book Description

Children's health has clearly improved over the past several decades. Significant and positive gains have been made in lowering rates of infant mortality and morbidity from infectious diseases and accidental causes, improved access to health care, and reduction in the effects of environmental contaminants such as lead. Yet major questions still remain about how to assess the status of children's health, what factors should be monitored, and the appropriate measurement tools that should be used. Children's Health, the Nation's Wealth: Assessing and Improving Child Health provides a detailed examination of the information about children's health that is needed to help policy makers and program providers at the federal, state, and local levels. In order to improve children's health-and, thus, the health of future generations-it is critical to have data that can be used to assess both current conditions and possible future threats to children's health. This compelling book describes what is known about the health of children and what is needed to expand the knowledge. By strategically improving the health of children, we ensure healthier future generations to come.




Culture, Mind, and Brain


Book Description

Recent neuroscience research makes it clear that human biology is cultural biology - we develop and live our lives in socially constructed worlds that vary widely in their structure values, and institutions. This integrative volume brings together interdisciplinary perspectives from the human, social, and biological sciences to explore culture, mind, and brain interactions and their impact on personal and societal issues. Contributors provide a fresh look at emerging concepts, models, and applications of the co-constitution of culture, mind, and brain. Chapters survey the latest theoretical and methodological insights alongside the challenges in this area, and describe how these new ideas are being applied in the sciences, humanities, arts, mental health, and everyday life. Readers will gain new appreciation of the ways in which our unique biology and cultural diversity shape behavior and experience, and our ongoing adaptation to a constantly changing world.




Handbook of Mental Health and Aging


Book Description

The Handbook of Mental Health and Aging, Third Edition provides a foundational background for practitioners and researchers to understand mental health care in older adults as presented by leading experts in the field. Wherever possible, chapters integrate research into clinical practice. The book opens with conceptual factors, such as the epidemiology of mental health disorders in aging and cultural factors that impact mental health. The book transitions into neurobiological-based topics such as biomarkers, age-related structural changes in the brain, and current models of accelerated aging in mental health. Clinical topics include dementia, neuropsychology, psychotherapy, psychopharmacology, mood disorders, anxiety, schizophrenia, sleep disorders, and substance abuse. The book closes with current and future trends in geriatric mental health, including the brain functional connectome, repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), technology-based interventions, and treatment innovations. - Identifies factors influencing mental health in older adults - Includes biological, sociological, and psychological factors - Reviews epidemiology of different mental health disorders - Supplies separate chapters on grief, schizophrenia, mood, anxiety, and sleep disorders - Discusses biomarkers and genetics of mental health and aging - Provides assessment and treatment approaches




Handbook of Life Course Health Development


Book Description

This book is open access under a CC BY 4.0 license. ​This handbook synthesizes and analyzes the growing knowledge base on life course health development (LCHD) from the prenatal period through emerging adulthood, with implications for clinical practice and public health. It presents LCHD as an innovative field with a sound theoretical framework for understanding wellness and disease from a lifespan perspective, replacing previous medical, biopsychosocial, and early genomic models of health. Interdisciplinary chapters discuss major health concerns (diabetes, obesity), important less-studied conditions (hearing, kidney health), and large-scale issues (nutrition, adversity) from a lifespan viewpoint. In addition, chapters address methodological approaches and challenges by analyzing existing measures, studies, and surveys. The book concludes with the editors’ research agenda that proposes priorities for future LCHD research and its application to health care practice and health policy. Topics featured in the Handbook include: The prenatal period and its effect on child obesity and metabolic outcomes. Pregnancy complications and their effect on women’s cardiovascular health. A multi-level approach for obesity prevention in children. Application of the LCHD framework to autism spectrum disorder. Socioeconomic disadvantage and its influence on health development across the lifespan. The importance of nutrition to optimal health development across the lifespan. The Handbook of Life Course Health Development is a must-have resource for researchers, clinicians/professionals, and graduate students in developmental psychology/science; maternal and child health; social work; health economics; educational policy and politics; and medical law as well as many interrelated subdisciplines in psychology, medicine, public health, mental health, education, social welfare, economics, sociology, and law.