What psychological and environmental forces have an impact on health? How does behavior contribute to wellness or illness? This comprehensive volume answers these questions and others with a state-of-the-art overview of theory, research, and practice at the interface of psychology and health. Leading experts from multiple disciplines explore how health and health behaviors are shaped by a wide range of psychological processes and social-environmental factors. The book describes exemplary applications in the prevention and clinical management of today's most pressing health risks and diseases, including coronary heart disease, depression, diabetes, cancer, chronic pain, obesity, sleep disturbances, and smoking. Featuring succinct, accessible chapters on critical concepts and contemporary issues, the Handbook integrates psychological perspectives with cutting-edge work in preventive medicine, epidemiology, public health, genetics, nursing, and the social sciences.

Offering a fresh, authoritative take on a topic of increasing relevance, this book is comprehensive in scope, yet concise and accessible. Key contributors from health psychology, gerontology, and related fields pool their knowledge.

This volume provides readers with a one-stop, authoritative guide to the major themes and debates in health psychology, both past and present.

The Oxford Handbook of Health Psychology brings together preeminent experts to provide a comprehensive view of key concepts, tools, and findings of this rapidly expanding core discipline.

The Handbook of Clinical Health Psychology provides a comprehensive overview of the practice of clinical health psychology. It is primarily a well-referenced but practical resource, which provides an authoritative, up-to-date guide to empirically validated psychological interventions in health care. Each contributor provides a conceptual synthesis of the area, and how key models are related to formulation, service delivery and research. The book also considers contextual issues and the importance of topics such as ageism and power, which may have an impact on how health psychology is delivered by practitioners, and experienced by recipients of services. It also seeks to provide a summary of evidence concerning crucial aspects in the delivery of care, such as adherence, rehabilitation and stress. The biopsychosocial model is the major theoretical model underpinning all contributions, but use is also made of other models. * Informative and practical: a guide to action * An authoritative, critical and evidence based synthesis of knowledge that will guide best practice * Easy-to-use format intended for practitioners who want to ensure their practice is state-of-the-art

The Handbook of Cultural Health Psychology discusses the influence of cultural beliefs, norms and values on illness, health and health care. The major health problems that are confronting the global village are discussed from a cultural perspective. These include heart disease, cancer, HIV/AIDS, pain, and suicide. The cultural beliefs and practices of several cultural groups and the unique health issues confronting them are also presented. The cultural groups discussed include Latinos, Aboriginal peoples, people of African heritage, and South Asians. The handbook contributes to increased personal awareness of the role of culture in health and illness behavior, and to the delivery of culturally relevant health care services. - Many societies are culturally diverse or becoming so - the cultural approach is a unique and necessary addition to the health psychology area - Satisfies the ever-increasing appetite of health psychologists for cultural issues in health and women's health issues - Major and global health concerns are covered including heart disease, cancer, HIV/AIDS, pain, suicide, and health promotion - The health beliefs and practices of Latinos, people of African heritage, Aboriginal peoples, and South Asians are presented without stereotyping these cultural groups - The handbook provides excellent information for health care researchers, practitioners, students, and policy-makers in culturally pluralistic communities - References are thorough and completely up-to-date