Communication is vital not only to human existence and communal living but to existence itself. The whole of creation involves communication with each being communicating its existence and essence. Hence, the indefatigable quests to understanding what nature is communicating within itself. The different beings, and beings within Being, continue in this Communicative Act for better coordination and wellbeing of the total existence. Religiously, God communicates something out of nothing that all begin to communicate their presence. God continues to communicate His Being to His creation, and His creation keeps communicating with the Creator with and through others. In fact, one can say, to Be, is to Communicate. Thus, anything or anyone that Is cannot not communicate! Through this book, THE BIOPSYCHOSOCIOSPIRITUAL COMMUNICATION, different scholars in the fields of psychology, theology, communication and education examined how communication interplay with human interactions with the cosmos and works of life.

A primary premise of this special issue is that religious faith and spirituality comprise an integral component of lay discourse and lay theories associated with health. The articles included in this collection begin to fill a void and--at the same time--illustrate a role health communication fulfills within the behavioral sciences, emphasizing how everyday people make sense of health conditions in their daily living. Following the introduction, the next paper provides an integrated synthesis of the ways and means that religious faith and spirituality have been assessed, primarily through use of quantitative measures. The next two articles utilize instruments discussed in the previous review. The remaining papers utilize qualitative methods to begin to address the absence of specific understanding regarding religious faith and health communication, answering the challenge to health communicators to enrich the field through greater use of such methodological approaches to inquiry.

Psychosomatic medicine may be considered to be one of the leading approaches to treating comorbid disorders and conditions. The chapters of this volume are written by experts in the field and present the newest developments in psychosomatic medicine, from basic science to clinical approaches and novel treatments. Discussed are communications with patients suffering from serious illness, basic science and management of fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue. Further psychiatric symptomatology in Huntington's disease and its management as well as coping with losses, grief and mourning in prostate cancer are reviewed. Psychocutaneous diseases, the role of telomeres in stress and mental illness, dimensional psychopharmacology in somatizing patients and many other clinically important areas are also covered. Papers in this publication offer new information on the advances of contemporary psychosomatic medicine in variety of areas previously not sufficiently covered and are of valuable reading for psychiatrists, psychologists, internists, oncologists and primary care specialists.

This book is an exploration of issues that are essential in end of life care. Understanding end of life practices across cultures and religions is important in the delivery of patient centered end of life care. This book helps clinicians and non-clinicians understand the various end of life practices in their vast patient populations, further contributing to providing empathetic and compassionate end of life care to patients. With the advent of many new options at the end of life, this book also explores the modern day approaches to end of life often sought by patients when faced with disease progression and adversity.

In the recently updated Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), the diagnostic concept of hypochondriasis was eliminated and replaced by somatic symptom disorder and illness anxiety disorder. Hypochondriasis and Health Anxiety: A Guide for Clinicians, edited by Vladan Starcevic and Russell Noyes and written by prominent clinicians and researchers in the field, addresses current issues in recognizing, understanding, and treating hypochondriasis. Using a pragmatic approach, it offers a wealth of clinically useful information. The book also provides a critical review of the underlying conceptual and treatment issues, addressing varying perspectives and synthesizing the current research. Specific topics the text covers include: clinical manifestations, diagnostic and conceptual issues, classification, relationships with other disorders, assessment, epidemiology, economic aspects, course, outcome and treatment. Additionally, the book discusses patient-physician relationship in the context of hypochondriasis and health anxiety and presents cognitive, behavioral, interpersonal and psychodynamic models and treatments. The authors also address the neurobiological underpinnings of hypochondriasis and health anxiety and pharmacological treatment approaches. Based on the extensive clinical experience of its authors, there are numerous case illustrations and practical examples of how to assess, understand and manage individuals presenting with disease preoccupations, health anxiety and/or beliefs that they are seriously ill. It approaches its subject from various perspectives and is a work of integration and critical thinking about an area often shrouded in controversy.

This book is a printed edition of the Special Issue "Family Communication at the End of Life" that was published in Behavioral Sciences