Now in its fourth edition, this definitive and popular introduction to human behaviour in the context of health and illness includes three new chapters, many new contributors and a new co-editor.

It is arranged in nine sections to cover the core concepts of psychology and sociology as they apply to medicine.

The life cycle
Development of the person
Society and health
Preventing illness and promoting health
Illness, behaviour and the doctor-patient encounter
Illness and disability
Coping with illness and disability
Hoe do health services work
How do you fit into all this?

Contents
The life cycle
1 The biopsychosocial model

2 Pregnancy and childbirth

3 Reproductive issues

4 Development in early infancy

5 Childhood and child health

6 Adolescence

7 Social aspects of ageing

8 Bereavement

2 Development of the person
9 Personality and health

10 Understanding learning

11 Perception

12 Emotions

13 Memory problems

14 How does sexuality develop?

15 Intelligence

16 Development of thinking

3 Society and health
17 Understanding groups

18 Concepts of health, illness and disease

19 Measuring health and illness

20 Changing patterns of health and illness

21 Social class and health

22 Gender and health

23 LGBT health

24 Ethnicity and health

25 Quality of life

26 Media and health

27 Housing, homelessness and health

28 Work and health

29 Unemployment and health

30 Labelling and stigma

4 Preventing illness and promoting health
31 Perceptions of risk and risk-taking behaviours

32 What are disease prevention and health promotion?

33 Health screening

34 The social implications of the new genetics

35 Health beliefs, motivation and behaviour

36 Changing cognitions and behaviour

37 Helping people to act on their intentions

38 The social context of behavioural change

39 Illegal drug use

40 Alcohol use

41 Smoking, tobacco control and doctors

42 Eating, body shape and health

5 Illness behaviour and the doctor-patient encounter

43 Deciding to consult

44 Seeing the doctor

45 Placebo and nocebo effects

46 Adherence

47 Clinical communication skills

48 Breaking bad news

49 Self-care

50 Patient experience

51 Psychological preparation for surgery

6 Illness and disability
52 Heart disease

53 Malnutrition and obesity

54 HIV/AIDS

55 Cancer

56 Anxiety

57 Depression

58 Inflammatory bowel disease

59 Physical disability

60 Learning disability

61 Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

62 Diabetes mellitus

63 What is stress?

64 Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

65 Death and dying

7 Coping with illness and disability

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66 Counselling

67 Urban nature, health and wellbeing

68 Coping and adaptation

69 Cognitive-behavioural therapy

70 Coping with illness and disability

71 Palliative care

72 Complementary therapies

73 The management of pain

8 How do health services work?
74 Organizing and funding health care

75 Assessing needs

76 Setting priorities and rationing

77 Community care

78 Health: a global perspective

79 Health: a rural perspective

9 How do you fit into all this?
80 Medical students’ experience

81 Life as a trainee doctor

82 The profession of medicine

References

Index

Key Features
Topics presented as self-contained double-page spreads.
Cases throughout to reinforce understanding of important concepts.
Boxes and discussion points throughout.
The authors comprise psychologists, sociologists and doctors.
Highly illustrated