Psychological Perspectives On Chronic Illnesses

This valuable book combines psychological theories of health with the lived experience of coping with chronic health conditions, focusing on the "ill person" as an actor of their own development. It draws on perspectives from developmental and health psychology alongside the author’s personal experience of chronic illness. Bonino considers all aspects of living with illness, from issues that impact on everyday functioning such as pain and fatigue, to the rebuilding of identity through meaningful new goals and effective actions, and the development of therapeutic relationships. Psychological theories are interweaved with descriptions of lived encounters to center the experience of the person living alongside illness and provide insightful points of reference that everyone could try to use when facing the challenges of chronic disease in the course of their daily lives. Coping with Chronic Illness is important reading for those living with chronic health conditions, as well as for healthcare professionals looking to gain awareness of the psychological issues caused by living with illness. It is also of interest for postgraduate students of health psychology.

In Chronic Physical Disorders, the most prominent figures in the field of behavioral medicine argue why a biopsychosocial perspective is crucial to reducing the tremendous personal and societal burden of chronic disease.

Focuses on developing and strengthening understanding of the illness experience, and encourages students to critically appraise conventional approaches to understanding and caring for those who are ill, to empower readers to offer true holistic care and, where appropriate, to change nursing practices in light of recent research.

Provides an overview of psychological services to adults who have medical illnesses. Chapter 1 presents the biopsychosocial model and discusses its implications for understanding, assessing, and treating patients with chronic medical illnesses. Chapter 2 examines psychologists in medical settings and provides a guide for psychologists transitioning into this setting. Chapter 3 covers psychological assessment. Chapter 4 discusses cognitive and neuropsychological evaluations. Chapter 5 discuss the ways in which culture and ethnicity can influence the nature of problems experienced by patients and how psychologists can address these factors. Chapter 6 reviews the reciprocal relationship between the illness and family process and the implications for providing psychological services to patients and their families. Chapter 7 presents a cognitive- behavioral framework for conceptualizing and assessing the psychological determinants of patients' levels of disability or functional activity. Chapter 8 reviews stress management techniques and their variations. Chapter 9 reviews the clinical literature on medical adherence and presents guidelines for evaluating and managing these challenging cases. Chapter 10 discusses death, dying, and bereavement and presents guidelines for care.

It is important to address various psychological factors associated with chronic illness. Chronic illness requires proper health management because it cannot be cured fully but can be managed by both patients and medical professionals. The bio-medical perspective emphasizes the cure of illness based on objective clinical tests and ignores the importance of the patient’s own psychological perspective regarding illness. Psychological Model of Illness highlights the role of psychological factors in adaptation to chronic illness such as, myocardial infarction (heart attack). Psychological Model of Illness attempts to understand the illness behavior of myocardial infarction patients. It provides an empirical investigation of illness cognition, personality, coping and health related effects on quality of life. The findings reported in this book are empirically confirmed and also make sense intuitively and experimentally. Psychological Model of Illness provides a good blend of both quantitative and qualitative methods. The qualitative analysis indicates a number of ways in which the investigation of illness cognition, coping and health related quality of life might be viewed in a cultural context.

Chronic childhood disease brings psychological challenges for families and carers as well as the children. Roger Bradford explores how they cope with these challenges, the psychological and social factors that influence outcomes and the ways in which the delivery of services can be improved to promote adjustment. Drawing on concepts from health psychology and family therapy, the author proposes a multi-level model of care which takes into account the child, the family and the wider care system and how they interrelate and influence each other.