The vagus nerve is responsible for the regulation of all our internal organ functions. When it is damaged, the wide-ranging impact on our nervous system can manifest in a multitude of ways, including anxiety, hormonal imbalances, gastrointestinal distress, and vertigo. Based on current research into the vagus nerve and vagus nerve stimulation, this practical guide addresses a crucial missing link in healthcare and functional medicine by providing an innovative protocol on the management of anxiety and vagus nerve dysfunction through nutrition, exercise, and lifestyle. With a holistic, whole-person approach, this protocol bridges the divide between the physical and the psychological, providing a holistic approach that can be applied widely across various disciplines within healthcare, bodywork, and mental health. It provides detailed theory and is supplemented with an abundance of practical guidance including various recipes whilst also helping practitioners understand how clients may transition to a more sustainable, long-term protocol.

This informative and useful volume provides a substantial contribution to the understanding of adolescent risk behavior. The book combines theoretical analysis and the findings of a broad-based research project, with accessible presentation throughout.

Mark Schuckit s Drug and Alcohol Abuse has been a clinical mainstay for over a quarter century. Now the author s trusted expertise is available in a new Sixth Edition, thoroughly revised for content, updated references, and streamlined for increased usefulness.

Schuckit combines his experience as practitioner, researcher, and teacher to give professionals and students across the health and mental health disciplines a working knowledge of drug-related pathology, beginning with pharmacology, drug mechanisms, and genetic factors. And the Sixth Edition is as accessible as its predecessors, striking the right comfort level for the classroom or the emergency room.

-Clinical/emergency orientation suited to both chronic misuse and acute situations

-Coverage reflects current trends in alcohol, drug, and multidrug use, abuse, and dependence

-Concise chapters for quick reference

-Updated bibliography approximately 80% of citations are post-2000

-Diagnostic information reflects upcoming changes to the DSM

-Latest strategies in treatment (psychological and pharmacological) and rehabilitation

All material is organized for ease of use, whether the reader needs fast answers in a crisis, seeks new ideas for helping long-term patients or clients, or is just becoming familiar with the different drug classifications. This new edition offers expanded knowledge of a wide-ranging problem and a growing and clinically important population, and authoritative suggestions for effective care."

Cultural competence in Health Care provides a balance between a theoretical foundation and clinical application. Because of the focus on basic principles, this book will be useful not only in the United States, but throughout the world as Cultural Competence is intending to fill the cultural competence gap for students and practitioners of medicine and related health sciences, by providing knowledge and describing the skills needed for culturally relevant medical care of patients of diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds.

Are we in control of our own development in adulthood, or are we shaped by circumstances beyond our control? By adopting the concept of intentional self-development (ISD), this text outlines an action-theoretical approach to human development that emphasizes both an individual's ability to shape their own development throughout the lifespan, and the extent to which this potential is limited. By examining general age-related changes and critical life events, Intentional Self-Development and Positive Ageing explores the adaptive cognitive-motivational processes that generate positive development in adulthood, including developmental tasks, cognitive changes, life-stage transitions, and biological and neural processes. Leipold goes on to discuss the concept of positive ageing, highlighting the flexibility of the term and evaluating it from multiple perspectives to demonstrate its subjectivity, as well as its importance. This text also discusses the importance of resilience in positive development, contributing to the search for conditions conducive to positive life conduct across the lifespan. This book will be essential reading for undergraduates and postgraduates studying lifespan development and gerontology, positive psychology, or health psychology, as well as researchers in those fields. It will also be of interest to developmental counsellors, clinicians, and other applied occupational groups who are seeking to understand the psychological basis of actions.

Stigma and discrimination of people with substance use disorders (SUD) contribute massively to the harm done by their condition: stigma has negative effects on service engagement, life opportunities, and personal shame, both for those who struggle with substance abuse and their families. Overcoming the stigma of substance use disorders is essential to aid recovery in those with SUD. This book provides an in-depth understanding of the stigma of SUD, and proposes ways to overcome it in different settings from the criminal justice system to healthcare. Combining a multitude of viewpoints within a consistent theoretical framework, this book both summarizes the latest evidence and gives hands-on advice and future directions on how to combat the stigma of SUD. People with lived experience of SUD, advocates, family members, policy makers, providers and researchers in the field of addiction stigma will greatly benefit from reading this book.

Worldwide, men have more opportunities, privileges, and power, yet they also have shorter life expectancies than women. Why is this? Why are there stark differences in the burden of disease, quality of life, and length of life amongst men, by race, ethnicity, (dis)ability status, sexual orientation, gender identity, rurality, and national context? Why is this a largely unexplored area of research? Men's Health Equity is the first volume to describe men's health equity as a field of study that emerged from gaps in and between research on men's health and health inequities. This handbook provides a comprehensive review of foundations of the field; summarizes the issues unique to different populations; discusses key frameworks for studying and exploring issues that cut across populations in the United States, Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, Central America, and South America; and offers strategies for improving the health of key population groups and achieving men's health equity overall. This book systematically explores the underlying causes of these differences, describes the specific challenges faced by particular groups of men, and offers policy and programmatic strategies to improve the health and well-being of men and pursue men's health equity. Men's Health Equity will be the first collection to present the state of the science in this field, its progress, its breadth, and its future. This book is an invaluable resource for scholars, researchers, students, and professionals interested in men's health equity, men's health, psychology of men's health, gender studies, public health, and global health.

This open access book takes a multidisciplinary approach to provide a holistic understanding of late old age, and situates the aged person within the context of family, caregivers, clinical and other institutions. All through the book, the author discusses preparedness for an aging individual as well as the society in the Indian context. The book highlights inevitable but mostly neglected health issues like depression, dementia, fall, and frailty and provides detailed analyses of solutions that are practicable in low resource settings. It also brings up intergenerational differences and harmony in the context of holistic care of older Indians. Alongside clinical perspectives, the book uses narratives of elderly patients to dwell on the myriad of problems and issues that constitute old age healthcare. Demonstrating cases that range from the most influential to the most underprivileged elderly in India, the book enlightens multiple caregivers-doctors, nurses, and professional caregivers as well as family members-about the dynamic approach required in dealing with complex issues related to late old age. The narratives make the book relatable and interesting to non-academic readers, with important lessons for gerontological and geriatric caregiving. It is also of use to older adults in preparing for active aging.

There is now a substantial body of psychological knowledge, based on research and clinical experience, which supports and guides best practice in dealing with health- and illness-related behaviour. Peter Salmon offers a strong conceptual framework which unifies this knowledge within clinical contexts and problems. Based on the author's special interests in acute physical illness and surgery, this text shows how the beliefs, emotions and behaviour of individuals (both lay people and health professionals) can have a profound effect on the processes of understanding, communication and coping in the course of diagnosis and treatment. Peter Salmon, a senior figure in clinical health psychology, has extensive experience of training medical and health care professionals, and of dealing with patients and families. His book offers
* A focus on acute illness and surgery, in contrast to the many other books which deal with chronic illness and health promotion
* An introduction to psychological concepts and models, situated within the clinical reality of presentation, diagnosis, communication, treatment, and the patient-professional relationship
* Guidance on evaluation of research and clinical practice which will help to inform a better understanding of behaviour and relationships in acute illness and surgery and wider medical contexts.
Students and professionals in clinical health psychology, health care and medicine should read this book for an accessible, authoritative account of how psychological knowledge can help them, why people feel and behave as they do, and which medical situations can be enlightened and facilitated by the integration of psychological principles intotherapeutic practice. This book appears in The Wiley Series in Clinical Psychology Series Editor: J. Mark G. Williams University of Wales, Bangor, UK

Improving lifestyles is thought to be one of the most effective means of reducing mortality and morbidity in the developed world. However, despite decades of health promotion, there has been no significant difference to lifestyles and instead there are rising levels of inactivity and obesity. The Psychology of Lifestyle addresses the role psychology can play in reversing the trend of deleterious lifestyle choices. It considers the common characteristics of lifestyle behaviours and reflects on how we can inform and improve interventions to promote healthy lifestyles. Health promotion has taught people what a healthy lifestyle is - now we need to enable people to live that life. The chapters cover key lifestyle behaviours that impact on health -smoking, eating, physical activity, drinking, sex and drug use - as well as combinations of behaviours. Each chapter contains interventions that have been developed to influence and promote lifestyle change among patients and clients. This unique book will enable readers to develop a clear theoretical and practical grasp of the psychological principles involved in all aspects of lifestyle change. It is an invaluable resource for students and professionals committed to health promotion within all health-related disciplines.

Drug Abuse: Concepts, Prevention, and Cessation serves as a comprehensive source of information on the topography of, causes of, and solutions to drug problems. The text covers conceptual issues regarding definitions of drug use, misuse, abuse, and dependence. Importantly, the text addresses a variety of theoretical bases currently applied to the development of prevention and cessation programs, specific program content from evidence-based programs, and program processes and modalities. Information regarding etiology, prevention, and cessation is neatly delineated into (a) neurobiological, (b) cognitive, (c) micro-social, and (d) macro-social/physical environmental units. The book is ideally suited as a primary source for students and professionals in chemical dependence programs, clinical and health psychology, public health, preventive medicine, nursing, sociology, and social work, among other fields, on the nature, causes, prevention, and cessation of the abuse of legal and illegal drugs.

Society is faced with a variety of undesirable behaviours and conditions such as crime, mental and physical illnesses and disabilities, that usually provoke different responses in people such as emotions of anger, fear or pity. In our evolutionary past, these emotions adaptively motivated the repair of interpersonal relationships, whereas more recently they may also result in other types of social control such as stigmatization or tolerance. Dijker and Koomen show, on the basis of elementary psychological processes, how peoples' responses are not only dependent on type of deviance but also on personality, situation, historical period and culture. They also examine the implications of these responses for the well-being and coping of people with deviant conditions or stigmas. This book provides conceptual tools for developing interventions to reduce stigmatization and offers a deeper understanding of the psychological basis of social control as well as opportunities to influence its potentially harmful consequences.

In the last century, changes to the nature and patterns of women's working lives have been vast. Notably, the huge increase in women's participation in the paid workforce means that today women are retiring in unprecedented numbers. How do they cope with this lifestyle transition? What major difficulties do they face? How do they process the problems associated with managing this transition in fulfilling ways while juggling family, financial, friendship, ageing and health issues? To date, most retirement studies have focused on men, and therefore gender-specific issues relating to post-work life, such as the pay gap, the double shift, women's longer lifespans and their traditional roles as carers and social nurturers, have been afforded far less attention. Women and Retirement: Challenges of a New Life Stage is the first book of its kind to examine women's retirement using a lifespan perspective. Based on the authors' extensive study of over 1,000 retired Australian women as well as current research, the book presents models of various retirement trajectories and compares women's experiences with the more widely researched retirement experiences of men. Moore and Rosenthal consider the nature of the transition from full-time work to retirement and the many different pathways and factors influencing this journey: women's financial status in the retirement years; their health changes; and the varied activity patterns they adopt. Women and Retirement is a comprehensive, up-to-date and evidence-based review of the female retirement experience. It will be invaluable for courses on ageing and health within psychology, women's studies, social work and sociology, and for use by practitioners in these fields.

In this volume, the authors consider how environmental changes affect our social, cultural and political lives and, in doing so, have a direct influence on individuals' health. In contrast to previous research in the area, da Cal Seixas and de Moraes Hoefel emphasize both physical health and mental health as measures of human suffering, in an approach informed by the concept of subjectivity. Ultimately, the authors argue that contemporary environmental changes have a significant effect on the mental and physical wellbeing of the world's population, and that analysis and proposals for action should address both concerns in an effort to improve our quality of life.

A definitive guide to the growing field of health psychology, which showcases contributions from academics and professionals working at the cutting edge of their discipline. * Explores the field of modern health psychology, its latest developments, and how it fits into the contexts of modern healthcare, industry and academia * Offers practical, real-world examples and applications for psychological theory in health care settings * Provides a timely resource to support the new HPC registration of health and other psychologists * Includes contributions from practitioners in a wide range of health care settings who share their own vivid personal experiences, as well as more general guidance to applying theory in practice

Jennifer Pilotti's latest book explores the science at the intersection of movement and mental health. It encourages readers to consider in greater detail the way exercise impacts the nervous system, and how it influences the ability to sense, feel and perceive the internal and external world. Based on the author's extensive experience in both researching and teaching movement therapies, the book is designed to be accessible to practitioners and professionals across a range of disciplines. From Yoga and Tai Chi to dance teaching and personal training, the coaching guidance provided can also help therapists of all kinds think about the use of language, potential roadblocks and exercise interventions and programming in new ways. By examining key topics including aerobic exercise, resistance training and restorative movement, this book is a valuable resource for all kinds of practitioners looking for inventive ways to help their clients achieve physical and emotional balance.

Despite diverse, rich cultural traditions and abundant economic opportunity, there has been a paucity of research on psychology in Southeast Asia. This book aims to fill that gap, with a series of well-written theoretical and empirical chapters by PhD psychologists in SE Asia along with respected international colleagues and co-authors from around the globe. In particular this book focuses upon critical sociocultural, clinical, and health issues and perspectives in psychology in Southeast Asia. Overviews help contextualize the cultural data, permitting nuanced examination of significant psychological issues in nations such as Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, and more. Psychologists and mental health professionals with interests in Asia will find this book to be a must-read, as will other readers seeking to deepen their cultural and international understanding.

This book presents specific methods for the physical rehabilitation, mental health restoration, and academic remediation of post-institutionalized international adoptees. The focus of the book is on the neurological, psychological, and educational consequences of complex childhood trauma in the context of a fundamental change in the social situation of development of former orphanage residents. A discussion of after-adoption traumatic experiences includes a critique of certain "conventional" approaches to the treatment of mental health issues and different disabilities in international adoptees. Using his 30-year background in research and clinical practice, the author expertly describes and analyses a range of methodologies in order to provide an integrated and practical system of "scaffolding" and "compensation" for the successful rehabilitation and remediation of children with ongoing traumatic experiences. This is essential reading for researchers and practicing clinicians concerned with childhood trauma, remedial education, and issues of international adoption.

The health effects of psychosocial factors are a widely discussed and controversial topic. Do positive and negative emotions affect our risk of developing physical disease? Are depressive individuals more likely to have cancer than those with an optimistic outlook on life? And what is the role of IQ in staying healthy and recovering from disease? Importantly, can we improve our health and life expectancy by avoiding certain psychosocial risk factors and maximizing positive psychological well-being? These and other questions are the focus of psychosocial epidemiology, a discipline linking psychological, social and biological sciences. The Routledge International Handbook of Psychosocial Epidemiology is the first book to map this growing discipline. Including contributions from many of the leading researchers in the field, it is divided into five sections: Part I: Methodological challenges in studying psychosocial factors and health; Part II: Psychosocial factors in the etiology and prognosis of chronic diseases; Part III: Controversies in the psychosocial approach; Part IV: Interventions and policy implications Part V: Future research directions Taking advantage of a huge growth in research in recent years, the book provides the reader with the essentials to evaluate the diverse set of studies on psychosocial factors and health that are published today, and describes study designs in this field of research, progress in judging the validity of epidemiological evidence, as well as challenges in translating evidence into action. This is an important and timely book. Providing methodological rigour, critical analysis and the policy implications of this emerging field of study, The Routledge International Handbook of Psychosocial Epidemiology will be an invaluable resource for students and researchers within both behavioural and medical sciences, as well as policy makers and others working in health and social care.

If you have recently gone through a divorce, you might have unresolved feelings of anger toward your ex spouse; find yourself reeling from past betrayals both big and small; become stressed when you think about the legal and emotional ramifications of the divorce; or you may even experience symptoms of depression. You are not alone, and there are ways you can start to heal. "The Divorce Recovery Workbook "offers a unique approach using mindfulness and positive psychology to help you cope with these negative emotions so that you can start to rebuild your life. You'll learn powerful practices based in self-compassion to help you heal, forgive, and form new, loving relationships. The book also includes helpful exercises and tips for managing a difficult co-parenting relationship. If you've gone through divorce and are struggling to move on, there comes a moment when you must make a choice. You can let the difficult situation define who you are, or you can use it as a jumping off point for making radical changes in your life--positive changes that will leave you stronger and happier than ever before This workbook will help you start.

The 'body' and 'discourse' seem diametrically opposed, but we interact with our bodies and represent ourselves and our relationships in bodily terms. This volume integrates new studies by leading researchers in sociolinguistics, sociology, social psychology and cultural theory. It explores the many interfaces of body and discourse, organized under three main themes: the body as an interactional resource; ideological representations of the body; and discursive constructions of the body in normal and pathological contexts.

This book offers a therapeutic approach to a problem that many families and mental health institutions face: a growing number of adult children who struggle to progress to a psychological, social adulthood. The family patterns that revolve around adult children can remain inert for decades, are often resistant to conventional therapy, and can cause chronic suffering to adult children, parents, and extended families. The authors present a guide that addresses parents of adult children as suffering people in their own right and as essential to assisting their child into entering functional adulthood. The authors, one of whom is the originator of the Non-Violent Resistance Therapy approach (NVR), provide an intervention manual that implements NVR principles for helping families of adult children. The book is based on the authors' ten-year journey of helping such families in cases where traditional interventions and therapeutic values seem not to work.

This accessible textbook draws upon progressions in academic, political and global arenas, to provide a comprehensive overview of practical issues in psychological work across a diverse range of community settings. Interest in community psychology, and its potential as a distinctive approach, is growing and evolving in parallel with societal and policy changes. Thoroughly revised and updated, this new edition covers crucial issues including decolonial approaches, migration, social justice, and the environmental crisis. It has a new chapter on archive research, working with data, policy analysis and development, to reflect the continuously developing global nature of community psychology. Key features include: Sections and chapters organised around thinking, acting and reflecting Case examples and reflections of community psychology in action Discussion points and ideas for exercises that can be undertaken by the reader, in order to extend critical understanding Aiming to provide readers with not only the theories, values and principles of community psychology, but also with the practical guidance that will underpin their community psychological work, this is the ideal resource for any student of community, social, and clinical psychology, social work, community practice, and people working in community-based professions and applied settings.

In an era of transition and tension in American health care, Dorothy M. Owens offers a model of empathic communication that benefits both patients and physicians. Drawing from concepts in the domains of psychology and theology, she constructs a model of empathy that is ethical and reciprocal. An integrated model of empathy recognizes the physical, psychological, spiritual, and social nature of human beings. Empathy is a clinically useful, time-effective communication skill that can be taught in medical and pastoral education. Dr. Owens's unique approach to empathy is applicable to other professional and personal relationships as well.

This volume elucidates some of the very concrete ways in which Americans misperceive the social world and how we are all subject to biases and illusions. As such, it challenges the assumption in much social science theorizing that people are rational actors by exploring how the machinations of cognition, the effect of our past experiences, the news, and social media feeds all factor into our opinion-making process. The chapters highlight common, and often incorrect, perceptions of population diversity, sexual behavior, the economy, health, and relationships. It shows how correcting these misperceptions of the social world can lead to real behavioral and attitudinal change.