Main description:

"As the fundamental importance of psychological aspects of medical practice becomes ever more evident, and a correspondingly greater knowledge of psychology is required of medical graduates by bodies such as the UK General Medical Council, books like this one must become essential reading for all medical students". (Michael Sharpe MD, FRCP FRCPsych, Professor of Psychological Medicine, Psychological Medicine Research, University of Edinburgh). This first-of-its-kind, comprehensive textbook covers all the psychology an undergraduate medical student needs to know. The authors show the importance of applied psychological theory and evidence to medicine, and offer enough depth on the subject to span an entire degree. This book is a unique mix of psychological theory and evidence with implications for clinical practice, clinical tips and case studies.
After an introduction, the text is split into four key sections that suit all curricula: Psychology and Health covers core health psychology topics such as stress, symptom perception, health behaviour and chronic illness; Basic Foundations of Psychology covers topics from biological, developmental, cognitive and social psychology that are relevant to medicine; Body Systems covers psychological research specific to body systems, including cardiovascular, respiratory, gastro-intestinal, immunology and reproduction; and, Healthcare Practice covers clinical skills and practice, including chapters on evidence-based medicine, communication skills and psychological intervention. With a full colour text design, each chapter follows the same accessible format which includes summaries, learning objectives, case studies, research examples, applications to clinical practice, further reading and short answer questions. They include the latest psychological theory and research evidence. Praise from students: "Really good. Interesting, enjoyable, succinct, robust in all areas! This is what will get medical students to start thinking about the importance of psychology". "Very good!
Easy to read and interesting subject matter covered". "!flows well when reading and is easy to follow from one section to the next! unlike many textbooks, it is really easy to read and follow". "I liked the use of examples and the non-intimidating style. It doesn't assume knowledge of the subject but at the same time manages not to be patronising". "The summaries at the end of each section were useful, as they helped break a large amount of information into sizable chunks. The life orientation test is great, as it encourages you to actively think about what you have just read". "Excellent!.The factual tone will appeal to medical students and the inclusion of slightly quirky studies such as those looking at cardiovascular stress and football matches make it a very engaging read". "!succinct in style, highlighting relevant research that illustrates important psychological aspects of medicine. Nicely broken up by boxes, case studies and key research!the textbook's final design could make it ideal for the intended 'dipping in and out". "I really liked reading the case studies on narratives of illness. For me, reading about actual people makes everything more interesting".
"Really interesting and relevant...incredibly useful for the first 2 years of medical school and also as a reference point if problems arise with communication in the future". "Overall I found it very easy to follow what was being said and I would definitely consider using this book to supplement a lecture and for reference". "Written at a good level, very understandable with good use of examples and references to popular culture. Interesting to read even not as an academic text". "Presented in a simple, yet engaging manner and suitable to a wide range of readers, from laypeople, to students and qualified professionals". "The inclusion of one of Churchill's most amusing quotes made me smile. This was both funny and was still kept relevant". "I like the critical analysis of the research that is presented and the clinical application of the research which is discussed". "I liked the part about how people's perception of asthma affects their management of their condition and felt this would be useful to future doctors in any area, who look after people with long-term health problems".

Contents:

Psychology and Medicine Psychology and medicine What is health? Why is psychology important? Different approaches to medicine PART ONE: PSYCHOLOGY AND HEALTH Motivation, Emotion and Health Motivation Motivation & health Emotion Emotion & health Stress and Health What is stress? Stress & health Stress in medicine Managing stress Symptoms and Illness Symptom perception Pain Placebo & nocebo effects Illness beliefs & representations Health and Behaviour Predicting & changing health behaviour Health belief model Theory of planned behaviour Transtheoretical model PRIME theory Chronic Illness, Death and Dying Chronic illness Psychological intervention Death & dying Death & medical practice PART TWO: BASIC FOUNDATIONS OF PSYCHOLOGY Brain and Behaviour Components & organisation of the nervous system Communication between neurons Structure of the brain & central nervous system Control of movement Sleep, consciousness & biological clocks Development across the Lifespan Childhood Adolescence Adulthood Old Age Social Context Attitudes Self psychology Individuals & groups Aggression Prosocial behaviour Learning, Perception and Memory Perception Attention Learning Memory PART THREE: BODY SYSTEMS Immunity and Protection Infection, inflammation & immunity Psychological aspects of immune disorders Skin Cancer Cardiovascular and Respiratory Cardiovascular health Respiratory health Gastrointestinal Psychological factors & the GI system Lifestyle & GI health GI disorders Reproduction and Endocrinology Reproduction Endocrine disorders & psychosocial wellbeing Genitourinary Sexual health Sexually transmitted infections Prostate & testicular cancer Urinary incontinence & renal failure Psychiatry and Neuropsychological Rehabilitation Psychiatry Diagnosis & treatment of psychiatric disorders Neurological disorders Neuropsychological assessment & rehabilitation PART FOUR: HEALTH CARE PRACTICE Evidence-Based Medicine Evidence-based medicine Adherence to treatment Doctor-patient communication Clinical Interviewing How we communicate Clinical interviewing Difficult interviews Giving bad news Psychological Intervention What do psychologists do? Which therapy is best? Psychological intervention in medical settings