Health Anxiety: Hypochondriasis and Related Disorders [Paperback]

Gordon J.G. Asmundson (Editor), Steven Taylor (Editor), Brian J. Cox (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 15, 2002 | ISBN-10: 0471491047 | ISBN-13: 978-0471491040 | Edition: 1

Recent years have seen major advances in the understanding and treatment of health anxiety and hypochondriasis, particulary in relation to the cognitive behavioural approach to anxiety. This volume brings together this knowledge of psychological and pharmacological treatments of health anxiety, and relates it to a conceptual framework which provides a basis for assessment, treatment and ongoing research.

"Asmundson, Taylor and Cox have assembled a group of world class scientists and practitioners for this book. The chapters provide a wealth of information on the causes, assessment and treatment of health anxiety related disorders. I believe that their book is the most significant contribution to date to our understanding of health anxiety related disorders. Everyone working in the health field will find something of worth in this book."
G. Ron Norton, Ph.D, Professor Emeritus, University of Winnipeg, Canada

Editorial Reviews

Review

"...This book will give you the current status in the field from an international perspective..." (Int Jnl of Adolescent Medical Health, Vol.14, No.3, 2002)

"…It is well structured, clearly written and provides an excellent and comprehensive overview of the subject…" (British Journal of Clinical Psychology, September 2002)

 

From the Back Cover

Health Anxiety gathers together original chapters by some of the world's experts on the clinical features and current theoretical understanding of health anxiety (with particular focus on hypochondriasis), assessment issues and approaches to treatment, and clinical and research features of conditions related to hyponchondriasis or that present with hypochondriacal features. A final section summarizes the main points of the previous sections and presents an agenda for future research. Key features of this important clinical text include:

• Accessible accounts of current theories about the nature of health anxiety

• Clinically based, empirically validated treatment approaches that reflect best practice

• Comprehensive and critical coverage of important issues and a vast research literature

• Up-to-date discussion of new developments and directions for future research

All clinical and health psychologists, psychiatrists, nurses and therapists in hospital and community care environments will welcome this outstanding reference text and clinical resource. Regardless of their clinical background or practice setting, they will find this a valuable guide to understanding and treating health anxiety.

"Asmundson, Taylor and Cox have assembled a group of world class scientists and practitioners for this book. The chapters provide a wealth of information on the causes, assessment and treatment of health anxiety related disorders. I believe that their book is the most significant contribution to date to our understanding of health anxiety related disorders. Everyone working in the health field will find something of worth in this book." Ron Norton

Product Details

• Paperback: 440 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (January 15, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0471491047
• ISBN-13: 978-0471491040
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,382,537 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Health anxiety, March 16, 2002

By 

Joav Merrick (Israel) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Health Anxiety: Hypochondriasis and Related Disorders (Paperback)

This is to our knowledge the first comprehensive book on health anxiety, a subject rarely described before the 1980s. Gordon JG Asmundson, a psychologist and director of clinical research and development at the Regina Health District, Saskatchewan, Steven Taylor, a clinical psychologist and professor at the University of British Columbia Department of Psychiatry and Brian J Cox, a clinical psychologist and associate professor at the Department of Psychiatry, University of Manitoba, have together with 37 colleagues from Canada, United Kingdom and the United States compiled this textbook on hypochondriasis and related conditions.
The book is divided into four parts: Clinical features and theoretical perspectives, assessment and treatment, related conditions, conclusions and future directions with a total of 15 chapters.
Hypochondria as a term dates back more than 2000 years with a definition by Forbes Winslow in 1863 (Obscure diseases of the brain and mind) and today considered as "health related fears and beliefs, based on interpretations, or, perhaps more often, misinterpretations, of bodily signs and symptoms as being indicative of a serious illlness". The disorder occur in about 5% of the general population without gender preference and can begin at any age, but most common onset in early adulthood. Health anxiety can be quite devastating with intense fear and functional disability for the patient, they environment or relatives.
In recent years research has been done, but there is a need for further research in this disorder, effects of treatment and long term outcomes. This book will give you the current status in the field from an international perspective and will be helpful for clinical psychologists, psychiatrists, nurses, family physicians and therapists in mental health and general medicine....