Social Support and Physical Health

Social Support and Physical Health PDF Author: Bert N. Uchino
Publisher: Yale University Press
ISBN: 0300127987
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 232

Book Description
This book will change the way we understand the future of our planet. It is both alarming and hopeful. James Gustave Speth, renowned as a visionary environmentalist leader, warns that in spite of all the international negotiations and agreements of the past two decades, efforts to protect Earth's environment are not succeeding. Still, he says, the challenges are not insurmountable. He offers comprehensive, viable new strategies for dealing with environmental threats around the world. The author explains why current approaches to critical global environmental problems - climate change, biodiversity loss, deterioration of marine environments, deforestation, water shortages, and others - don't work. He offers intriguing insights into why we have been able to address domestic environmental threats with some success while largely failing at the international level. Setting forth eight specific steps to a sustainable future, Speth convincingly argues that dramatically different government and citizen action are now urgent. If ever a book could be described as essential, this is it.

Understanding Racial and Ethnic Differences in Health in Late Life

Understanding Racial and Ethnic Differences in Health in Late Life PDF Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309165865
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 184

Book Description
As the population of older Americans grows, it is becoming more racially and ethnically diverse. Differences in health by racial and ethnic status could be increasingly consequential for health policy and programs. Such differences are not simply a matter of education or ability to pay for health care. For instance, Asian Americans and Hispanics appear to be in better health, on a number of indicators, than White Americans, despite, on average, lower socioeconomic status. The reasons are complex, including possible roles for such factors as selective migration, risk behaviors, exposure to various stressors, patient attitudes, and geographic variation in health care. This volume, produced by a multidisciplinary panel, considers such possible explanations for racial and ethnic health differentials within an integrated framework. It provides a concise summary of available research and lays out a research agenda to address the many uncertainties in current knowledge. It recommends, for instance, looking at health differentials across the life course and deciphering the links between factors presumably producing differentials and biopsychosocial mechanisms that lead to impaired health.

The Relaxation Response

The Relaxation Response PDF Author: Herbert Benson, M.D.
Publisher: Harper Collins
ISBN: 0061966002
Category : Health & Fitness
Languages : en
Pages : 243

Book Description
In this time of quarantine and global uncertainty, it can be difficult to deal with the increased stress and anxiety. Using ancient self-care techniques rediscovered by Herbert Benson, M.D., a pioneer in mind/body medicine for health and wellness, you can relieve your stress, anxiety, and depression at home with just ten minutes a day. Herbert Benson, M.D., first wrote about a simple, effective mind/body approach to lowering blood pressure in The Relaxation Response. When Dr. Benson introduced this approach to relieving stress over forty years ago, his book became an instant national bestseller, which has sold over six million copies. Since that time, millions of people have learned the secret—without high-priced lectures or prescription medicines. The Relaxation Response has become the classic reference recommended by most health care professionals and authorities to treat the harmful effects of stress, anxiety, depression, and high blood pressure. Rediscovered by Dr. Benson and his colleagues in the laboratories of Harvard Medical School and its teaching hospitals, this revitalizing, therapeutic tack is now routinely recommended to treat patients suffering from stress and anxiety, including heart conditions, high blood pressure, chronic pain, insomnia, and many other physical and psychological ailments. It requires only minutes to learn, and just ten minutes of practice a day.

The Upside of Stress

The Upside of Stress PDF Author: Kelly McGonigal
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 1101982934
Category : Self-Help
Languages : en
Pages : 306

Book Description
Drawing from groundbreaking research, psychologist and award-winning teacher Kelly McGonigal, PhD, offers a surprising new view of stress—one that reveals the upside of stress, and shows us exactly how to capitalize on its benefits. You hear it all the time: stress causes heart disease; stress causes insomnia; stress is bad for you! But what if changing how you think about stress could make you happier, healthier, and better able to reach your goals? Combining exciting new research on resilience and mindset, Kelly McGonigal, PhD, proves that undergoing stress is not bad for you; it is undergoing stress while believing that stress is bad for you that makes it harmful. In fact, stress has many benefits, from giving us greater focus and energy, to strengthening our personal relationships. McGonigal shows readers how to cultivate a mindset that embraces stress, and activate the brain's natural ability to learn from challenging experiences. Both practical and life-changing, The Upside of Stress is not a guide to getting rid of stress, but a toolkit for getting better at it—by understanding, accepting, and leveraging it to your advantage.

Keep Your Brain Young

Keep Your Brain Young PDF Author: Guy McKhann
Publisher: Turner Publishing Company
ISBN: 0470242957
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 249

Book Description
"The ultimate user's guide to the brain...highly intelligent, straightforward, and important." --Kay Redfield Jamison, Ph.D. As Seen in Time magazine and on the Today Show "Guy McKhann and Marilyn Albert are to middle-aged people and seniors what Dr. Spock is to babies and their parents. Keep Your Brain Young is must reading for anyone over fifty; it should be on your bedside table." ----Judy Woodruff, CNN, and Al Hunt, The Wall Street Journal "I highly recommend this readable, informal, and entertaining guide to achieving and maintaining optimum brain functioning as we age. . . . A single, reliable, comprehensive guide to the changes we all can expect as we enter the second half of life." ----Richard Restak, M.D., coauthor of The Longevity Strategy Your brain controls and powers virtually every aspect of your life ---- and like the rest of your body, it changes with age. In Keep Your Brain Young, two of the world's leading brain doctors guide you through the changes you may encounter as you get older and as your brain matures. Based on state-of-the-art research and supplemented with dramatic case histories, this comprehensive resource shows you the latest techniques for maintaining memory, managing stress, and coping with sleep disorders and depression, offering prescriptive exercises you can put into action right away. You'll also learn how to enhance your mental and physical functioning while reducing the risk for serious diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. Read Keep Your Brain Young and gain the knowledge and confidence you need to manage the aging process, take care of your brain, and stay active and alert for many years to come.

Stress and Trauma

Stress and Trauma PDF Author: Patricia A. Resick
Publisher: Psychology Press
ISBN: 1317821939
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 216

Book Description
Stress and Trauma provides a well-written, accessible overview of traumatic stress studies. It reviews the full range of clinical disorders that may result from extreme stress, with particular emphasis on the most common disorder - post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The book reviews research on the prevalence of trauma and the prevalence of relevant disorders following trauma. It goes on to look at psychological theories of stress and trauma, the biology of stress and trauma reactions, and the factors prior to, during and after traumatic events that place people at particular risk for the development of psychological problems. The book goes on to look at treatment of trauma-related psychological problems, and covers the use of medication and a range of psychological treatments. Different types of therapy are described and research findings on these approaches are reviewed. Stress and Trauma will provide a valuable overview of the area for advanced undergraduates, early post-graduate training, and mental health professionals seeking an update of recent developments.

Stress Management

Stress Management PDF Author: Wolfgang Linden
Publisher: SAGE
ISBN: 1452238669
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 233

Book Description
Praise for Stress Management "The author is correct in saying that the stress management field is a ′soft′ one, lacking a strong theoretical foundation, and therefore lacking good studies of efficacy and long term outcome. Certainly any publication that would improve on this situation is to be welcomed. . . . Strengths are the systematic approach to the topic. The attempt to ground scientifically the issue of stress management will appeal greatly to the more discerning student of clinical psychology and applied health psychology. It will provide a sufficiently academic approach to the topic that it will find acceptance in courses on the topic." -William R. Lovallo, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center & Director, Behavioral Sciences Laboratory, VA Medical Centers, Oklahoma City Most of the literature on stress management describes and evaluates individual stress responses but lacks a critical view of the scientific foundation of stress. In order to truly comprehend stress management, there needs to be clear understanding on the phenomenon that is "to be managed." Stress Management: From Basic Science to Better Practice examines documented pathways between stress and health and develops the scientific foundations for sound interventions. The book begins with a broad review of the term ′stress′ and its importance for health. The text then provides a critical examination of the elements of the stress process, extracts supporting research for a rationale of stress management and describes various stress management techniques and their effectiveness. In Stress Management, author and renowned stress researcher Wolfgang Linden reviews the literature on intervention outcomes, noting weaknesses that include an overemphasis on individual rather than societal responsibility for stress and coping and disregard of the emerging field of positive psychology. The author concludes the text with a proposed distinction between psychotherapy and stress management, and he proposes the need for three distinguishable subtypes of stress management programs-a systematic-preventative approach; a broad-based stress vaccination and prevention type of protocol; and a reactive, problem-solving type of stress reduction intervention. Key Features Begins with a firm groundwork in defining stress and examining conceptual models of stress to set the stage for rational, science-based thinking on how to manage it Introduces a unique three-step process model for stress management Considers physiological and sociocultural influences on stress and health Offers an objective analysis of existing literature and includes extensive personal, clinical experiences of the author to make the science of stress come alive for the reader Includes coverage of positive psychology and how the creation of social support and positive emotional states can ease experiences with stress Stress Management is an excellent textbook for advanced undergraduate and graduate courses, such as Stress Management, Stress & Coping, Stress & Health, and Stress & Wellness, in the fields of Psychology and Health. The book is also a valuable resource for researchers and clinicians within the behavioral sciences interested in understanding and alleviating stress.

Social Isolation and Loneliness in Older Adults

Social Isolation and Loneliness in Older Adults PDF Author: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309671035
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 317

Book Description
Social isolation and loneliness are serious yet underappreciated public health risks that affect a significant portion of the older adult population. Approximately one-quarter of community-dwelling Americans aged 65 and older are considered to be socially isolated, and a significant proportion of adults in the United States report feeling lonely. People who are 50 years of age or older are more likely to experience many of the risk factors that can cause or exacerbate social isolation or loneliness, such as living alone, the loss of family or friends, chronic illness, and sensory impairments. Over a life course, social isolation and loneliness may be episodic or chronic, depending upon an individual's circumstances and perceptions. A substantial body of evidence demonstrates that social isolation presents a major risk for premature mortality, comparable to other risk factors such as high blood pressure, smoking, or obesity. As older adults are particularly high-volume and high-frequency users of the health care system, there is an opportunity for health care professionals to identify, prevent, and mitigate the adverse health impacts of social isolation and loneliness in older adults. Social Isolation and Loneliness in Older Adults summarizes the evidence base and explores how social isolation and loneliness affect health and quality of life in adults aged 50 and older, particularly among low income, underserved, and vulnerable populations. This report makes recommendations specifically for clinical settings of health care to identify those who suffer the resultant negative health impacts of social isolation and loneliness and target interventions to improve their social conditions. Social Isolation and Loneliness in Older Adults considers clinical tools and methodologies, better education and training for the health care workforce, and dissemination and implementation that will be important for translating research into practice, especially as the evidence base for effective interventions continues to flourish.

Stress Management for Life: A Research-Based Experiential Approach

Stress Management for Life: A Research-Based Experiential Approach PDF Author: Michael Olpin
Publisher: Cengage Learning
ISBN: 9781305120594
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 432

Book Description
Clearly explaining the how to of stress management and prevention, STRESS MANAGEMENT FOR LIFE, 4th Edition emphasizes experiential learning and encourages students to personalize text information through practical applications and a tool box of stress-reducing resources, including activities and online stress-relief audio files. Michael Olpin and Margie Hesson offer more than just a book about stress; they offer students a life-changing experience. Well-researched and engaging, the Fourth Edition empowers students to experience personal wellness by understanding and managing stress, gives stress-related topics a real-life context, and motivates students to manage stress in a way that accommodates their lifestyle, values, and goals. Important Notice: Media content referenced within the product description or the product text may not be available in the ebook version.

Physical Activity and Psychological Well-Being

Physical Activity and Psychological Well-Being PDF Author: Stuart J.H. Biddle
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1134566824
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 234

Book Description
The 'feel-good' effect of physical activity is widely reported among participants. Physical Activity and Psychological Well-Being represents a research consensus on the relationship between physical activity and aspects of mental health, providing an overview of the case for the role of exercise in the promotion of psychological well-being. Topics covered include: * anxiety and stress * depression * mood and emotion * self-perceptions and self-esteem * cognitive functioning and ageing * psychological dysfunction This book is invaluable reading for students and researchers working in the exercise, sport and health sciences, and for health and clinical psychologists. It is also a foundation text for health promotion and health service professionals, particularly those working in the area of mental health.