Depression And Physical Illness

Description:
Depression and physical illness are intimately related. Depressed mood is thought to contribute to the development and progression of some illnesses, while physical illness can in turn increase the risk of depression. This book provides a critical overview of the evidence linking depression with several major health conditions, including coronary heart disease, diabetes, cancer, chronic pain, disability, chronic fatigue and obesity. It also explores the biological and behavioural processes underlying the association, discussing the role of neuroendocrine, immunological and inflammatory pathways, and the relationship between depression and health behaviours such as smoking, physical activity and adherence to medical advice. It combines a thorough analysis of the clinical, biological and epidemiological data with guidance to health professionals and patients on how to manage depression in people suffering from physical illness, pointing the way to an integrated approach to health care.

Review:
'I recommend this book highly to all mental healthcare professionals ... I would recommend this book to other medical specialists - on checking the contents of the latest editions of several prominent textbooks of medicine, I could find no reference to the role of depression despite the overwhelming evidence presented in Depression and Physical Illness.' British Journal of Psychiatry '...a useful resource for those interested in depression.' Journal of Psychosomatic Research '... this book is well worth considering. It gives helpful guidance to health professionals of all kinds on improving the health care of patients suffering from a wide range of disorders.' Journal of Mental Health

Table of Contents:
Part I. Introduction to Depression and its Determinants: 1. Depression in the medically ill Francis Creed and Chris Dickens; 2. Psychosocial factors, depression and illness Stephen Stansfeld and Farhat Rasul; Part II. Depression and Specific Health Problems: 3. Depression and the development of coronary heart disease Andrew Steptoe; 4. Depression and prognosis in cardiac patients Heather Lett, Andrew Sherwood, Lana Watkins and James Blumenthal; 5. The management of depression in patients with coronary heart disease Robert Carney and Kenneth Freedland; 6. Depression and physical disability Brenda Penninx; 7. Chronic pain and depression: twin burdens of adaptation Christina Van Puymbroeck, Alex Zautra and Peter-Panagioti Harakas; 8. The interrelationship of depression and diabetes Dominique L. Musselman, Angela Bowling, Natalie Gilles, Hannah Larsen, Ephi Betan and Lawrence S. Phillips; 9. Depression and chronic fatigue Peter D. White; 10. Cancer and depression Alice E. Simon, Steven C. Palmer and James C. Coyne; 11. Depression and obesity Lucy Cooke and Jane Wardle; Part III. Biological and behavioural processes; 12. Inflammation, sickness behaviour, and depression Robert Dantzer, Nathalie Castanon, Jacques Lestage, Maite Moreau and Lucile Capuron; 13. The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis: cortisol, DHEA, mental and behavioural function Ian Goodyer; 14. Depression and immunity: biological and behavioral mechanisms Michael Irwin; 15. Smoking and depression Jon D. Kassel and Benjamin L. Hankin; 16. Depression and physical activity Andrew Steptoe; 17. Adherence to medical advice Douglas A Raynor, Rena R. Wing and Suzanne Phelan; Part IV. Conclusions: 18. Integrating clinical with biobehavioural studies of depression and illness Andrew Steptoe.

Author Biography:
Andrew Steptoe has published more than 350 journal articles and chapters, and is author or editor of 14 books. His main research interests are in psychosocial aspects of physical illness, health behaviour and psychophysiology.