Respiratory disorders can have a severe impact on the daily lives of patients and their families. Increasingly, medical practitioners are recognising the importance of psychological factors in the assessment and management of disorders such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cystic fibrosis and tuberculosis. The interplay between medical treatment, patients' perceptions and management of their illness and the medical, psychological and social outcomes of this, constitutes a major area for research. Theoretical issues and empirical findings from current research on the behavioral aspects of respiratory disorders have been drawn together in this inspiring volume. It is hoped that this book will promote both new research and more collaborative work between psychologists, physicians, nurses, health educators, physiotherapists and patients.
This book will be useful to medics, nurses and other clinical practitioners or researchers with an interest in behavioral aspects of disease, as well as to those working in the behavioral sciences, health promotion or health psychology with an interest in respiratory disorders.