Handbook of Religion and Health

by Harold Koenig, Verna B. Carson

Overview

The Handbook of Religion and Health has become the seminal research text on religion, spirituality, and health, outlining a rational argument for the connection between religion and health. The Second Edition completely revises and updates the first edition. Its authors are physicians: a psychiatrist and geriatrician, a primary care physician, and a professor of nursing and specialist in mental health nursing. The Second Edition surveys the historical connections between religion and health and grapples with the distinction between the terms ''religion'' and ''spirituality'' in research and clinical practice. It reviews research on religion and mental health, as well as extensive research literature on the mind-body relationship, and develops a model to explain how religious involvement may impact physical health through the mind-body mechanisms. It also explores the direct relationships between religion and physical health, covering such topics as immune and endocrine function, heart disease, hypertension and stroke, neurological disorders, cancer, and infectious diseases; and examines the consequences of illness including chronic pain, disability, and quality of life. Finally, the Handbook reviews research methods and addresses applications to clinical practice. Theological perspectives are interwoven throughout the chapters. The Handbook is the most insightful and authoritative resource available to anyone who wants to understand the relationship between religion and health.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780199912711
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	02/06/2012
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	30 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Harold G. Koenig completed his undergraduate education at Stanford University, his medical school training at the University of California at San Francisco, and his geriatric medicine, psychiatry, and biostatistics training at Duke University Medical Center. He is board certified in general psychiatry, and is on the faculty at Duke as Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, and Associate Professor of Medicine. He is the director of Duke University's Center for Spirituality, Theology and Health and is Distinguished Adjunct Professor, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Dana E. King is Professor of Family Medicine at the Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, and is vice-chair of that Department. He completed an academic fellowship at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and a Master of Science degree in Clinical Research at the Medical University of South Carolina. He is widely published on spirituality and health including two books and multiple peer-reviewed scientific articles. Dr. King is currently the Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Psychiatry in Medicine. Verna Benner Carson is Associate Professor of Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing at Towson University. Dr. Carson is also the President of C&V Senior Care Specialists, a consulting firm that offers clinical, operations and marketing support to those involved in the care of persons with Alzheimer's disease as well as those with psychiatric disorders. She has a master's degree in psychiatric nursing and a PhD in human development. Dr. Carson served as the National Director of RESTORE Behavioral Health for nearly 15 years, after serving on the faculty at the University of Maryland School of Nursing. She is one of the world's leading nurse researchers in spirituality and health, and is the author of 16 books (including two editions of a book on parish nursing).

Table of Contents

Foreword (Linda George) Preface (Jeff Levin) Introduction I. Background 1. A history of religion, medicine, and health care 2. Definitions II. Debating religion's effects on health 3. Religion: good or bad? 4. Coping with stress 5. Religion and coping III. Research on religion and mental health 6. Well-being 7. Depression 8. Suicide 9. Anxiety 10. Psychotic disorders 11. Alcohol and drug use 12. Delinquency 13. Marital instability 14. Personality and personality disorder 15. Understanding religion's effects on mental health IV. Research on religion and physical health 16. Heart disease 17. Hypertension 18. Cerebrovascular disease 19. Alzheimer's disease and dementia 20. Immune system 21. Endocrine system 22. Cancer 23. Mortality 24. Physical disability 25. Pain and somatic symptoms 26. Health behaviors 27. Disease prevention V. Understanding the religion-physical health relationship 28. Psychological, social, and behavioral pathways 29. Conclusions Appendix. Studies on religion and health (by health outcome) References Index

Editorial Reviews

"A classic in the 'Handbook' genre...The authoritative resource for scholars working in the field of religion, spirituality, and health."—Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion

Praise for the First Edition

"This book provides a fascinating look at the role of religion and the use of health services against the background of the current availability of and access to health care across all segments of society... This is an unparalleled resource not only for physicians with an interest in the relationship between religion and health but perhaps even more for those who doubt its significance. All physicians should consider the possibility that something so meaningful to a large number of patients might also be good for their health."
-Journal of the American Medical Association

"In addition to presenting a synopsis of the overwhelming amount of research in this area, the authors provide a thoughtful reflection and commentary that is based on their collective understanding of this research and its application. Does the book deliver on its promise? Absolutely. This is a must read for anyone interested in this field. It is well written, comprehensive, scholarly, and engaging... The authors should be commended for an extraordinary job on this soon to be classic text."—Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion

"This would be an excellent addition to the library of congregations and their clergy, health educators, youth workers, and professional chaplains."—Anglican Theological Review

"I encourage anyone concerned with faith and health, to get this book."—Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health

"Not only researchers, but all concerned about health, should be grateful for the wealth of information this volume provides to support better research in the future."—Second Opinion

From the Publisher