Handbook of Health Psychology and Aging

Meeting a growing need, this authoritative reference and text comprehensively examines the interplay of biological, psychological, and social factors in health and illness in older adults. The volume explores how and why some people adapt more successfully than others to age-related stressors such as chronic illness, disability, and loss, and identifies ways to promote coping and resilience. With contributions from leading researchers in health psychology and gerontology, the Handbookintegrates state-of-the-science theories and methods from both fields. Key topics include how aging affects the cardiovascular, neuroendocrine, and immune systems; the influences on adult development and health of personality, emotions, social support, and religiousness; and effective interventions in healthcare settings.

Carolyn M. Aldwin, PhD, is Professor and Chair of the Department of Human Development and Family Sciences at Oregon State University. She received a FIRST award from the National Institute on Aging for her study of psychosocial factors affecting health in aging early in her career, and has published over 60 articles and chapters in this area. She is a fellow of both Divisions 20 (Adult Development and Aging) and 38 (Health Psychology) of the American Psychological Association, as well as the Gerontological Society of America. She is the author of Stress, Coping, and Development, Second Edition: An Integrative Perspective.
 
Crystal L. Park, PhD, is Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of Connecticut. Her research and publications focus on stress, coping, and adaptation, particularly on how people’s beliefs, goals, and values affect their ways of perceiving and dealing with stressful events. She is on the editorial boards of the Journal of Clinical and Consulting Psychology and Psychology and Health, and is coeditor of Handbook of the Psychology of Religion and Spirituality and Positive Life Changes in the Context of Medical Illness.
 
Avron Spiro III, PhD, is a Senior Research Scientist at the Normative Aging Study, part of the Massachusetts Veterans Epidemiology Research and Information Center, at the Department of Veterans Affairs Boston Healthcare System. He is also Associate Professor of Epidemiology at the Boston University School of Public Health as well as Associate Professor of Health Policy and Health Services Research at the Boston University Goldman School of Dental Medicine.