The Origins of Health and Disease

Some phenomena in medicine and psychology remain unexplained by current theory. Chronic fatigue syndrome, repetitive strain injury and irritable bowel syndrome, for example, are all diseases or syndromes that cannot be explained in terms of a physiological abnormality. In this intriguing book, Michael E. Hyland proposes that there is a currently unrecognised type of illness which he calls 'dysregulatory disease'. Hyland shows how such diseases develop and how the communication and art of medicine, good nursing care, complementary medicine and psychotherapy can all act to reduce the dysregulation that leads to dysregulatory disease. The Origins of Health and Disease is a fascinating book that develops a novel theory for understanding health and disease, and demonstrates how this theory is supported by existing data, and how it explains currently unexplained phenomena. Hyland also shows how his theory leads to new testable predictions that, in turn, will lead to further scientific advancement and development.

Michael E. Hyland is Professor of Health Psychology at the University of Plymouth. For the first fifteen years of his career, he worked as a theoretical psychologist and helped set up the international Society for Theoretical Psychology. He went on to develop an interest in health psychology, specialising, in respiratory disease. Michael is the author of several quality-of-life questionnaires and has published over 120 articles in psychology and medical journals.