Description: The World Mental Health Surveys were established by the World Health Organization in 2000 to provide valuable information for physicians and health policy planners. These surveys have shed light on the prevalence, correlates, burden, and treatment of mental disorders in countries throughout the world. This volume focuses on the epidemiology of coexisting physical and mental illness around the world. This book includes surveys from 17 discrete countries on six continents, covering epidemiology, risk factors, consequences, and implications for research, clinical work, and policy. Many physical and mental illnesses share a relationship with one another and often occur simultaneously. Clinicians from the disciplines of both psychiatry and medicine are increasingly faced with both challenges on a daily basis, making this an ideal book for a wide range of health professionals. This is the first book devoted to this topic on such a wide-ranging scale.
Brief description: Michael R. Von Korff, DSc, Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health, is a Senior Investigator at the Group Health Center for Health Studies, Group Health Cooperative, Seattle, Washington.
Review Quotes: 'This groundbreaking book, based on state-of-the-art, rigorous epidemiologic surveys in Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Europe, and the Americas, describes the association between a range of childhood adversities, early onset mood and anxiety disorders, and the subsequent higher risks of developing chronic medical and pain conditions. This book should be required reading for all physicians, nurses, epidemiologists, and other health professionals because it provides extensive evidence of the importance of a biopsychosocial approach to patients with chronic illness and chronic pain.' Wayne Katon MD, University of Washington, Seattle