Abstract: A US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) report for health professionals charts and catalogs a host of US Federal activities that are directed at improving health promotion, health protection, and disease prevention in the general population. The 4 text chapters cover: health protection highlights; health status trends; innorations of DHHS and of other Federal agencies; and DHHS prevention inventories, covering fiscal allocations for 14 DHHS health-related areas, and for agency cross-cutting programs. The section on health status trends includes 28 graphs. (wz).
Recognizing that favorable clinical outcomes are associated with earlier initiation of treatment -- and even more ideally with prevention -- this volume addresses the current status of early intervention in, and prevention of, major mental and substance use disorders. A team of distinguished participants addresses this problem at many levels -- from the DNA molecule to public policy -- in order to show how prevention efforts should be informed by a better understanding of etiology and by a knowledge of indicators of vulnerability. In considering the current standing of etiological knowledge, Recognition and Prevention of Major Mental and Substance Use Disorders addresses issues that are critical precursors to the prevention of mental disorders and offers an understanding of factors that contribute to the disorders' development. The contributors review genetic methodologies and current findings in mental disorders, with an emphasis on schizophrenia, and then show how biological and psychosocial environmental variables may affect vulnerability. Chapters devoted specifically to lessons in prevention drawn from recent research into schizophrenia discuss the implications of prodromal studies and relationships between stress, critical periods, and the development of the disorder. The book includes contributions from NIH representatives on how basic scientific understanding of mental disorders can be translated into public policy. It also features chapters that describe cutting-edge projects in prevention research for Alzheimer's disease, drug dependence, antisocial behavior, and posttraumatic stress disorder -- each providing compelling accounts of how existing knowledge can be adapted to promising prevention efforts. Among the volume's contributions: New data on the role of substance abuse -- particularly marijuana and psychostimulants -- in increasing vulnerability to schizophrenia Review of vulnerability factors for several relevant disorders, examining stress and its concomitant psychobiological responses and the contribution of cognitive factors to vulnerability to depression Intriguing approach for translating successful treatment methods for schizophrenia into efforts to prevent the transition from the prodrome of the disorder to the full-blown illness Program for prevention of antisocial behavior that can be implemented as early as the first grade Secondary prevention efforts for posttraumatic stress disorder, with a focus on pharmacological interventions Each chapter reviews clinical implications of the research presented, contributing to a volume that will benefit clinicians and researchers who share the goal of preventing these debilitating conditions. This multidimensional, interdisciplinary work represents a major step toward cutting the social costs of these disorders -- and, more important, their untold cost in human suffering.
A personal trainer and lifestyle expert introduces a series of ten-minute workouts to help readers lose weight, burn fat, slim and tone problem areas, and promote overall fitness.
This is a concise, highly accessible introduction to medical virology, incorporating essential basic principles as well as a systematic review of viruses and viral diseases. It pays particular attention to developments in anti-viral therapy that are becoming increasingly effective in modern medicine. It is an ideal textbook for the information-overloaded student and an invaluable everyday companion for the busy professional who needs a good understanding of the current state of medical virology. In keeping with the highly successful format of other Illustrated Colour Texts, it presents the subject as a series of succinct 2 page 'learning units', using a superb collection of clear illustrations and clinical photographs, concise yet comprehensive text and key point boxes to aid quick access to information and examination preparation. So whether you are a medical student, junior doctor, medical scientist, trainee in infectious diseases or student on another allied medical course, this book is here to make your life easier! It will also provide a very solid foundation for any who plan to delve deeper into this fascinating field. - Part of the popular Illustrated Colour Text series - Information presented in double page spreads for easy learning - Highly illustrated with both full colour graphics and clinical photographs - Each spread includes a key point box for exam preparation
Epidemiology for Public Health Practice is a best-selling text offering comprehensive coverage of all the major topics in introductory epidemiology and alignement to the core competencies in epidemiology for graduate and undergraduate courses. With extensive treatment of the heart of epidemiology—from study designs to descriptive epidemiology to quantitative measures—this reader-friendly text is accessible and interesting to a wide range of beginning students in all health-related disciplines. A unique focus is given to real-world applications of epidemiology and the development of skills that students can apply in subsequent course work and in the field.
The Clinical Manual for the Treatment of Schizophrenia provides a wide-ranging, empirically based review of assessment and treatment issues in schizophrenia, offered from a multicultural and supremely patient-centered perspective. The following features reflect the care taken in developing this manual, as well as the inclusive nature of the contents: The initial chapter offers a thorough introduction to the disease -- its history, etiology, epidemiology, risk factors, and social aspects -- seen through the lens of a case study. The chapter ends with an overview of the diagnostic process, allowing the reader to place what follows into context. The basic science underlying schizophrenia is explained next, with coverage of biological markers; brain structure, function, and cytology; the dopamine and glutamate hypotheses; and the neurodevelopmental model of the disease. The chapter on clinical assessment focuses on making the differential diagnosis according to established criteria, with emphasis on a person-oriented approach that takes into account early trauma, stressful events, and the subjective well-being of the patient. Subsequent chapters explore cognition, comorbidity, substance abuse, and treatment-resistant symptoms in schizophrenia. Finally, chapters on the pharmacological and psychosocial treatment of schizophrenia compare and contrast these approaches, ensuring that the reader is completely up-to-date and knowledgeable about available treatment options. Clinicians who work with schizophrenic patients in a variety of settings -- from private practice to emergency departments -- will benefit from the scholarship and experience of this manual's astute and insightful authors.
