Promoting Healthy Behaviour : A Practical Guide for Nursing and Healthcare Professionals

Practical psychological methods to encourage healthy behaviour Lifestyle diseases are the scourge of the modern Western world.  Smoking, eating badly, not exercising, excessive drinking: these are but a few of the major challenges facing the NHS. People understand why these habits are bad for them, and most people understand how to tackle them so why is it that so many people dont have a healthy lifestyle? And, more importantly, how can we change this? This book is designed for healthcare professionals of all types, at any stage in their career. It addresses the role psychology can play in reversing poor lifestyles, putting theory into practice in the most effective and simple ways.   Including case studies, evidence based practical suggestions and key points, the text will provide an invaluable resource for all of those involved in lifestyle change.   Professor Dominic Upton is Head of Psychological Health Sciences at the University of Worcester. He is a Chartered Health Psychologist and teaches psychology to nurses, health care professionals and psychologists. In addition to a number of academic articles in professional journals, he has written text books for nurses, psychologists and health care professionals. Dr Katie Thirlaway is Head of Psychology at the University of Wales Institute, Cardiff. A Chartered Health Psychologist, she is Programme Director of Wales first BPS accredited MSc Health Psychology programme and also teaches health psychology to a range of health practitioners.  Katie researches and publishes widely in the field of risk communication and behavioural change.     This is a timely book that has generic relevance across all branches and strands of nursing.  I think such a text will make an innovative contribution to the nursing literature currently available, and help nurses to play a proactive, skilled role in health promotion. Dr Sue Read, Keele University