ABC of Psychological Medicine : Concept Analyses for West Africans

This book explains the original idea (precepts) behind psychology and medicine and their interface. Africans had their own medicine and psychology before these reached them from the West. In this book, the basic idea of medicine is revisited and redefined with emphasis on psychological medicine. It is an evidence-based overview of the psychological, humanistic and spiritual aspects of medical practice. It includes material on many emotions and somatic functioning. It provides insight to enable the doctors improve their knowledge, understanding, appreciation, assessment and management of the spiritual, psychological, social and behavioural aspects of the common complaints presenting in general medical care in West Africa. It is written for West African physicians, healthcare professionals, clergy and laity who seek to understand the raw material- human being- they work on.It uses academic, scholarly, theoretical, historical and faith-based materials to cause the reader to understand fully matters concerning mind and body interactions. The book is about relationships between physical, mental, social and spiritual health. It raises the person above the disease.