Child Health Psychology

Julie Turner-Cobb is a Senior Lecturer/Associate Professor in the department of Psychology at the University of Bath, where she is Deputy Head of Department and leads the STress, Endocrine and Lifecourse LAboRatory (STELLAR).She is also a registered Health Psychologist with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC), a Chartered Psychologist and Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society (BPS), a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (HEA) and an associate editor for the British Journal of Health Psychology.She obtained her undergraduate degree from the University of Exeter and received a PhD from the University of London (St George's Hospital Medical School). Before coming to Bath in 2003, Julie was a post doctoral researcher at Stanford University School of Medicine, California and later as a Lecturer at the University of Kent (UK).

PART ONE: AN INTRODUCTION TO CHILD HEALTH AND WELL-BEING Chapter 1: Introduction: What Is Child Health Psychology? Definition of child health psychology The psychosocial context of child health The deveopmental context of child health The mind-body link: from medieval to moder-day views The mind-body connection in modern times Health-related behaviour and social cognition models The changing face of health threats Communicating health Chapter 2: Defining Health, Illness and Well-Being Definitions of health and illness Stress and coping: chronic versus acute stress The relevance of cognitive and social development in health and illness How can psychosocial factors influence physical health? Biological responses to stress How can the immune system be influenced by HPA axis regulation? Psychobiological theories of stress and coping Resiliency factors and individual differences Chapter 3: Research Methods and Ethical Issues Measurement of psychosocial factors Mixed methods Psychobiological research methods Immune markers of stress Neurotransmitter and endocrine markers of stress Measuring health outcome in children The laboratory/experimental research setting Naturalistic settings and field research Ethical issues and communication in health research with children Chapter 4: The Influence of Prenatal Exposure to Stress Terms, definitions and developmental periods in pregnancy The normal basal maternal endocrine environment during pregnancy The stress response during pregnancy Effects of prenatal stress on the fetus in utero Effects of prenatal stres on birth outcome Effects of prenatal stress on infant and child development Prenatal stress effects in the adolescent years and into adulthood Interventions to reduce prenatal stress and subsequent effects The maternal perspective and a link to immune effects Chapter 5: The Experience of Stress During Childhood The Experience of Stress in Healthy Children The Contributions of Temperament, Individual Difference and quality of childcare Effects of severe or toxic stress, including post-traumatic stress disorder Family Environment and Intergenerational Transmission of Stress Health in adulthood and across the lifespan Communicating stress The longer-term outlook and opportunities for intervention PART TWO: The Experience of Acute and Chronic Illness During Childhood Chapter 6: The Experience of Acute Illness in Childhood Defining acute illness The relevance of illness cognitions in acute childhood illness Coping with acute illness in childhood Medical procedures and hospitalization in acute childhood illness Chapter 7: The Experience of Chronic Illness in Childhood Defining chronic illness The prevalence of chronic illness The impact of chronic illness: the stress context The relevance of illness cognitions in chronic childhood illness Coping and adaptation in chronic childhood illness Parental coping in chronic childhood illness Interventions in chronic childhood illness Medical procedures and hospitalization in chronic childhood illness Chapter 8: Terminal Illness and Survivorship Issues Childhood palliative care and terminal illness The Challenge of Surviving Childhood Illness Physical, medical or late effects in the survival of childhood illness The psychosocial experience in the survival of childhood illness Psychosocial interventions for survivors of childhood cancer Implications for the life-course perspective Chapter 9: The Experience of Pain in Childhood The biopsychosocial approach to the experience of pain The pain experience in children and analgesic management of pain The prevalence of pain and disability in children Cognitive, behavioural and emotional factors in coping with pain The role of early life pain experience on subsequent pain Psychosocial interventions in acute and chronic pain Chapter 10: The Experience of Parental Illness and Death The child as carer Coping and adjustment: the impact of caregiving on the young carer Interventions to lessen the negative impacts on young carers Dealing with issues of death and dying Bereavement services for children Chapter 11: Summary and the Way Ahead Summary of Health Risks and Resiliency Factors Promoting and Maintaining Health Psychosocial factors and issues in child health not mentioned The role of health psychology in future child health

Provides a long overdue prioritisation of child and adolescent health psychology, relating this to later functioning in a lifespan perspective... An invaluable aspect of this book is its research methods section: providing accessible details on psychobiological assessment, including stress, neurotransmitter and endocrine markers... Discussion is highlighted throughout by helpful figures charting biological aspects that many psychologists may be new to, such as the biological life cycle of stress, as well as complex theories and cognitions, such as young children's experiences of pain... Taking an interdisciplinary stance to a textbook can be a difficult task. However, despite introducing a variety of concepts, this text is very accessible and a joy to read. A use of both old and new case studies and examples helps to chart the progress in the field... an excellent book for health psychology modules and postgraduate teaching, providing an introduction to both child-focused research and biological measurements. BPS members can read the full review here. -- The Psychologist A comprehensive overview of how health psychology relates to children's health is long overdue. Many of the theories within health psychology have been developed in relation to adult populations, and it is unclear how they might apply to children and young people at different developmental stages. This book is well evidenced, has a sound theoretical and scientific basis, and at the same time is insightful and readable - reflecting the author's enthusiasm for the topic. It will stimulate the reader to find out more about this fascinating area. -- Vivien Swanson Health psychology has lacked a text book focusing on child health psychology, but has now found one with this excellent text by Julie Turner-Cobb. Engagingly written in a style that draws the reader in, it covers all the bases and provides an excellent introduction to the area. -- Paul D. Bennett This is a welcome book which meets a long-neglected need in the field of child and adolescent welfare. It will be an invaluable reference for academics and clinical practitioners alike, but given that Dr Turner-Cobb writes in such an engaging and lucid style the book should appeal to general readers wishing to gain an understanding of this important topic. Thoroughly recommended. -- Peter Schabil