Illness Behavior, 1986 A Multidisciplinary Model

In August, 1985, the 2nd International Conference on Illness Behaviour was held in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The first International Conference took place one year previous in Adelaide, South Australia, Australia. This book is based on the proceedings of the second conference. The purpose behind this conference was to facilitate the development of a single integrated model to account for illness experience and presentation. A major focus of the conference was to outline methodological issues related to current behaviour research. A multidiscipl~nary approach was emphasized because of the bias that collaborative efforts are likely to be the most successful in achieving greater understanding of illness behaviour. Significant advances in our knowledge are occurring in all areas of the biological and social sciences, albeit more slowly in the latter areas. Marked specialization in each of these areas has lead to greater difficulty in integrating new knowledge with that of other areas and the development of a meaningful cohesive model to which all can relate. Thus there is a major need for forums such as that provided by this conference.

I Introductory Issues.- Illness Behaviour: Operationalization of the Biopsychosocial Model.- Is There Too Much Science in Medicine or Not Enough?.- Reforming Medical Education: Towards a Broadening of Attitudes.- Improving the Management of Illness Behaviour by Changing Roles Within Multidisciplinary Treatment Teams.- The Disease-Illness Distinction: A Model for Effective and Practical Integration of Behavioural and Medical Sciences.- II The Sociopsychological Basis of Illness Behaviour.- Illness Behaviour: An Overview.- Somatization and the Social Construction of Illness Experience.- Sex Differences in the Use of Health Services.- III Context of the Illness Experience.- Illness Meanings and Illness Behaviour.- Explanatory Models and Care-Seeking: A Critical Account.- Decision-Making Models of Treatment Choice.- IV Illness Behaviour: Sociopolitical Issues.- Illness Behaviour and Disability.- Long-Term Care: An Alternative Model.- Illness Behaviour: A Political Analysis.- V Cognitive Appraisal Processess.- Symptom Reporting: A Focus on Process.- Cognition, Emotion, and Illness.- The Socialization of Introspection and Illness Behaviour.- Assessment of Cognitive Processes.- Personality, Cardiovascular Disorders, and Illness Behaviour.- Illness Cognition, Symptom Reporting and Somatization in Family medicine.- VI Coping: Adaptation to Stress.- Coping Strategies.- Living with Chronic Disease: The Importance of Cognitive Appraisal.- Coping Over the Life Span.- Are There Coping Strategies?.- VII Methodology: Themes and Approaches.- Etiological Studies and Illness Behaviour.- New Directions in Illness Behaviour Research.- Depression: Pattern of Medical Utilization and Somatization in Primary Care.- Measuring Utilities for Health States.- VIII Psychiatry: Application of the Medical Model.- The Use of Illness Behaviour Concepts in Psychiatry.- Are Psychiatric Disorders “Real” ?.- Abnormal Illness Behaviour: A Review of the Concept and Its Implications.- The Treatment of Somatization.- The Management of Chronic Illness Behaviour.- Contributors.