14

HIV and cancer

Psychology

throughout the

course of illness (1)

CHAPTER OVERVIEW

The next two chapters (14 and 15) examine the role that

psychology plays at each stage of an illness, from illness

onset, to its progression, to the psychological consequences

and longevity. They do not aim to be comprehensive

overviews of the immense literature on illness, but to illustrate

the possible varied role of psychology in illness. This chapter

uses the examples of HIV and cancer and the next chapter

focuses on obesity and coronary heart disease. However

these psychological factors are relevant to a multitude of

other chronic and acute illnesses. It suggests that, rather

than being seen as a passive response to biomedical factors,

such chronic illnesses are better understood in terms of a

complex interplay of physiological and psychological

processes.

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