There is now a substantial body of psychological knowledge, based on research and clinical experience, which supports and guides best practice in dealing with health- and illness-related behaviour. Peter Salmon offers a strong conceptual framework which unifies this knowledge within clinical contexts and problems. Based on the author's special interests in acute physical illness and surgery, this text shows how the beliefs, emotions and behaviour of individuals (both lay people and health professionals) can have a profound effect on the processes of understanding, communication and coping in the course of diagnosis and treatment. Peter Salmon, a senior figure in clinical health psychology, has extensive experience of training medical and health care professionals, and of dealing with patients and families. His book offers A focus on acute illness and surgery, in contrast to the many other books which deal with chronic illness and health promotion An introduction to psychological concepts and models, situated within the clinical reality of presentation, diagnosis, communication, treatment, and the patient-professional relationship Guidance on evaluation of research and clinical practice which will help to inform a better understanding of behaviour and relationships in acute illness and surgery and wider medical contexts. Students and professionals in clinical health psychology, health care and medicine should read this book for an accessible, authoritative account of how psychological knowledge can help them, why people feel and behave as they do, and which medical situations can be enlightened and facilitated by the integration of psychological principles into therapeutic practice. This book appears in The Wiley Series in Clinical Psychology Series Editor: J. Mark G. Williams University of Wales, Bangor, UK