Low-Cost Approaches to Promote Physical and Mental Health : Theory, Research, and Practice

Most physical and mental health professionals will agree that their time, space, and funds are generally in short supply, even under optimal conditions. Their participants (clients or patients), too, will admit to similar deficits of time and patience, even with optimal motivation. Overburdened mental health facilities are trying to cope with limited budgets and overworked and underpaid personnel. __Low-Cost Approaches to Promote Physical and Mental Health__ addresses both sides of this shortfall by offering either self-administered or easily administered verbal and non-verbal interventions designed to promote positive health behaviors while requiring little or no outside funding. Editor Luciano L’Abate continues his long tradition of prolific innovations by identifying major changes in today’s health care systems and explaining how targeted, prescriptive promotion/prevention strategies can enhance traditional primary, secondary, and tertiary interventions in key behavioral and relational areas: -Nutrition: weight/obesity control, diets, meal planning, vitamins and minerals, herbal supplements. -Exercise, expressive movement, relaxation, meditation, and mindfulness. -Writing for mental health promotion, from structured protocols/workbooks to less structured focused, expressive, and guided writing, including diaries and autobiographies. -Sex, sexuality, affection, intimacy and fear of intimacy. -Mother/child bonding as well as couple and family togetherness. -Spirituality and forgiveness in dealing with inevitable life hurts and disappointments. -Friendships and support groups -Plus leading-edge interventions, including emotional intelligence, animal companionship, and computer technology Reviews of each promotional approach are engaging, effective, and consistent with standard psychological practice for lasting results, either away from or in addition to non-clinical and clinical settings (schools, hospitals, senior citizen centers, etc.). L’Abate and his fifty colleagues have designed a future-oriented sourcebook for mental and public health professionals who want to maximize their resources—and those of their participants. Front Matter....Pages 1-39 Low-Cost Approaches to Promote Physical and Mental Health....Pages 3-46 Front Matter....Pages 41-138 Diets, Health, and Weight Control: What Do We Know?....Pages 47-72 Low-Cost Obesity Interventions: The Market for Foods....Pages 73-86 Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids and Health....Pages 87-101 Vitamins, Minerals and Health....Pages 103-118 Herbal Medicines in the Treatment of Psychiatric and Neurological Disorders....Pages 119-138 Front Matter....Pages 139-217 Daily Practices for Mindful Exercise....Pages 141-160 Relaxation and Meditation....Pages 161-175 Expressive Movement....Pages 177-200 Pleasant, Pleasurable, and Positive Activities....Pages 201-217 Front Matter....Pages 219-319 The Recording of Personal Information as an Intervention and~as~an Electronic Health Support....Pages 227-250 Teaching to Remember Ourselves: The Autobiographical Methodology....Pages 251-270 Expressive Writing: An Alternative to Traditional Methods*....Pages 271-284 Workbooks for the Promotion of Mental Health and Life-Long Learning....Pages 285-302 Computers and the Internet....Pages 303-322 Front Matter....Pages 321-452 Maternal-Infant Contact and Child Development: Insights from the Kangaroo Intervention....Pages 323-351 Touch Interventions Positively Affect Development....Pages 353-369 Non-Erotic Physical Affection: It’s Good for You....Pages 371-384 Sex, Sexuality, and Sensuality....Pages 385-394 Intimacy and Fear of Intimacy....Pages 395-414 Front Matter....Pages 321-452 Low-Cost Interventions for Promoting Forgiveness....Pages 415-434 Spirituality in Achieving Physical and Psychological Health and Well-Being: Theory, Research and Low Cost Interventions*....Pages 435-452 Front Matter....Pages 453-502 Friendship, Social Support, and Health....Pages 455-472 Animal Companions....Pages 473-483 Applications of Emotional Intelligence to Schools and Workplace....Pages 485-502 Front Matter....Pages 503-519 Implications of Prescriptive Approaches for Policy, Health Promotion, Epidemiology, and Public Health....Pages 505-520 Most health professionals would agree that time and funds are in short supply, even under optimal conditions. Patients, too, would admit similar shortfalls, even with optimal motivation. This book offers self-administered and easily administered interventions designed to promote positive health behaviors while requiring little or no outside funding. Editor Luciano L’Abate continues his long tradition of prolific innovations by identifying major changes in today’s health care systems and explaining how targeted, prescriptive promotion/prevention strategies can enhance traditional primary, secondary, and tertiary interventions in key behavioral and relational areas.