Personality and Disease: Scientific Proof vs. Wishful Thinking

Personality and Disease: Scientific Proof vs. Wishful Thinking addresses what we know, what we believe despite evidence to the contrary, and why such beliefs persist in the face of evidence regarding scientific proof on personality and disease. As a tremendous amount of research has been performed on the relationship between personality and disease, this book provides an anthology of the latest findings from scientific journals on psychology, behavioral health, psychoneuroimmunology, oncology and epidemiology. It contains contributions from world experts, summarizing research findings on personality as it relates to cancer, heart disease, diabetes, asthma and allergies, dementia, and more.

Questions such as Is there such a thing as a cancer prone personality?, Do sadness, anger, stress or shyness affect the likelihood that we will fall ill to specific diseases? and "Can we protect ourselves from disease through a positive outlook are discussed.

Investigates whether, and how, personality affects disease Covers cancer, heart disease, diabetes, asthma, allergies and dementiaSeparates fact from fiction and evidence from beliefsCollates research from a wide variety of scientific domainsContains international perspectives from top scholars Includes a foreword by the EU Health Commissioner

1. A Brief Historical Overview on Links Between Personality and Health 2. How to Measure the Personality 3. Personality as Determinant of Smoking, Alcohol Consumption, Physical Activity, and Diet Preferences 4. Personality and Cardiovascular Disease 5. Personality and Type 2 Diabetes: An Overview of the Epidemiological Evidence 6. Personality and Dementia: Personality as Risk Factor or as Early Manifestation in Dementing Disorders? 7. Personality, Asthma, and Allergies 8. The Personality and Risk for Cancer 9. Personality and Social Relationships: As Thick as Thieves 10. Personality Genetics 11. The Enduring Appeal of Psychosocial Explanations of Physical Illness 12. What Mechanisms Explain the Links Between Personality and Health?