Body Image: A Handbook of Theory, Research, and Clinical Practice

This uniquely integrative handbook provides a comprehensive account of current theory, research, and clinical practice in the area of body image and body image disorders. The volume's 57 concise chapters have been contributed by internationally recognized experts from diverse mental health, medical, and allied health care disciplines. Authors review the nature and functions of body image; examine psychological, social-contextual, and physical influences on body image experiences; and present effective ways to assess, alleviate, and prevent body image-related suffering. Capturing the richness and complexity of the field in a readily accessible format, every chapter concludes with an informative annotated bibliography.

Thomas F. Cash, PhD, is Professor of Psychology at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia. He has published over 150 scientific articles and chapters on the psychology of physical appearance. The developer of an empirically supported program to help people have a more positive body image, Dr. Cash has served on the editorial boards of several professional journals and is Editor-in-Chief of [i]Body Image: An International Journal of Research[/i].

Thomas Pruzinsky, PhD, is Professor of Psychology at Quinnipiac University and Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Plastic Surgery at the New York University School of Medicine. His research and clinical interests focus on the psychological aspects of plastic and reconstructive surgery, and he has published numerous articles and chapters on these topics. Dr. Pruzinsky has served as a manuscript reviewer for [i]Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery[/i], [i]Health Psychology[/i], and the [i]Cleft Palate/n-/Craniofacial Journal[/i].