Work, stress, disease, and life expectancy /

Fletcher's scholarly, well-researched, extensively referenced, and eminently informative book evaluates the role of psychological factors in disease and their effect on life expectancy by correlating evidence from the psychological literature with findings from studies of stress in the workplace. He utilizes a model of reaction to catastrophic events to support the view that work-related psychological factors can be important in the perception of well being, morbidity, and mortality of workers. The initial chapter outlines different models developed to explain the role of stress, particularly in the workplace, in the prediction of illness, highlighting the catastrophe or configural model. Subsequent chapters summarize available information on the relationship between stress and health and the role of life events in susceptibility to illness; review evidence concerning the role of stress on the immune system, cancer, and coronary heart disease; and examine how an individual's occupational stress carries into the home environment and affects the health of close partners. The final chapter describes the epidemiology of illness with reference to specific stressor factors in any given job. Written by a qualified investigator who is intimately acquainted with the topic, this important contribution to the field is recommended for all libraries.-G. Eknoyan, Baylor College of Medicine