Springer Handbook of Stressful Transitions Across the Lifespan

The international, multidisciplinary perspectives in this volume cover key transitional (and stressful) periods through youth, adulthood, and aging, gathering theoretical and clinical findings, case studies, and literature reviews in one authoritative text. Review From the reviews: "From theory to practice, the Handbook of Stressful Transitions Across the Lifespan takes the reader from the process of recognition to the challenge of helping clients understand and adjust to stress-induced changes in their lives. Its thirty four well-organized chapters exhaustively cover the spectrum of human experience. Each addresses the nature of personal transitions and the distortions that stress introduces to normal development over the lifespan. It is a very helpful book, and it belongs in your collection." - Steve Schlesinger, Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, Northwestern University School of Medicine "The Handbook of Stressful Transitions Across the Lifespan, a multidisciplinary and international volume, is well founded in neurobiological and psycho-social theory elaborating on the stressful transitions occurring throughout life. It is unique in addressing not only life threatening transitions in health and illness, but legal, ethical and financial transitions, as well as those related to education and career. The Handbook further examines the issues surrounding marriage, family, and sexual transitions as well as the cultural, religious and spiritual transitions experienced through life experiences. It is noteworthy that directions for the future are provided to the reader by Handbook’s exploration of the impact of genetic testing, survival of stressful transitions, and examination of post traumatic growth required by humans in order to adapt and accommodate to life successfully. The Handbook provides practical guidance to the reader for meeting these challenging needs of their clients. - James Holsinger, Professor, Department of Health Services Management, University of Kentucky The "Handbook of Stressful Transitions Across the Lifespan" is an exceptional multidisciplinary volume, which provides it's readers with an authoritative "one stop" resource for acquiring a comprehensive understanding of the impact of stress across the life cycle. Drawing from a range of international perspectives and scientific disciplines, this collection masterfully succeeds in combining breadth of scope with richness of detail by exploring life transitions through a variety of personal, theoretical, and clinical lenses. Whether working at the bench or the bedside, this handbook will prove invaluable to a wide cross section of professionals working in the fields of medicine, psychology, counseling, and education. - William P. French MD, Department of Psychiatry, Seattle Children Hospital & University of Washington "The Handbook of stressful transitions across the lifespan is a substantial tome. The Handbook is directed at both practitioners and researchers. A rich mixture indeed! It builds on the editor’s earlier series of publications on stressful life events (Miller 1989, 1996, 1997, 1998). Overall, it is Erik Erikson’s theory of lifespan development that receives most detailed attention, including Clark’s pschobiographical analysis. Weitzel writes eloquently and unsentimentally about his experience of Parkinson’s disease. Then, three of the five authors of a chapter on the aftermath of unexpected traumatic change recount – in one case with the assistance of another of the authors - their experience of living through serious, sudden and unexpected trauma. Williams’ chapter focuses specifically on what he terms transition psychology, which he uses to consider and indeed predict responses to, amongst other things, mass traumas such as natural disasters and terrorist attacks. You will find chapters that are primarily scholarly discussions and overviews - including Lacković-Grgin and Penezić’s (chapter 22)