Over the past two decades attention to family issues in relation to
chronic pain has been on the rise. There has been a proliferation of
research and clinical literature in the field since the first major
review on this topic was conducted in 1982. However, no comprehensive
review book has been published. Generally speaking, the role of the
family in chronic pain literature has been reported from four
perspectives: (1) family factors in the etiology of chronic pain; (2)
role of spouse in the perpetuation of pain behaviors; (3) impact of
chronic pain on family functioning and on the health of spouse and
children; and (4) family therapy for these families.
The main thrust of this book will be the issues of impact on the family
and therapy. The broader literature of family issues in medical
disorders will be incorporated into the body of the book to allow the
reader to become familiar with some of the common problems shared by
medically ill and chronic pain families and many problems that appear to
be specifically associated with chronic pain. The book will offer
clinical guidelines in conducting family assessment and couple and
family therapy for these patients. This book will not be simply an
update, but will adopt a fresh approach to this complex clinical area.
The book will have 10 chapters. Each chapter will report the current
state of knowledge through a comprehensive review of the most recent
literature, and discuss relevant clinical issues through extensive use
of case illustrations. The chapters will be designed to bring the reader
up to date on the literature as well as provide clinical guidelines for
practice.
