Psychogastroenterology for Adults: A Handbook for Mental Health Professionals

The brain-gut connection has been increasingly implicated in biopsychosocial well-being. While there are numerous factors that directly and indirectly impact on how the gut and the brain interact, there is a growing awareness that gastrointestinal conditions need to be viewed and treated as part of a multidisciplinary approach. Psychogastroenterology for Adults: A Handbook for Mental Health Professionals is the first book to provide mental health professionals with an evidence-based, practical guide for working with patients living with gastrointestinal conditions.Timely and accessibly written, this book provides a unique, comprehensive introduction to psychogastroenterology, offering a step-by-step guide to evidence-based psychological treatment protocols. Broad in scope and expertise, the book is divided into four parts. It opens with an overview of the field, moving on to outline psychological concerns and conditions in gastroenterological (GI) cohorts. Further, it covers various approaches to psychogastroenterology, including psychopharmacological and eHealth practices. In closing, the book looks to the future, providing guidance on supervision in psychogastroenterology, and exploring challenges in the field. Written by experts in the field, this book will be an indispensable resource for those who wish to enhance their knowledge and practice of psychogastroenterology in the mental health profession, including psychologists, psychiatrists, psychosomatic medicine specialists, nurses and social workers.

About the Author

Dr Simon R. Knowles is a Senior Lecturer and Clinical Psychologist based at Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne. His clinical and research interests relate to the biological and psychological interactions of GI conditions and the brain-gut axis. Dr Knowles has published over 90 articles/book chapters and developed several free online psychological resilience programs for GI conditions.

Dr Laurie Keefer is a GI Psychologist and Associate Professor of Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine in NYC. She studies resilience, self-efficacy and optimism in the management of complex GI conditions. She has published over 100 papers and serves on the Board of Directors for the Rome Foundation.

Dr Antonina A. Mikocka-Walus is a GI Psychologist and Associate Professor in Health Psychology at Deakin University, Melbourne. She has published over 100 research papers/book chapters. Her interdisciplinary research has contributed to the recent guidelines on the management of inflammatory bowel disease in Australia, North America and Europe.