Although the mainstream medical establishment has embraced inflammation as a key factor in many common chronic diseases, they rarely treat the possibility that psychological distress can lead to inflammation. Behavioral medicine links stress to inflammation but generally does so in relation to healthy populations. Health psychologist Kendall-Tackett (pediatrics, Texas Tech U. School of Medicine) introduces nine chapters that synthesize these areas that converge in the field of psychoneuroimmunology, with an overview of how stress affects disease vulnerability. Contributors discuss studies of such stressors as depression, sleep disturbances, poor nutrition, and posttraumatic stress syndrome and the prevention and treatment implications for heart, neurodegenerative, and other chronic disorders. Annotation ©2009 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)