The importance of psychosomatic research has been greatly reinforced by evidence demonstrating that psychological phenomena may have distinct effects on human health. Recognizing the complexity of interactions between personality and physical illness, this series employs an interdisciplinary strategy to explore areas where knowledge from psychosomatic medicine may aid in the prevention of specific diseases or help meet the emotional demands of hospitalized patients. In each work, the editor has managed to bring together distinguished contributors, creating a series of coherent and comprehensive reviews on a variety of novel topics.