Biopsychosocial Approaches to Understanding Health in South Asian Americans

This volume is the first comprehensive and interdisciplinary text to holistically improve understanding of the health of South Asians residing in the United States by considering biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors of health. The vast literatures of diverse fields - psychology, medicine, public health, social work, and health policy - are integrated by leading scholars, scientists, and practitioners in these areas to explore the impact of South Asian cultural factors on health, health risk, and illness. Chapters incorporate available theoretical and empirical information on the status of chronic health conditions in South Asians in the United States, with consideration of future directions to improve understanding of the health of this group. Cultural and ethnic insights imperative for clinical/community/medical practitioners to provide effective and culturally-appropriate care and treatment from an interdisciplinary lens are provided.

Marisa J. Perera is a doctoral candidate in Health Clinical Psychology at the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida. She received her M.S. in Clinical Psychology with specialization in Clinical Science, and a B.A. with a double major in Psychology (with honors) and Spanish from the University of Michigan. Her interests concern elucidating the bio-behavioral determinants of cultural and ethnic health disparities in chronic disease, particularly in diabetes and cardiovascular disease among Hispanic/Latino and South Asian populations in the United States.

Edward C. Chang is Professor of Psychology and Social Work in the Department of Psychology and the School of Social Work at the University of Michigan. His interests involve optimism/pessimism, perfectionism, coping, and cultural influences on behavior.