This book examines the relationship between physical growth and well-being. The questions as to what extent psychological conditions can influence growth, and whether body height has an influence on personality and well-being, are at the core of the book. The latter question is all the more important since treatments to influence body height are available, but entail considerable investments. Moreover, it no longer suffices to prove that a treatment improves physical parameters, but it has to be shown that patients benefit on the psychosocial level as well. Therefore, assessment of well-being is given special importance in this book.
A collection of 17 papers from a Growth and Psyche symposium in Zurich (no date noted) tackle the issue from two directions: the effect of psychological conditions on growth; and the effect of shortness on personality and well being. They examine whether short stature is a handicap for otherwise healthy children, short stature and chronic disorder, assessing quality of life, the variation of normal growth patterns and their consequences, and the effects of psychosocial disorders on growth. No index. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.
