Behaviour Therapy's Role in Preventing Physical Illness

Abstract

This paper argues for an expansion of the field of behaviour therapy from a predominant focus on individual and family based treatment of problems into the prevention of physical illness at a population level. It outlines criteria which can be used to make rational decisions about which domains behaviour therapists should focus on, it then provides a rationale for placing more emphasis on population based strategies of prevention. The particular contributions which the discipline of behaviour therapy has to offer to such an expanded role are then delineated and the benefits of an expanded role into primary and secondary prevention of physical disease are discussed in relation to past research.