Publisher's Synopsis
Crying is a typical human expression. Little scientific attention has been devoted to this phenomenon, but there is much interest from the lay public, allowing pseudo-scientists to formulate theories that have no or hardly any scientific basis. Is there any evidence in support of statements that crying is healthy and that not crying may result in toxification? And how do people react to the crying of others? Is crying important for the diagnosis of depression, and if so, how? Paying attention to methodological issues and assessment, crying is discussed from several different perspectives. Each chapter provides a review and a summary of the relevant scientific literature.
