Studying Health Psychology and Illness

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsOverviewUniquenessImportanceCurrent IssuesBiosocial ModelIn PracticeBranches

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Overview

Uniqueness

Importance

Current Issues

Biosocial Model

In Practice

Branches

Close

Health psychology is aspecialty areathat focuses on how biology, psychology, behavior, and social factors influence health and illness. Other terms such as medical psychology and behavioral medicine are sometimes used interchangeably with the term health psychology.

An Overview of Health Psychology

Health psychology is a field of psychology focused on promoting health as well as the prevention and treatment of disease and illness.Health psychologistsalso focus on understanding how people react to, cope with, and recover from illness. Some health psychologists work to improve the health care system and the government’s approach to health care policy.

Division 38 of theAmerican Psychological Associationis devoted to health psychology. According to the division, their focus is on a better understanding of health and illness, studying the psychological factors that impact health, and contributing to the health care system and health policy.

The field of health psychology emerged in the 1970s to address the rapidly changing field of healthcare. Today, life expectancy in the U.S. is around 80 years, and the leading causes of mortality are chronic diseases often linked to lifestyle.Health psychology helps address these changes in health.

By looking at the patterns of behavior that underlie disease and death, health psychologists hope to help people live better, and healthier, lives.

How Is Health Psychology Unique?

Because health psychology emphasizes how behavior influences health, it is well-positioned to help people change the behaviors that contribute to health and well-being. Examples of health psychology in action would be researchers conductingapplied researchon how to prevent unhealthy behaviors such as smoking or to find new ways to encourage healthy actions such as exercising.

For example, while most people realize that eating a diet high in sugar is not good for their health, many people continue to engage in such behaviors regardless of the possible short-term and long-term consequences. Health psychologists look at thepsychological factorsthat influence these health choices and explore ways to motivate people to make better health choices.

Importance of Health Psychology

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control’s National Center for Health Statistics compiles data regarding death in the nation and its causes. Congruent with data trends throughout this century, nearly half of all deaths in the United States can be linked to behaviors or other risk factors that are mostly preventable.

In the CDC’s 2012 report, the rate of death had declined for all leading causes except suicide.Life expectancywas also at an all-time high (78.8 years), yet about 83 Americans die from heart disease and stroke every hour. And more than a quarter of those deaths are preventable.

How the Health Belief Model Influences Your Behaviors

Current Issues in Health Psychology

Health psychologists work with individuals, groups, and communities to decrease risk factors, improve overall health, and reduce illness. They conduct research and provide services in areas including:

The Biosocial Model in Health Psychology

Today, the main approach used in health psychology is known as the biosocial model. According to this view, illness and health are the results of a combination of biological, psychological, and social factors.

Health Psychology in Practice

Health psychology is a rapidly growing field. As increasing numbers of people seek to take control of their own health, more and more people are seeking health-related information and resources. Health psychologists are focused on educating people about their own health and well-being, so they are perfectly suited to fill this rising demand.

Many health psychologists work specifically in the area of prevention, focusing on helping people stop health problems before they start.

This may include helping people maintain a healthy weight, avoid unhealthy orrisky behaviors, and maintain a positive outlook that can combat stress, depression, and anxiety.

Branches of Health Psychology

Individuals who are interested in a health psychology career can choose to work in a specific branch of this field. Four main branches of health psychology are:

A Word From Verywell

If you are struggling to makehealthy changes in your life, dealing with the onset of illness, or facing some other type of health problem, seeing a health psychologist is one way to help start you off on the right foot. By consulting with one of these professionals, you can gain access to support and resources designed to help you cope with your illness and achieve your health goals.

5 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Psychological Association.Society for Health Psychology.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Mortality in the United States, 2017.DeStasio KL, Clithero JA, Berkman ET.Neuroeconomics, health psychology, and the interdisciplinary study of preventative health behavior.Soc Personal Psychol Compass. 2019;13(10):e12500. doi:10.1111/spc3.12500Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.CDC National Health Report Highlights.Mason PH, Roy A, Spillane J, Singh P.Social, historical and cultural dimensions of tuberculosis.J Biosoc Sci. 2016;48(2):206–232. doi:10.1017/S0021932015000115Additional ReadingBaum A, Revenson TA, Singer JE.Handbook of Health Psychology. Second Edition. Psychology Press; 2012.Brannon L, Updegraff JA, Feist J.Health Psychology: An Introduction to Behavior and Health. Cengage Learning; 2014.

5 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Psychological Association.Society for Health Psychology.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Mortality in the United States, 2017.DeStasio KL, Clithero JA, Berkman ET.Neuroeconomics, health psychology, and the interdisciplinary study of preventative health behavior.Soc Personal Psychol Compass. 2019;13(10):e12500. doi:10.1111/spc3.12500Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.CDC National Health Report Highlights.Mason PH, Roy A, Spillane J, Singh P.Social, historical and cultural dimensions of tuberculosis.J Biosoc Sci. 2016;48(2):206–232. doi:10.1017/S0021932015000115Additional ReadingBaum A, Revenson TA, Singer JE.Handbook of Health Psychology. Second Edition. Psychology Press; 2012.Brannon L, Updegraff JA, Feist J.Health Psychology: An Introduction to Behavior and Health. Cengage Learning; 2014.

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

American Psychological Association.Society for Health Psychology.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Mortality in the United States, 2017.DeStasio KL, Clithero JA, Berkman ET.Neuroeconomics, health psychology, and the interdisciplinary study of preventative health behavior.Soc Personal Psychol Compass. 2019;13(10):e12500. doi:10.1111/spc3.12500Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.CDC National Health Report Highlights.Mason PH, Roy A, Spillane J, Singh P.Social, historical and cultural dimensions of tuberculosis.J Biosoc Sci. 2016;48(2):206–232. doi:10.1017/S0021932015000115

American Psychological Association.Society for Health Psychology.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Mortality in the United States, 2017.

DeStasio KL, Clithero JA, Berkman ET.Neuroeconomics, health psychology, and the interdisciplinary study of preventative health behavior.Soc Personal Psychol Compass. 2019;13(10):e12500. doi:10.1111/spc3.12500

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.CDC National Health Report Highlights.

Mason PH, Roy A, Spillane J, Singh P.Social, historical and cultural dimensions of tuberculosis.J Biosoc Sci. 2016;48(2):206–232. doi:10.1017/S0021932015000115

Baum A, Revenson TA, Singer JE.Handbook of Health Psychology. Second Edition. Psychology Press; 2012.Brannon L, Updegraff JA, Feist J.Health Psychology: An Introduction to Behavior and Health. Cengage Learning; 2014.

Baum A, Revenson TA, Singer JE.Handbook of Health Psychology. Second Edition. Psychology Press; 2012.

Brannon L, Updegraff JA, Feist J.Health Psychology: An Introduction to Behavior and Health. Cengage Learning; 2014.

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