HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY

Ashish Budhwar
What is the field of Health Psychology?
• Health Psychology is the study of psychological and behavioural processes in
health, illness and healthcare.
• This discipline is concerned to understand that how psychological, social and
behavioural factors
- Cause or aggravate illness
- Can increase health

• These factors can affect health and illness directly as well as indirectly.
Emergence of Health Psychology
• In the beginning of 20th century Health Psychology was primarily a branch of medicine,
not psychology.
• But with the growing understanding of the effects of behaviour on health, it began to
emerge as a distinct discipline in the US in 1970s. Later it evolved into 4 different fields:
- Clinical Health Psychology: reducing illness and promoting health using clinical
interventions.
- Public Health Psychology: preventing spread of infectious diseases in public.
- Community Health Psychology: overall factors that impact a population’s health.
- Critical Health Psychology: to spread awareness in marginalised and vulnerable groups.
• In 1977, the APA added a division devoted to Health Psychology under the leadership of
Joseph Matarazzo.
Components of Health
• The Modern Day definition of health includes the following aspects:

- Physical Health
- Cognitive Health
- Emotional Health
- Social Health
Mind-Body Relationship
• Physical health and Psychological health have an intimate relationship which is
known as the mind-body connection.
• The initial arguments were made by Philosophers like Rene Descartes who
propounded that the Mind & Body interact at the Pineal Gland.
• Today, evidence supports that our chemistry and biology impact our mood and
emotions, as well as thoughts and beliefs and vice-versa.
• All of these factors combined, play a major role in influencing our stress and
physical health.
Objectives of Health Psychology
• Some core objectives of Health Psychology are:
- Understanding Behavioral and Contextual factors that cause illness, can improve
illness and increase the effective.
- Preventing Illness through making people bring behavioural changes in their
lifestyle.
- To investigate the impact of illness, disability and long-term conditions on social,
psychological and financial wellbeing of the people.
- Critical Analysis of HealthCare Policy of the Country and Corrective Suggestions.
- Educating & Research
Current Issues in Health Psychology
• Some issues existing in currently in the society that could be addressed through Health Psychology are:

- Stress Reduction
- Weight Management
- Awareness about the impact of smoking
- Improving Daily Nutrition and Physical Health
- Reducing Risky Sexual Behaviors
- Dealing with Death and Grief
- Understanding and Preventing Illnesses
- Improving Recovery
- Educating Coping Skills