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Session Length
~17 min
Adaptive Checks
15 questions
Transfer Probes
8
Health psychology is a branch of psychology that examines how biological, psychological, social, and behavioral factors influence health, illness, and healthcare. The field emerged as a distinct discipline in the late 1970s, driven by growing recognition that physical health cannot be understood solely through biomedical models. Health psychologists investigate why people engage in health-damaging behaviors such as smoking, poor diet, and physical inactivity, and they develop evidence-based interventions to promote healthier lifestyles and improve patient outcomes.
Central to health psychology is the biopsychosocial model, which holds that health and illness result from the interplay of biological factors (genetics, physiology), psychological factors (cognition, emotion, motivation), and social factors (cultural norms, socioeconomic status, social support). This model replaced the older biomedical model, which treated disease as purely a product of biological malfunction. Health psychologists use the biopsychosocial framework to understand phenomena such as stress-related illness, chronic pain management, treatment adherence, and health disparities across different populations.
Today, health psychology has wide-ranging applications in clinical settings, public health campaigns, workplace wellness programs, and health policy design. Researchers in the field study topics including stress and coping, health behavior change, patient-provider communication, psychoneuroimmunology, and the psychological dimensions of chronic diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. The field draws on models like the Health Belief Model, the Theory of Planned Behavior, and the Transtheoretical Model of Change to predict and modify health-related behaviors at both individual and population levels.
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A model proposed by George Engel (1977) that views health and illness as the product of biological, psychological, and social factors interacting together, rather than biology alone.
Example: A patient with chronic back pain may have a herniated disc (biological), catastrophizing thoughts about pain (psychological), and lack of social support (social), all of which contribute to disability.
A cognitive model predicting health behavior based on an individual's perceived susceptibility to a disease, perceived severity of consequences, perceived benefits of action, perceived barriers to action, cues to action, and self-efficacy.
Example: A person is more likely to get a flu vaccine if they believe they are susceptible to the flu, that the flu is serious, that the vaccine is effective, and that the inconvenience of getting vaccinated is low.
The study of how individuals perceive and respond to stressors, drawing on Lazarus and Folkman's transactional model, which distinguishes between problem-focused coping (addressing the source of stress) and emotion-focused coping (managing emotional distress).
Example: A student facing exam stress may use problem-focused coping by creating a study schedule or emotion-focused coping by practicing deep breathing to manage anxiety.
Albert Bandura's concept referring to an individual's belief in their capacity to execute behaviors necessary to produce specific outcomes. In health psychology, it is a strong predictor of behavior change and maintenance.
Example: A person with high self-efficacy for exercise is more likely to maintain a regular workout routine even when facing barriers such as bad weather or a busy schedule.
A model developed by Prochaska and DiClemente describing behavior change as a process that unfolds through five stages: precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, and maintenance.
Example: A smoker in the contemplation stage recognizes that quitting would be beneficial and is thinking about stopping within the next six months but has not yet committed to a quit date.
The study of the interactions among psychological processes, the nervous system, and the immune system, demonstrating that psychological states such as stress and depression can directly affect immune functioning.
Example: Research by Kiecolt-Glaser showed that medical students had reduced natural killer cell activity during exam periods compared to less stressful times, illustrating stress-induced immunosuppression.
The extent to which patients follow medical recommendations, including taking prescribed medications, following dietary guidelines, and attending follow-up appointments. Non-adherence is a major obstacle in managing chronic illness.
Example: Approximately 50% of patients with chronic conditions such as hypertension do not take their medications as prescribed, leading to worse health outcomes and higher healthcare costs.
A concept describing the degree to which individuals believe their health is controlled by internal factors (their own behavior), powerful others (doctors, family), or chance and luck.
Example: A person with an internal health locus of control is more likely to exercise regularly and eat well because they believe their actions directly determine their health outcomes.
More terms are available in the glossary.
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