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191511-History of Health Psychology

Health psychology focuses on how biological, social, and psychological factors impact health and well-being. It developed from pioneers in psychology originally trained in medicine placing emphasis on mental health. A seminal event was the Health Belief Model in the 1960s explaining health behaviors. Today, health psychologists work on prevention, promotion, and treatment of illness as well as improving healthcare systems and recovery from physical illness. Common issues addressed include stress, weight, smoking, and risky behaviors. However, limitations include ignoring emotions and not being applicable to everyone without health issues.

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umar farooq
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536 views3 pages

191511-History of Health Psychology

Health psychology focuses on how biological, social, and psychological factors impact health and well-being. It developed from pioneers in psychology originally trained in medicine placing emphasis on mental health. A seminal event was the Health Belief Model in the 1960s explaining health behaviors. Today, health psychologists work on prevention, promotion, and treatment of illness as well as improving healthcare systems and recovery from physical illness. Common issues addressed include stress, weight, smoking, and risky behaviors. However, limitations include ignoring emotions and not being applicable to everyone without health issues.

Uploaded by

umar farooq
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Air University

BS Psychology

Health psychology

Submitted by:
Umar Farooq 191511

Submitted To:
Miss Sidra Zaki

“History of health Psychology”


Health psychology:
Health psychology, also called medical psychology or behavioral medicine, is a
branch of psychology focusing on how biological, social, and psychological factors impact
health and well-being. Health psychologists strive to promote overall health and prevent illness.

Development of health psychology:


Health has played a significant role throughout the history of psychology. In fact,
many pioneers in the field of psychology were originally trained in medicine. In the case of
psychology, though, emphasis is placed largely on mental rather than physical health. Since the
1950s, interest in the role psychological health plays in overall well-being has grown. The
development of the Health Belief Model (HBM) by a team of psychologists, including Irwin
Rosenstock, was a seminal event in the field of health psychology during the 1960s. The HBM,
which sought to explain why some people were not getting vaccinated against tuberculosis,
proposes that a person’s likelihood of engaging in a health-promoting behavior is affected by
their beliefs about the severity of an illness and their susceptibility to it, the costs and benefits of
engaging in the behavior, and the presence of cues to action.

As more psychologists were employed by medical facilities, primary care clinics,


and medical schools, greater focus was placed on understanding how psychological and physical
health intertwine. Health psychology is now its own branch of psychology. Today, health
psychologists focus on preventing and treating illness, promoting overall health, and working to
improve the health care system. Some health psychologists are also interested in understanding
how people handle and recover from physical illness.

Scope of health psychology and its strengths:


Common issues treated by health psychologists include stress, weight, or pain
management, smoking cessation, and reducing risky sexual or health-related behaviors. Health
psychologists can help people change problematic behaviors to improve their overall health and
well-being. Individuals who recently learned they have a chronic medical condition may also
find health psychology useful, as it can help them work on accepting the diagnosis and altering
their lifestyle to manage the condition effectively. Moreover, health psychologists can help
people with a terminal condition come to terms with it if they are struggling.
Limitations of health psychology:
Health psychology is a broad field, and different theories within the discipline have
various benefits and limitations. The HBM has been criticized for ignoring emotional factors that
can play into decision-making about health-related behaviors. Additionally, it is important to
consider that no single type of therapy is right for everyone, and health psychology can be
somewhat limited in its scope. For instance, people who are not dealing with any health issues
may not find health psychology particularly relevant or helpful.

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