What current factors have affected (and may continue to affect) the growth of health psychology?
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Health psychology is a specialty area that focuses on how biology, psychology, behavior, and social factors influence health and illness. Health and illness are influenced by a wide variety of factors. Contagious and hereditary illness are common, many behavioral and psychological factors can impact overall physical well-being and various medical conditions. The field of health psychology is focused on promoting health as well as the prevention and treatment of disease and illness. The health psychologists focused on understanding how people react to, cope with, and recover from illness. They also work to improve the health care system and the governments’ approach to health care policy.
Since health psychology emphasizes how behavior influences health, it is well positioned to help people change the behaviors that contribute to health and well-being. Health psychologists look at the psychological factors that influence health choices and explore ways to motivate people to make better health choices. Also, health psychologists work with individuals, groups and communities to decrease risk factors, improve overall health and reduce illness.
Here are the current factors or issues in Health Psychology:
Stress reduction
Weight management
Smoking cessation
Improving daily nutrition
Reducing risky sexual behaviors
Hospice care and grief counselling
Preventing illness
Understanding the effects of illness
Improving recovery
Teaching coping skills
Also, illness and health are the results of a combination of:
Biological factors that include inherited personality traits and genetic conditions.
Psychological factors that involve lifestyle, personality characteristics and stress levels.
Social factors that include such things as social support systems, family relationships and cultural beliefs.
Step-by-step explanation
Health psychology focuses on how biological, social and psychological factors influence health and illness. Health psychologists study how patients handle illness, why some people don’t follow medical advice and the most effective ways to control pain or change poor health habits.
If you are struggling to make healthy changes in your life, dealing with the onset of illness, or facing some type of health problem, seeing a health psychologist is one way to help start you off on the right foot. By consulting with professionals, you can gain access to support and resources designed to help you cope with your illness and achieve your health goals.