Health psychology

Health psychology is a branch of psychology and deals thematically with the preservation of health, the research and development of health-promoting measures and preventive care, eg in the field of addiction.

Generally, it is about the exploration of personal, social and structural factors that influence the physical and mental health. Here, especially the theories and methods of social psychology can be used. In addition, health psychology also includes the application of these findings, especially by psychologists.

The health psychology is understood as an intermediary discipline between educational psychology, clinical psychology and behavioral medicine.

Emergence of health psychology

The emergence of health psychology as a discipline of psychology goes to Black v. alia, to the following factors:

  • The concept of health has changed: health is no longer seen only as the absence of disease, but as a positive state, according to the WHO definition.
  • Previously ruled against infectious diseases, today chronic degenerative diseases that are associated with unhealthy lifestyle habits such T. and living conditions.
  • Exploding health care costs
  • Replacement of the biomedical disease model by a biopsychosocial model.

Since 1992, a separate specialist group exists health psychology in the German Society for Psychology. The Professional Association of German Psychologists has a Department of Health Psychology.

Topics of health psychology

The following topics ( a selection ) are treated (eg, medicine, sociology ) to some extent in other subjects; However, the health psychology explores the psychological aspects of these issues and approaches them with methods, models and theories of psychology.

  • Health Promotion
  • Prevention
  • Psycho € Immunology
  • Behavioral Medicine
  • In the population occurring assumptions about health ( " subjective health concepts " ), and what follows from it for the health and prevention behavior
  • Psychological aspects of health behavior, eg with regard to diet, smoking, alcohol and drug use, sports and leisure
  • Coping with stress
  • Mental managing disease
  • Pain
  • Patient - physician relationship
Behaviour therapy World Health Organization
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