Importance Of Health Psychology

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Health psychology refers to an area of expertise in applying psychological principles to scientific study of health, illness, and health-related behaviours. It is specifically intended toward a wider perceptive of health, illness, injury, recovery, and the impact of each human life. The knowledge that developed in this subject includes psychological, social, and cultural influences on the development, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of ill and injured people. Health psychologists are also interested in the prevention of illness and injury and in health policy formation. It is a field of study within the general discipline of psychology.
The origins of health psychology rest in a combination of biology, medicine, physiology, philosophy, and social science. Health psychology interfaces with the fields of epidemiology and public health and contributes to …show more content…

As a science, the field includes health behaviour research that focuses on physical, social, and emotional issues. For example, many psychologists focus on understanding on how behaviour modification can be helpful in changing problem behaviours such as alcohol abuse, drug addictions, and over-reacting. They recognize that emotions are linked closely to health and in turn, that physical health affects emotional states. Another example would be the way strong emotions, such as anger or fear, cause increases in heart rates and blood pressure. Cognition defined as the act or process of knowing, and products of the process such as problem solving. In health psychology, cognitions affect perception of stressor. Cognition restructuring refers to methods of changing ones thinking about a stressor. Cognition, also known as emotion, or how they feel about events and ideas, also influence health (Baum, Perry, & Tarbell,

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