Concepts of Health Psychology, Health and Ill Health

Health Psychology is an interdisciplinary field that investigates how biological, psychological, and social processes contribute to physical health and disease.
This subfield emphasises understanding the psychological aspects of health maintenance, the promotion of health behaviours, and the prevention and treatment of illness.
Health Psychologists work to promote healthy living and to prevent or treat diseases. They typically focus on behavioural change, stress management, health promotion, and the development of coping strategies for dealing with chronic illness.
The Biopsychosocial model is fundamental to health psychology and posits that health and illness are products of a combination of biological, psychological, and social factors.
Concepts of health vary amongst individuals and population groups. Different cultures, societies, and individuals have distinct ideas about what it means to be healthy.
Health not only implies the absence of disease but also encompasses emotional and social wellbeing.
Illness perceptions can vary greatly – some may view illness as a punishment or a stigma, while others may perceive it as a temporary inconvenience or a challenge to be overcome.
The concept of ill health is often associated with symptoms such as pain, fatigue, and changes in body function. However, ill health can also be defined by the inability to perform normal daily activities or a decrease in quality of life.
The way individuals perceive their own health and symptoms can significantly influence their health behaviours such as seeking a diagnosis, adherence to treatment, or changes in lifestyle.
The Health Belief Model, the Stages of Change Model and the Self Determinations Theory are examples of theories used in health psychology to explain and predict health behaviours.
The contribution of health psychology is significant in areas like public health policies, where it helps to identify behavioural risk factors and design interventions to promote healthier behaviours.
Health psychologists also evaluate how individuals respond to illness, how they cope with and manage illness, the role of stress in illness, and issues related to healthcare providers and how people interact with the healthcare system.
During revision, remember to focus on understanding how psychological factors can influence health and illness, the role of stress and coping strategies in health, how health behaviours are developed and can be changed, and how these aspects can contribute to the prevention and treatment of disease.