Psychology Of Health

INTRODUCTION

Health psychology is a special zone that deals with the biological, psychological and behavioural factors of health. This can be termed as medical psychology or behavioural medicine. Psychological factors include stress, depression, hopelessness, etc. Behavioural factors include tobacco use, physical activity, alcohol consumption, disease screening, etc.  All these factors affect our health directly. By studying these factors, we can cure patients having health problems on a large scale. Health psychologists are useful in training other health professionals. These professionals work alongside hospitals, health departments, and research. Health is responsible for the change of behaviour and well-being of human beings. Negative factors can also affect our health. Bad diet and wrong company are two of those examples.  

Role of a health psychologist

Health psychologists work with health departments, communities and hospitals to reduce risk elements. They help improve health and bring down illness factors. They are also involved in research and development in human or clinical psychology. They work in the areas of 

1. Stress reduction
2. Managing weight
3. Improving daily diet
4. Preventing illness
5. Understanding the effects of illness

Types of health psychology

• Clinical health psychology

Clinical health psychology is derived from the field of health psychology. It is the application of knowledge from health psychology. Clinical health psychology solves clinical questions that may appear across healthcare. It deals with behavioural health and is useful in making behavioural medicine. The clinical practice incorporates education, psychotherapy and behaviour change. They can be transformed into medical psychologists, which gives them medicinal privileges.

• Public health psychology

Public health psychology acts as a link between psychological health factors at a population level. Public health psychologists work in the areas of education and healthcare providers. They are in charge of promoting public health. Public health psychology studies epidemiology, genetics, biostatistics, and nutrition. These psychologists are inclined towards population groups that are at risk.

• Community health psychology

Community health psychology gives attention to health factors affecting individuals living in communities. 

• Critical health psychology

Critical health psychology issues have a powerful impact on behaviour, healthcare systems and health policies. They make sure that there are no health inequalities. Right to health is a problem for many races, genders and ages. Critical health psychology takes care of this.

Objectives of health psychology

• Understanding behavioural factors

Health psychology promotes health by behavioural change. They conduct research to recognize certain behaviours. They endorse improving health policies. Health psychologists also study the links between illness and individual attributes. Health psychology deals with contextual factors. These factors include economic, cultural, social and lifestyle. They have the aim of improving people’s health through treatment. They also promote the importance of health.  

• Prevention of illness

Health psychologists promote health through behavioural change. They also attempt to prevent illness in other ways. Health psychologists try to guide people to have a healthy life. They develop and run social programmes for that purpose. This can help people to make major changes in their lives. This includes stopping smoking, lowering the amount of alcohol consumption, a nutritious diet, and regular exercise.

• Research

Health psychologists have advanced knowledge of research procedures. Health psychologists apply this knowledge to run research on various questions.

• Analysing health policies

Health psychologists survey health policies. Bad health policies can impact inequities, social inequalities and social injustice. These research areas develop the opportunity of health psychology beyond the amount of individual health.

World health organisation (WHO)

The World Health Organisation (WHO) is a special organisation under the United Nations. It is in charge of international public health. The constitution of the world health organisation states its main aim as “the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of health“. The WHO has its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. It has six regional offices and 150 field offices all over the world.

The WHO was founded on 7 April 1948. The first meeting took place on 24 July 1948. It began its work in the first half of 1951. The world health organisation’s main aim is to work worldwide to promote health, keep the world safe, and help the people who need help. The world health report provides information and data on health topics. All over the world.  The WHO also serves as a platform for discussions on health issues.

Conclusion 

The condition of a person’s mental or physical state is called health. Health in psychology is the study of psychological procedures in illness and healthcare. Health psychology is stressed on understanding psychological and behavioural factors of health. Health is the member of the five basic necessities of humans. These include food, clothing, shelter, education and health. Health psychologists work with health departments, communities and hospitals to reduce risk elements. They help improve health and bring down illness factors. Having a healthy lifestyle is compulsory. This will help you to counter a variety of diseases and long-term illnesses.