What is Health?
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), “Health is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.”
Components of Health
- Physical Well-Being: Physical well-being means being free from significant illness or disease, allowing the body to function smoothly and enabling daily activities. Key aspects include a balanced diet, regular physical activity, sufficient rest, and routine medical check-ups.
- Mental Well-Being: Mental well-being is a state of emotional stability and effective psychological functioning, reflecting overall mental health. It includes handling everyday stress, working efficiently, and engaging positively with the community. Key aspects are self-esteem, resilience, and effective emotion regulation.
- Social Well-Being: Social well-being involves the quality of our relationships and our ability to connect with the community. It includes building and maintaining meaningful bonds, participating in social events, and contributing positively to society. This is crucial for emotional support, a sense of belonging, and overall life satisfaction.
- Emotional Well-Being: Emotional well-being involves understanding, expressing, and managing emotions effectively. It includes experiencing a range of feelings and handling them in ways that promote personal growth and overall well-being. Key aspects are self-awareness, emotional regulation, and seeking support when needed.
- Spiritual Well-Being: Spiritual well-being involves seeking deeper meaning, purpose, and connection beyond the physical world. It includes exploring personal values, beliefs, and the inner self, offering peace, comfort, and direction during challenges. This can be nurtured through religious practices, meditation, or connecting with nature, enhancing life satisfaction and resilience.
Definition of Health Psychology
In 1982, Joseph Matarazzo defined health psychology as “the aggregate of the specific educational, scientific, and professional contributions of the discipline of psychology to the promotion and maintenance of health, the prevention and treatment of illness, and the identification of etiologic and diagnostic correlates of health, illness, and related dysfunction, as well as the analysis and improvement of the health care system and health policy formation.”
Shelley E. Taylor further describes health psychology as ”understanding the psychological influences on how people maintain health, why they become ill, and how they respond when they do get sick”.
Health psychology is a very new and emerging field within psychology that focuses on understanding how psychological factors influence health and illness. Professionals in this field not only identify disorders in patients but also examine the psychological states individuals experience before and after the onset of illness and in order to facilitate recovery, interventions are implemented by the health psychologists that aim to support individuals in managing their psychological challenges effectively, helping them to recover more quickly from their illnesses.
Importance of Health Psychology
Studying health psychology is crucial because it helps us understand how our thoughts and feelings impact our health behaviors and how changing these can lead to healthier outcomes. Key points highlighting its significance include:
- It helps people adopt healthier habits like exercising and eating well.
- Health psychologists design programs to promote preventive care by understanding what motivates people.
- It takes a holistic view of health, examining biological, psychological, and social factors to develop effective treatments.
- Health psychology supports creating health policies and programs based on research to address health disparities.
Goals of Health Psychology
- Understanding Health Behaviors: Health psychologists aim to study factors influencing health habits to encourage positive behaviors.
- Creating and Testing Models: They aim to develop and test models to explain how psychological factors affect health, improving programs for healthy behaviors and illness management.
- Analyzing Health Policies: They intend to evaluate health policies to improve their effectiveness by addressing psychological factors and suggesting necessary changes.
- Conducting Research: Research is an integral part of health psychology where health psychologists focus on researching links between psychological factors and health, informing evidence-based practices and developing programs to enhance health and well-being.
History of health psychology
The early 1900s
- Introduction of Psychosomatic Medicine: In this period, psychosomatic medicine came into focus, which highlighted the relationship between psychological factors and physical health. Researchers began examining how emotions and stress could influence physical conditions.
The 1970s era
- Recognition of Health Psychology: The recognition of health psychology as a separate field grew, leading researchers and practitioners to stress the importance of behavior in influencing health outcomes.
- Contribution of William Schofield: Highlighting the need for psychology to address physical health, William Schofield’s 1969 report for the American Psychological Association (APA) led to the formation of a working group in 1973. This working group aimed to explore how psychologists could aid in managing health-related behaviors and training healthcare providers.
The year 1977
- Definition given by Joseph Matarazzo: The American Psychological Association (APA) created a dedicated division for health psychology, signifying a major milestone in the field’s formal recognition. Joseph Matarazzo, in 1977, further defined health psychology, highlighting its importance in promoting health, preventing illness, and enhancing healthcare systems through psychological insights.
1980s-1990s
- Global growth: The organizations of health psychology started expanding from country to country, including the UK, Australia, and Japan, highlighting the rising international attention in the field.
- British Psychological Society: In 1986, the British Psychological Society established a Health Psychology Section, further solidifying the discipline’s importance in the UK.
1983
- Arden House Conference: The conference set forth guidelines for educating and training health psychologists, contributing to the development of the profession’s curriculum and standards.
1990s-2000s
- A focus on interactions and interventions: Health psychology focuses on the interactions between psychological, biological, and social factors to understand health behaviors and outcomes. Researchers develop interventions based on psychological theories to address issues like smoking, obesity, and chronic diseases. The field also emphasizes the role of behavior in managing chronic diseases and mental health, promoting integrated care approaches.
Health psychology has progressed from initial studies of the mind-body connection to a recognized discipline that incorporates psychological principles into promoting health, preventing illness, and enhancing health.
Models of health psychology
Understanding different models in health psychology is important because they help us figure out why people behave the way they do regarding their health. These models guide us in creating better ways to encourage healthy habits and improve overall health. Let us see some of the important health models in detail:
Health belief model
The Health Belief Model (HBM), developed in the 1950s by social psychologists Hochbaum, Rosenstock, Kegeles, and Leventhal, posits those perceptions about health influence health-related actions. It includes six key components:
- Perceives susceptibility: People are unlikely to change their health habits unless they think they are at risk of getting sick. If someone doesn’t believe they could get a health problem, they won’t feel the need to take steps to prevent it or to seek treatment. E.g.: someone may continue to smoke for years until they get news that their near one died due to smoking.
- Perceived severity: A person’s likelihood of changing their health behaviors is influenced by their perception or realization of how severe the potential consequences of not changing that behavior could be. E.g.: someone smoking for years may quit smoking only after he is experiencing persistent coughing and shortness of breath.
- Perceived benefits: People are often reluctant to change a behavior they enjoy unless they see clear benefits in doing so. If there’s no perceived reward in the back, they are less likely to give up that behavior.
- Perceived barrier: People hesitate to change their health behaviors because they believe it will be difficult, requiring too much effort, financial resources, or time commitment. E.g.: someone may find it difficult to start exercising because he believes it will be too difficult to find time and too costly to join a gym.
- Cues to action: External factors can drive individuals to alter their health behaviors. These triggers might include recommendations from healthcare professionals, alarming health news, or personal encounters with illness. They play a crucial role in transitioning individuals from merely considering change to actively taking steps to enhance their health.
- Self-efficacy: This is the confidence a person has in their ability to achieve a health-related goal. This belief in one’s capability greatly impacts the likelihood of successfully making the desired change.
Theory of planned behavior
In 1991, social psychologist Icek Ajzen introduced the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). This theory suggests that three main factors—attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control—shape our intentions to perform certain behaviors, ultimately influencing whether we follow through with those actions.
- Attitudes: Attitudes are our personal feelings about a behavior. They come from what we know, believe, and have experienced. These feelings help us decide if we think the behavior is good or bad.
- Subjective norms: Subjective norms are about how we think important people in our lives feel about a certain behavior. It’s based on our perception of their opinions and expectations, not necessarily what they truly think.
- Perceived behavioral control: Perceived behavioral control is about how much you believe you can manage and carry out a certain action. If you think you have a lot of control, you’re more likely to feel confident and take action. If you feel you have little control, you might be less willing to try.
Biopsychosocial model
In 1977, George L. Engel introduced a model that shows that health and illness are influenced by biological (hereditary risks, physiological well-being, and biological mechanisms), psychological (emotions, thoughts, and behaviors), and social factors (cultural roots, family dynamics, and community support).
This biopsychosocial model challenges the old biomedical approach by highlighting that a person’s well-being is affected not just by physical conditions, but also by their mental state and social surroundings.
As health psychology grows, it’s important to consider different factors to create effective ways to improve health and prevent illness. By understanding how biological, psychological, and social aspects are connected, health psychologists can better address the complexities of health behaviors and help individuals and communities achieve better health outcomes.
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