Health Psychology — subject primer
This page is a Chinese-language primer on health psychology. The outline below summarises it in English.
Overview
Health psychology studies how biological, psychological and social factors together shape health, illness and healthcare, and how psychological science applies to prevention and treatment.
Core themes
Stress and coping, the biopsychosocial model, health behaviours and behaviour change, adherence to treatment, chronic illness and pain, psychoneuroimmunology.
Key theories and figures
Engel's biopsychosocial model, Lazarus and Folkman on stress and coping, the health belief model, the transtheoretical model, Bandura's self-efficacy.
Research methods
Randomised controlled trials, cohort and diary studies, psychophysiological measurement, and qualitative and mixed-methods designs.
Applications
Smoking, alcohol and weight management, chronic disease self-management, cancer and palliative care, and health communication.
In China
Health psychology is increasingly linked to chronic disease prevention and mental health policy; medical-psychology training has expanded in hospitals and medical universities.
Appendices
A quick-reference table of models and outcomes, plus further reading (textbooks, journals, organisations and standards).