health psychology

Health psychology is the study of how the interactions of biological, personal, and social factors influence health and illness. Some questions health psychologists address with patients and in research include:

• What are the different ways in which people adapt to chronic illness?
• What factors influence a person’s readiness to change health and lifestyle behaviors?
• How are stress and other nonmedical factors related to physical illness?
• How does stress and illness impact a person’s life—work, personal activities, relationships, household? How much do these factors affect the illness?
• What barriers prevent someone from getting better or receiving all the benefits of a treatment?
• What factors are placing additional stress or burden on the patient and make the medical condition worse?

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