Main description:

Providing a thorough biopsychosocial approach, Health Psychology is your ideal companion to studying this subject. Exploring bio-social, developmental and lifestyle factors and how these relate to physical and psychological disturbances, this lively and approachable guide takes you through this key topic for psychology, health sciences, nursing and education students.

Using case studies and up to date research, the author brings to life the important practical applications in this area, helping you to understand the varied ways the biological, physiological and social factors affect psychology and how effective interventions can influence the health of a population.

Contents:

Chapter 1: Health psychology described
Chapter 2: Methodological approaches in health psychology
Chapter 3: Biological systems and functioning
Chapter 4: The stress process
Chapter 5: Neurobiological stress responses
Chapter 6: Healthy behaviors, unhealthy behaviors, and behavioral change
Chapter 7: Lifestyle factors
Chapter 8: Cardiovascular illnesses and related disorders
Chapter 9: Diabetes
Chapter 10: Immune-related disorders
Chapter 11: Cancer
Chapter 12: Pain
Chapter 13: Addiction
Chapter 14: Major physical illnesses
Chapter 15: Dealing with illness
Chapter 16: Caregiving, death, and grief
Chapter 17: From molecules, to individuals, to communities, to policy