This essay emphasises the wide range of links that have been made between psychology to the study of health and healthcare. Health Psychology emphasises the role of psychological factors in the cause, progression and consequences of health and illness

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“Psychology is of no use in the real world.” Discuss this statement with reference to appropriate psychological research.

This essay aims to explore how psychology extends beyond the lecture theatre to have a vital impact on our everyday lives. I will aim to illustrate how the application of psychology can be of benefit in many everyday settings by looking at one of the fastest growing sub-disciplines of psychology; Health Psychology. This essay emphasises the wide range of links that have been made between psychology to the study of health and healthcare. Health Psychology emphasises the role of psychological factors in the cause, progression and consequences of health and illness. Health Psychology as it stands has shown to be extremely useful in the real world, particularly in areas of addiction, abuse, eating disorders and stress.

Health is “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being…and not merely the absence of disease and illness,”(World Health Organisation, cited in Banyard, 1996, p.3.). “Health Psychology is concerned with the study and application of psychological approaches to physical health and illness” (BPS Health Psychology Section, 1990), this also includes work on; psychological factors in the aetiology of illness such as stress, psychological aspects of physical illness (e.g. coping), treatment processes and recovery.                                                                                                                                                     Health Psychologists are represented in hospitals, academic research units, health authorities and university departments. Psychological principles are used in these types of settings to promote changes in people’s attitudes, behaviour and thinking about health. Therefore health is made up of many components, physical health, mental health and social health; in addition to this the general health perceptions that people have. Areas of concern for Health Psychology are; (1) the psychological processes and behaviours which influence people’s health and well-being, (2) the psychosocial factors that contribute to the onset and development of illness and (3) what happens to people within the health care setting, (Coolican, 1996).

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The emergence of health psychology reflects the changing patterns of disease in the world and the recognition of psychological and social factors as important aspects in health and illness generally. Dissatisfaction with the biomedical model to adequately explain all health and illness brought about an alternative approach; The Biopsychosocial Model of Health, a combination of biological, psychological and social factors as an explanatory model of health and illness. The Biopsychosocial model incorporates many different views on the causation of ill health; it is this model that has pushed the emphasis towards psychology along with recognition of the influence of lifestyle ...

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