What are the main aims of HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY ?
Answers
The goal of health psychology is to apply health education, information, prevention, and control in ways that will alleviate patients' physical symptoms and improve their lives. The main approach used to set goals in health psychology is the bio-social model.
Rick recently hurt his back at work. He's in a lot of pain, but doesn't want to become dependent on painkillers, so he's looking for other ways to manage his pain. He is seeing a psychologist who is teaching him relaxation techniques. This helps Rick avoid becoming stressed. This is a good thing, because when Rick is stressed, he tenses up and the pain becomes worse.
Like Rick, all of us will have to deal with an injury or illness at some point in our lives. The person we would traditionally see in this situation is a medical doctor who would diagnose us, prescribe medication, and treat our symptoms. However, other help is available to you. Some physical problems can actually be caused, or made worse, by certain emotional, mental, or social conditions.
Health psychology is a specialty area of psychology that focuses on how all facets of our lives impact our physical health. Psychologists in this field don't treat the disease itself, but try to find ways to help the person who is suffering improve his or her life by better understanding how the mind and body work together.