Health Psychology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4750 words

Health Psychology - Essay Example I held on to the biomedical perspective. Now, I realize there is more to it than just physical health. This, I realized as I mature, because I encounter several stressful moments that affect my well-being not only physically but also mentally and emotionally. Such stress makes me unable to think well. I also realize that when I harbor negative emotions, it somehow translates to physical symptoms. Now, I adhere to the biopsychosocial philosophy of health. The discussions with my peers facilitated this belief because we all had our own notions and definitions of health, but the common ground is well-being. Many factors affect the health of a person and that includes social and environmental factors. The individual is also responsible for caring for himself, and his own illness prevention. This matter falls under the area of Health Psychology. This course has defined Health Psychology as â€Å"a branch of psychology that deals with how people cope and manage illness and health behaviour† (Course Notes, Psy 4101).. The person responsible for this is called a health psychologist. He is not a medical doctor but his field of expertise lies more on psychology and how to help people manage a healthier life. I also realized that health psychologists belong to a bigger group of psychologists that do research and development in this specialized field. This, I learned when I went to the site of the British Psychological Society (2010) and they included several areas where psychological research and methods apply: I know that in each area enumerated above, there fall numerous sub-areas that contribute to the wide scope of Health Psychology, and it is amazing how it still grows upon discovery of more information. The first area, the promotion and maintenance of health involves dissemination of health education. In line with the World Health