According to Matarazzo
(1982): “Health Psychology is the aggregate of the
specific educational, scientific and professional contributions
of the discipline of psychology to the promotion and maintenance
of health, the prevention and treatment of illness, the
identification of etiologic and diagnostic correlates of
health, illness, and related dysfunction, and the analysis
and improvement of the health care system and health policy
formation (p.4).”
The underlying philosophical
foundation of health psychology is the Biopsychosocial Model
of health and illness. This model regards both health and
illness as a combination of three forces-biological, behavioral,
and social. As such, any diagnostic and treatment regimen
should focus upon these three forces-biological (e.g. genetic
predisposition), behavioral (e.g. lifestyle, stress, health
beliefs), and social (e.g. cultural influences, job influences,
family relationships, social support).
According to Division
38 (Health Psychology Division of The American Psychological
Association), Health Psychologists are engaged in the following
activities when functioning as Health Psychologists in Clinical
Settings:
“Assessment approaches
often include cognitive and behavioral assessment, psychophysiological
assessment, clinical interviews, demographic surveys, objective
and projective personality assessment, and various clinical
and research-oriented protocols. Interventions often include
stress management, relaxation therapies, biofeedback, psychoeducation
about normal and patho-physiological processes, ways to
cope with disease, and cognitive-behavioral and other psychotherapeutic
interventions. Healthy people are taught preventive health
behaviors. Both individual and group interventions are utilized.
Frequently, health psychology interventions focus upon buffering
the effects of stress on health by promoting enhanced coping
or improved social support utilization.”
Dr. William "Marty" Martin
of Clarus Center is a Clinical Health Psychologist
More information can be
obtained about Health Psychology by going to the Health
Psychology Division of the American Psychological Association
website: http://www.health-psych.org/whatis.html
