HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY: A TRADITION RENEWED

Abstract

In the twentieth century, the leading health concerns are lifestyle illness: cardiovascular disease, cancer, stroke, mental health problems and accidents. This has forced a reevaluation of the earlier "one germ-one disease one therapy" approach and has renewed interest in bio-psycho-social medicine, a concept developed, ironically, by Hippocrates,the "founder" of Western medicine. To be relevant in this Age of Anxiety, medical approaches to health have begun to focus increasingly on the prevention of illness through behavior and lifestyle changes, and have come more and more into the traditional realm of psychology. Psychologists practicing in this area of skill interface are termed Health Psychologists. Whether practictioners of psychosomatic medicine, who focus on the interaction between psychological factors and body dysfunction, or of behaviorial medicine, who attempt to understand how overt, observable behaviors affect the course of an illness, Health Psychologists aim to enable the patient to be aware of himself and his behaviors, and to exercise control over his health. Awareness and action by our patients allows them to harness the wisdom of the body and its natural healing abilities. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved). (journal abstract)