Health psychology

Abstract

Chapter 14 begins by defining Health Psychology and outlining the scope of services provided by this field and its subfields. The chapter then delves into the concept of health, examining it in the context of both the biomedical and biopsychosocial models. To gain a deeper understanding of health psychology, the text explores Western and Asian perspectives on health, contrasting them against concepts of illness. This exploration leads to a discussion of contemporary models of health and illness, as well as associated factors like health beliefs, cognitive antecedents of health, and illness cognitions. Then it discusses contemporary research on health-promoting and health-compromising behaviors. The chapter covers two groups of theories that explain the adoption of health behaviors: continuum theories and stage models. Additionally, practical examples are provided to demonstrate how these theories can be applied to promote health behaviors among the Chinese population. This chapter concludes with an examination of various perceptions of illness.