Health Psychology : An Introduction

"An Introduction to Health Psychology" is a new and stimulating European textbook providing a valuable and engaging introduction to the field of health psychology.

Health psychology is a challenging subject that is, increasingly, a core area of psychology teaching at undergraduate and postgraduate level. "An Introduction to Health Psychology" is structured around three broad themes: health, health behaviour and staying healthy; becoming ill and using healthcare; and, being ill and the impact on individuals and their families.

This book covers all mainstream health psychology topics, including health behaviours such as smoking, exercise, unsafe sexual practices, stress and its effects, symptom perception and response, the impact of illness, pain, and quality of life.

Unlike many contemporary health psychology texts, it also provides clear and considered coverage of crucial topics such as: social inequalities in health; cross-cultural dimensions of health and illness; biological systems; lifespan influences on health and illness; and the impact of illness on family carers.The authors believe it important that health psychology teaching is theory-led rather than behaviour or illness-led.

Each topic area starts by describing and reviewing relevant theory and concepts, progresses by means of an impressive review of up-to-date research studies, and closes with a chapter describing intervention practice.

In this way, readers can chart a topic, such as stress, from its definition and description, through a review of associated health outcomes, to current stress management practice.

Describing, predicting, and then intervening are primary goals of health psychologists.

User-friendly features include: 'In the Spotlight' boxes that discuss 'hot' topics, such as the MMR immunisation debate; 'What do YOU think?' boxes that encourage readers to reflect on their own beliefs, behaviours and experiences; and key terms that are highlighted in the text and defined both at the margin and in a full Glossary.

The breadth and depth of content addressed in "An Introduction to Health Psychology" makes this textbook a major contributor to the study of health psychology for psychology and health profession students throughout Europe.The reference list and glossary alone provide an excellent resource for students and lecturers.

Val Morrison is a lecturer in health psychology, and a chartered health psychologist, based at the University of Wales, Bangor.

She has taught health psychology since 1992, whilst maintaining an active research programme in psychosocial predictors of patient and carer outcomes of chronic disease.

Paul Bennett is Professor of Clinical Health Psychology at the University of Wales, Swansea and head of Swansea NHS Trust Psychology Services.

He has published several books on health and clinical psychology as well as over 100 academic papers and chapters.