Health psychologists apply psychological research and methods to the prevention and management of diseases, the promotion and maintenance of health, the. Health psychology is a field of psychology focused on health promotion, as well as on the prevention and treatment of diseases and ailments. Health psychologists also focus on understanding how people react to, cope with, and recover from illness. Some health psychologists work to improve the health care system and the government's approach to health care policies. While these applications were developed without the use of the current framework, they clearly illustrate that medical care with psychological information can be applied in a variety of health domains, that the integration of psychological principles can help care transcend traditional disciplinary boundaries, and that psychologists can operate directly or indirectly (see Table).
Health psychologists apply psychological research and methods to the prevention and treatment of diseases, the promotion and maintenance of health, the identification of psychological factors that contribute to physical illness, the improvement of the health care system, and the formulation of health policies. Rehabilitation psychology is a clinical specialty applied to professional psychology that deals with the treatment and science of chronic and disabling health conditions. According to a group of researchers from the Department of Psychology at the University of Southern Denmark, there is significant untapped potential in psychology, since psychology can contribute to prevention initiatives, treatment of mental health problems and behavioral changes to ensure a healthier lifestyle. Psychologically informed health care can be applied to any of these health domains, and psychological principles can encompass the full spectrum of illness, health and medical care. It describes the dimensions that must be taken into account when developing medical care with psychological information in a specific sector and, therefore, scientists and professionals may consider it useful when developing medical care with psychological information.
The position of these psychological services can vary, as psychologists work through a psychology department or a company, or as members of a multidisciplinary team. Requests for clinical consultation in the field of psychology arise when the patient's psychological stress or the need to change their behavior is detected, but also in response to key events in clinical cardiology, such as the implantation of a pacemaker, the experience of a stroke or difficulties in making decisions on the part of the patient. Counseling psychology is a specialty in the field of psychology in which professionals help individuals, as individuals and groups, to improve their well-being, alleviate their distress, resolve their crises, and increase their capacity to solve problems and make decisions. Conversely, psychologically informed medical care can focus on a variety of health areas, for example, the patient's physical activity or social environment, and the integration of psychological principles can have a beneficial effect on a wider range of health areas beyond mental health. Written by Kendra Cherry, MSed Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, psychology educator and author of the book Everything Psychology.
In the indirect mode, psychologists are committed to integrating psychological principles into the care provided by other health disciplines and helping other health care providers to provide care in a way psychologically informed. Other terms, such as medical psychology and behavioral medicine, are sometimes used interchangeably with the term health psychology. The American Psychological Association defines clinical psychology as “a clinical discipline that involves the provision of diagnostic, evaluation, treatment plan, treatment, prevention and consultation services to patients in emergency rooms, inpatient units and hospital clinics. Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, a psychology educator and author of the book Everything Psychology Book.
