Health Psychology

The new edition of Health Psychology is the perfect introduction to this rapidly developing field. Throughout the book, the psychological processes that shape health-related behaviours, and affect core functions such as the immune and cardiovascular systems, are clearly explained. These relationships provide the foundation for psychological interventions which can change cognition, perception and behaviour, thereby improving health. The book is split into five sections, and builds to provide a comprehensive overview of the field: the biological basis of health and illness stress and health coping resources: social support and individual differences motivation and behaviour relating to patients Extensively revised to include new material on behavioural change, the role of stress, resilience and social support, recovery from work, and the care of people with chronic disease, the book also includes a range of features which highlight key issues, and engage readers in applying what we have learned from research. This is essential reading for any undergraduates studying this exciting field for the first time, and the perfect primer for those embarking on postgraduate study.

Series Preface. Preface. 1. Introduction to health psychology Section 1: Biological bases of health and illness 2. Biopsychosocial pathwaysto health and illness Section 2: Stress and health 3. Stress theory and research 4. Stress and health in context Section 3: Coping resources: social support and individual differences 5. Coping and social support6. Personality and health Section4: Motivation and behaviour 7. Health cognition and health behaviours 8. Changing motivation 9. Changing behaviour Section 5: Relating to patients 10. Relating to patients 11.Future directions, roles and competencies. References. Index

Charles Abraham is Professor of Behaviour Change at the University of Exeter Medical School. Mark Conner is Professor of Applied Social Psychology at the University of Leeds. Fiona Jones is Visiting Senior Research Fellow in the Institute of Psychological Sciences, University of Leeds. Daryl O'Connor is Professor of Psychology at the University of Leeds.