AN INTRODUCTION TO HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY

Medical or Health Psychology is a specialty concerned with how biology, behavior, and social factors influence health and wellness. It came into existence in recent years as science developed more evidence that we are truly a body-mind. Every cell in the body is affected by our thoughts and emotions. We now know that most chronic (and often even acute) illnesses are influenced by our thoughts, personalities, and behaviors.

Emotional states directly affect physical immunity through production of stress hormones, such as the catecholamines and glucocorticoids. There is also evidence that negative psychological states lead to faster disease progression in certain diseases (such as HIV and heart disease) and may also indirectly affect disease processes through their influence on health behaviors. For example, depression has been related to many risk factors such as smoking, physical inactivity, poor diet, and medication non-compliance. Health psychologists help healthy people stay healthy and help patients adhere to disease management regimens. This is accomplished in a variety of ways:

PREVENTION
Health psychologists are educators and coaches, helping clients recognize risk factors and maintain healthy lifestyles.

EMOTIONAL INFLUENCE OF DISEASE
When serious illness occurs, lives are dramatically affected. An individual who is injured, may have practical issues to contend with that in turn, affect their psychological wellbeing. Who will take care of them while they recover? How will they pay for bills or care for dependents? What if they can no longer be self-reliant? How do they handle new limitations? When there is little hope of recovery, psychologists can help preserve quality of life for both patient and loved ones.

DOCTOR � PATIENT COMMUNICATION
Health psychologists aid the process of communication between doctors and patients, helping patients formulate questions for their physicians, translate medical jargon for the patient, and help the patient process information and consider options.

BEHAVIORAL HEALTH and PATIENT COMPLIANCE
Helping people follow medical advice and adhere to treatment regimens is an important role for medical psychologists. Whether it involves lifestyle changes such as diet and exercise, or remembering to take prescribed medications, psychologists can help improve compliance.

SYMPTOM MANAGEMENT
Managing pain or minimizing/eliminating other distressing symptoms can often be accomplished by teaching patients relaxation, stress management, guided imagery, distraction, or other behavioral techniques.

Lee A. Bowers, Ph.D. is a behavioral health Psychologist in Villanova, PA. Dr. Bowers can be contacted at: leebowers@comcast.net, 610-520-0443, or visit her website: www.drleebowers.com.