Exploring Health Psychology

Exploring Health Psychology provides comprehensive yet student-friendly coverage of both traditional topics in the field and important contemporary issues relating to reproductive, sexual, and psychological health. Using an informal, sometimes humorous narrative, the authors engage students of all interest levels, abilities, and learning styles by emphasizing the application of health and wellbeing psychology in their daily lives. Balancing depth and accessibly, each chapter describes the body systems relevant to a particular topic, incorporates up-to-date information and research, and contains relatable examples, real-world applications, compelling discussion and review questions, personal stories and vignettes, a running glossary, and more.

Broad in scope, Exploring Health Psychology examines the interactions between biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors in psychological disorders and discusses their psychological and medical treatment. Critical psychological health issues such as anxiety and depression, the health of sexual and gender minorities, and the psychological dangers and pitfalls of the digital age are addressed to meet the needs of today’s students. An array of active learning features based on the SQ4R pedagogy—Survey, Question, Read, Recite, Reflect, and Review—enables students to take an active role in the learning process, develop effective study habits, strengthen critical and scientific thinking, and comprehend, retain, and apply the material.

Preface vii

About the Authors xiii

1 Foundations of Health Psychology 1

2 Theories of Health Behavior: Adherence and Change 33

3 The Healthcare System 58

4 Stress and the Immune System 87

5 Resilience and Coping 123

6 Understanding and Managing Pain 155

7 The Digestive System, Nutrition, Weight, and Eating Disorders 184

8 Physical Activity, Sleep, Violence, and Accidents 216

9 Substance Use and Abuse 250

10 Reproductive and Sexual Health 281

11 Psychological Health 319

12 Cardiovascular Health 348

13 Cancer 381

14 Chronic Diseases and End-of-Life Issues 402

15 New Directions in Health Psychology 424

References R-1

Index I-1