Health Psychology: Theory, Research and Practice

This book has become a classic in the field - sophisticated, accessible and interesting. It is of great use to students, teachers and practitioners of Health Psychology world wide.

This is a remarkable book. It is exceptionally complete, thoughtful, and deep. It avoids the superficial accounting of many texts and does not shy away from controversy. It is fully rooted in today's science of health psychology.

A very nice introductory text that takes a biopsychosocial approach to health and illness, and recognizes the importance of culture, health literacy, and issues such as racism and health inequities/disparities that continue to impact disadvantaged communities.

Like other textbooks, this book provides a comprehensive introduction to the field of health psychology. Unlike other books however, this one takes a holistic-systems approach to health, and uses the novel concept of the Health Onion to do so: The myriad determinants of health are presented as different layers - biological, familial, behavioral, neighborhood, social and cultural - that must be scientifically-examined and peeled away to understand health. Consequently, the book contains many valuable chapters that other textbooks lack, including chapters on macro-level influences (Chapter 2), social justice and social inequality (Chapter 3), and cultural factors (Chapter 4). Moreover, the examples provided to illustrate each layer of the influences on health are global ones, and include health and its psychology in Europe, the USA, Asia, Africa, and elsewhere. This unique approach helps students understand that the health of individuals is a part and product of the family, social-network, neighborhood, and society in which they are embedded. Hence, this revised edition provides an excellent overview of health and of the science of health psychology in their local and larger contexts.