How can psychology improve physical health?
You don't need to be a scientist to understand that receiving the diagnosis of an illness, especially if it is debilitating or potentially fatal, can create turmoil in a person's life and sometimes lead to major life crises. Health psychology can offer coping strategies in such cases and can help prevent mental health issues from arising on the back of physical disease. However, the remit of health psychology goes beyond dealing with the psychological fallout of bodily illness:
"Our behaviour almost always plays a role in maintaining health."
Although there are many different causes of illess, our behaviour almost always plays a role in maintaining health. While there is usually no sure-fire way to protect ourselves completely, we can wash our hands to reduce the spreading of germs, we can wear seatbelts to minimise injury in case of an accident, we can do exercises to strengthen the body, we can follow a treatment regimen correctly, and so on. Since our behaviour plays such an important role in keeping healthy, and since behaviour is the subject of psychology, the relatively new sub-discipline of Health Psychology is becoming more and more valued for offering evidence-based methods to improve public and personal health.
"Clearly, giving good information is not enough."
How does it work?
Consider this example: a middle-aged man seeks help from a doctor because he finds himself short of breath easily. The doctor diagnoses COPD, an inflammatory lung disease that requires continuous treatment to prevent the illness from becoming worse. There is currently no cure - but giving up smoking, doing lung exercises and sticking to the prescribed medicines could make the difference between him leading a nearly-normal life, and a life in a wheelchair with nasal prongs for oxygen. One would assume that the man will stick to the doctor's recommendations as best he can to keep his current health state from deteriorating. Why is it, then, that there is a fair chance he won't do his exercises, that he gets careless about taking his medication, and that he may not even try to quit smoking or seek help with smoking cessation? What would he need in order to stay as healthy as he can be?
"A new self-perception can be fostered:
one of being stronger, more able and more autonomous."
Clearly, giving him information will not be enough - even if this information is well-researched and expertly targeted to his "demographic". Scaring him about the harrowing consequences of continuing life as usual is proven to be even less effective (and also not very nice). To help him improve his health (behaviours), a health psychologist would, for example, want to know what really matters to him in his life, what he perceives as being worthy of him fighting for his health, what he thinks about the medication that he has been prescribed, and how much he feels in control of his situation. Then, any misconceptions he held can be corrected, his behaviours can be aligned with his own priorities in life (and more often than not, these benefit from being as healthy as possible), and a new self-perception can be fostered - one of being stronger, more able and more autonomous.
"Even a poster, leaflet or website can have a real impact if it has the right 'active ingredients'."
Is it applicable to your project?
Health Psychology methods are appliable at any level: from one-to-one client-centered appointments, to multinational healthcare campaigns. Of course, more personal and interactive interventions tend to have a more profound and lasting effect on people's health behaviour, but even a poster, leaflet or website can have a real impact if it has the right "active ingredients" presented in the right way.
Whatever your goal in the healthcare world: Health Psychology can help you add unique value to your service or campaign and get on top of difficult health conditions.
Do you have any questions or ideas, or would you like to find out more about Health Psychology? Contact me!
