Health psychology

What is health psychology?

Health psychologists are specialists in health behaviour change. Health psychology investigates the links between psychological and social factors, and physical health in order to improve health and prevent illness.

Health psychologists practise in two main areas - health promotion and clinical health psychology. Health promotion involves the prevention of illness and the promotion of health-related behaviours. Clinical health psychology involves the application of psychological principles to the assessment and treatment of illness, and to rehabilitation.

Areas of specialisation

Health promotion

• This field aims to promote positive health behaviours and reduce harmful health behaviours such as poor dietary habits, smoking, alcohol and other drug abuse, and physical inactivity. It aims to reduce risk factors associated with chronic conditions such as obesity, heart disease, diabetes, stroke, cancer and injuries.
• Health psychologists work with other health professionals and advise on attitudes, beliefs and behaviours that contribute to ill health, and how they might be changed (e.g., programs to assist people who overeat or eat a high fat diet).
• Health psychologists design public health programs in areas such as behaviour change related to exercise, alcohol, cigarettes, drug consumption, and injury and cancer prevention (e.g., ‘SunSmart', ‘Life. Be in it').
• Health psychologists work with community members and professionals to improve health and wellbeing by estimating the distribution of disease, health behaviour and modifiable determinants.

Clinical health psychology

• Health psychologists specialise in developing education and behaviour change programs to help people to recover from or self-manage chronic illness, trauma or disability.
• Psychological treatments also reduce problems that can accompany and contribute to illness and injury, such as chronic pain, addiction, poor sleep, eating problems, anxiety, depression and emotional reactions such as anger and grief.
• Health psychologists help people to cope with the diagnosis and medical treatment of acute health problems and to obtain medical care.
• Health psychologists assist people to cope with terminal illness, including the impact of loss, bereavement, death and dying.
• Health psychologists design and test interventions to improve health systems and relationships between health professionals, doctors, nurses and psychologists, and monitor impacts on health determinants that encourage recovery from illness and injury.

Skills of health psychologists

Health psychologists have knowledge and skills in the following areas:

• Developing and evaluating interventions that can enhance health and wellbeing, including treatments that can help people to cope with illness or associated problems (e.g., facilitating friends and family to help with recovery)
• Understanding how psychological and behavioural factors interact with the physical systems of the body and social factors to influence health and illness
• Quantifying the extent and type of health problems experienced by various groups in Australia
• Understanding the way that people behave or the underlying attitudes that put their health at risk and how they might change these behaviours to prevent illness and promote health
• Identifying the psychological impact of illness.

Qualifications and registration

Health psychologists are specialist psychologists who have usually completed a minimum of six years full-time university training. This includes, but is not restricted to, four years undergraduate training in psychology and two years of approved postgraduate studies in health psychology, plus further supervised practice as a health psychologist.

All psychologists are legally required to be registered with the Psychologist Registration Board in their State or Territory, and as of 2010, a national registration board. This is to ensure that they meet specified standards of competence and ethical practice.

In addition, psychologists follow strict guidelines for professional conduct that cover client privacy and confidentiality. Ethical codes are set and monitored by the APS and have been developed to safeguard the welfare of recipients of psychological services
and the integrity of the psychology profession.

APS College of Health Psychologists

In addition to the required postgraduate training outlined above (except where a Doctorate in health psychology has been completed), 80 hours of College-stipulated activities within a 12 to 36 month period are required to become a member of the APS College of Health Psychologists. To remain a member of the College, practitioners are required to undertake a program of continuing professional development, with a particular focus on health psychology.

For information regarding the College go to www.groups.psychology.org.au/chp/.

Locating a health psychologist

Health psychologists often work in the public health sector, generally in larger hospitals, community health centres, rehabilitation centres, health policy offices and other public health facilities. They also work in universities, health education organisations and research institutions.

To locate a health psychologist:

• Use the APS online referral service ‘Find a Psychologist' (www.findapsychologist.org.au) by performing a search and selecting issues under the relevant categories.
• Look for the APS listing under ‘psychologists' in the Yellow Pages.
• Speak to your doctor and ask for a referral.