Health Psychology focuses on how biology, psychology, behavior, and social factors influence health and illness. While the field has only been formally recognized for approximately 50 years, it has established itself as a major scientific and clinical discipline. The primary reason for this is that here have been a number of significant advances in psychological, medical, and physiological research that has led to the development of biopsychosocial model. This model views health and illness as the product of a combination of factors including biological characteristics (e.g., genetics), behavioral factors (e.g., lifestyle, health beliefs), and social conditions (e.g., cultural influences, family relationships, social support).
The Wiley Encyclopedia of Health Psychology will serve as a comprehensive resource set for college and university libraries as well as for professional psychologists and other health care professionals interested in the relationship of psychological and physical well being. The set will be organized thematically as an A to Z reference encyclopedia across 4 volumes. Ultimately, the Wiley Encyclopedia of Health Psychology will provide a concise overview of the field, which is much needed given the diversity of this ever-expanding multidisciplinary field.
