1
Chapter 15: Health Psychology: Challenges for the Future
Chapter 15
Health Psychology: Challenges for the Future
Chapter Outline
I. Health Promotion
A. A Focus on Those at Risk
B. Prevention
C. A Focus on Older Adults
D. Refocusing Health Promotion Efforts
E. Promoting Resilience
F. Health Promotion and Medical Practice
G. Health Disparities
II. Stress and Its Management
A. Where is Stress Research Headed?
III. Health Services
A. Building Better Consumers
IV. Management of Serious Illness
A. Quality-of-Life Assessment
B. The Aging of the Population
V. Trends in Health and Health Psychology
A. The Research of the Future
B. The Changing Nature of Medical Practice
C. Systematic Documentation of Cost Effectiveness and Treatment Effectiveness
D. International Health
VI. Becoming a Health Psychologist
A. Undergraduate Experience
B. Graduate Experience
C. Postgraduate Work
D. Employment
Learning Objectives
1.
2.
Describe the goals of health psychology research in health promotion, including the shift of
focus from mortality to morbidity, the role of environmental hazards that may pose health
risks, and changes in medical practice and research.
Describe the goals of health psychology research in stress and its management, including
Copyright ©2021 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill
Education
2
Chapter 15: Health Psychology: Challenges for the Future
populations at risk, the psychophysiology of stress, and social support.
3. Describe the goals of health psychology research in the use of health services, including
building better consumers.
4. Describe the goals of health psychology research in improving quality of life.
5. Describe the goals of health psychology research in patient-provider communication,
including trends in medical education and care.
6. Describe the goals of health psychology research in chronic illness.
7. Summarize the changing nature of medical practice and technology. Describe the
comprehensive intervention models.
8. Explain the role of health psychology in the systematic documentation of treatment
effectiveness and cost effectiveness.
9. Describe the role of health psychologists in international health.
10. Describe the training requirements for health psychologists and the areas in which they are
employed.
Lecture Suggestions
1.
Health Psychology in the 21st Century
The topics in this chapter may be expanded by discussing various themes and trends. Keefe
and Blumenthal (2004) examine the future of health psychology and highlight several
important themes and trends. The authors focus on behavioral genetics in dealing with
tailoring treatments, the need to make sure that health psychological interventions are
efficient and cost-effective in improving the symptoms and quality of life. Lastly, they
highlight the importance of integrating technology and improving the biopsychosocial
models. Frist (2005) discusses his vision of the health care system in the twenty-first
century and examines current issues with respect to health care such as patient-centered,
consumer-driven, and provider-friendly care. Chesney (1993) discusses five trends in
health psychology: (1) early identification of at-risk individuals, (2) increasing expectations
of successful behavior change programs, (3) growing populations of persons coping with
chronic illness, (4) shifts to community and public health perspectives, and (5) the need to
treat problems on a global scale. These issues are discussed within the context of HIV
infection.
Many health care providers are still unfamiliar with the skills and interventions that
psychologists have to offer, and so a continued collaboration with the medical community
to marry psychological and medical treatments in a patient-centered approach to care is
vital (Johnson, 2012).
Copyright ©2021 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill
Education
3
Chapter 15: Health Psychology: Challenges for the Future
2.
Obesity: A Vision for the Future
In the United States, approximately 42 percent of adults were considered obese in
2017/2018 (CDC, 2019). Overweight and obese individuals are at an increased risk for
several health problems such as hypertension, osteoarthritis, dyslipidemia, Type 2 diabetes,
coronary heart disease, stroke, and some cancers. More importantly, the prevalence of
overweight children has tripled. Overweight children will experience various health
problems during their youth and as adults, and they are more likely to become obese as
adults. The Surgeon General of the United States identifies 15 activities as national
priorities—including education for parents, teachers, and children and also focuses on
increasing physical activity and decreasing sedentary behaviors (USDHHS, 2007). This is
a field where health psychologists can play an important role—in prevention, education,
and treatment.
3.
Health Across the Lifespan
Chen and colleagues (2007) examine cohort differences in self-rated health for preboomer
women (1935–1944) and baby boomer women (1945–1954). Self-rated health was
examined longitudinally, and findings reveal that baby boomers report lower self-rated
health and a more rapid decline per year relative to the preboomers even after adjusting for
demographics, socioeconomic variables, individual differences, health behaviors, chronic
illnesses, and depression. An important area of future efforts for health psychologists are
variations in health and illness related to one’s place in the life span. Of particular interest
are those areas of high morbidity and mortality, such as older adulthood, and periods of
developmental transition, such as childhood, adolescence and young adulthood.
Adolescence, for example, is an important developmental period when health behaviors
may become “embedded.” both behaviorally and biologically (see Dorn et al., 2019 and
Sawyer et al., 2012).
4.
Climate Change and Health Issues
Climate change is likely to have potential impacts on human health. According to the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, human health is affected directly and indirectly by
climate change. Temperature shifts, for example, may differentially influence individuals
based on their socioeconomic status and underlying vulnerability to health problems.
Extreme weather events, as witnessed with Hurricane Katrina, can be very destructive, and
according to the EPA, the frequency and severity of these events will increase. Moreover,
climate-sensitive diseases may appear more frequently in warm areas. These diseases
include malaria, dengue fever, yellow fever, and encephalitis. Together, with warmer
Copyright ©2021 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill
Education
4
Chapter 15: Health Psychology: Challenges for the Future
temperature and more rainfall, transmission of such diseases in some areas may increase.
Air quality problems and respiratory disorders may be more frequent with more smog and
air pollution. Indirect changes will occur through changes in agricultural yields and
production, especially in developing countries, resulting in an increase in the number of
undernourished individuals. Climate change may also add to social disruption, economic
decline, and the displacement of populations. Many of the major fatal illnesses, such as
diarrhoeal diseases, malnutrition, malaria, and dengue, are extremely climate sensitive and
are expected to exacerbate as the climate changes (World Health Organization, 2013).
5.
Cultural Diversity
Taylor identifies the study of health and illness in diverse populations as an important task
for health psychologists. Lewis’s (2002) book, Multicultural Health Psychology: Special
topics acknowledging diversity, addresses a wide range of factors that impact individuals’
health behaviors and their experiences of illness. Whitfield and his colleagues (2003)
review the literature on social (e.g., job status, SES, access to medical care) and cultural
(i.e., factors purposefully transmitted through socialization) variants among a variety of
ethnic minority groups.
6.
International Health Issues
Recently, recommendations were formulated to focus on sustainable and effective health
promotion worldwide (McQueen, 2007). The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is
focusing its attention on international health issues, because illness can no longer be
contained in specific geographic locations. With the globalization of industry has come the
globalization of disease. Piko (2004) discusses the role of health psychology in Eastern
Europe’s public health. Many developing nations, such as China and India, are beginning
to experience the burden of increases in chronic disease (Reddy, Shah, Varghese, &
Ramadoss, 2005), and international attention may be required to offset this dangerous
course (McKay, 2011).
7.
Health Psychology Education
A good website to recommend to students is APA Graduate Education. This site provides
various links to help students explore their options and provide various resources.
Recommended Reading
Copyright ©2021 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill
Education
5
Chapter 15: Health Psychology: Challenges for the Future
1.
2020 Vision: Health in the 21st century. Proceedings of the Institute of Medicine 25th
Anniversary Symposium. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.
The 25th Anniversary Symposium raised many issues and challenges. The presentations in
this volume focus extensively on health and poverty, global health, and the need for
bringing together different disciplines to solve the challenges we will encounter.
2.
Kato, P. M., & Mann, T. (Eds.). (1996). Handbook of Diversity Issues in Health
Psychology. New York: Plenum.
The changing demographics of the United States and related health concerns are the focus
of this volume. The chapters focus on health psychology across the life span and the
influences of gender, sexual orientation, and ethnicity on physical and mental health.
Activities
1.
An interesting topic to discuss in the classroom is health care reform. Do Americans want
national health care? Ask students to access the RAND Corporation website on Health
Care Reform and read some of the research provided. President Obama’s views on health
care reform, including myths and facts about the so-called “Obamacare,” can be found at
https://obamacare.net/obamacare-myths/.
2.
Another pertinent topic to consider for the subject of health in the twenty-first century is to
examine climate change and its effects on health and the environment. The EPA website
includes several governmental reports with which students can become familiar before
discussing.
Videos
1.
Medicine’s Future: There’s an App for That by Daniel Kraft, Available at
https://www.ted.com/talks/daniel_kraft_medicine_s_future_there_s_an_app_for_that?lang
uage=en#t-522028
2.
American Psychological Association, available at www.apa.org

Psychology: Scientific Problem-Solvers Careers for the 21st Century
This is a video designed to capture the interests of today’s youth. The video provides
information about the various areas of psychology, new opportunities in the field, and
ways to pursue a career in psychology.
Copyright ©2021 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill
Education
6
Chapter 15: Health Psychology: Challenges for the Future
3.
Films for the Humanities & Sciences, available at http://ffh.films.com




Meridian Allied Health Series (2007)
This is a video that examines opportunities in the health care industry.
NewsHour Medical Ethics and Issues Anthology (2007)
This video anthology has discussions with health care professionals regarding rising
health care costs, uninsured Americans, longevity and income, a plan to insure
everyone, and other interesting episodes relating to health care.
Health News and Interviews: Nutrition and Obesity Video Clips (2007)
This is a collection of 16 video clips relating to nutrition and obesity.
Diet Confidential: Heavy Marketing With a Dash of Nutrition (2006)
This video is a documentary that explores the media and diets, Americans’ obsession
with slimness and dieting, and the tools used by the media to market new products
and diets.
References
Center for Disease Control (2019). Adult Obesity Facts. Available at
https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/adult.html
Chen, H., Cohen, P., & Kasen, S. (2007). Cohort Differences in Self-rated Health: Evidence from
a Three-decade, Community-based, Longitudinal Study of Women. American Journal of
Epidemiology, 166, 439–446.
Chesney, M. A. (1993). Health Psychology in the 21st Century: Acquired Immunodeficiency
Syndrome as a Harbinger of Things to Come. Health Psychology, 12, 259–268.
Dorn, L. D., Hostinar, C. E., Susman, E. J., & Pervanidou, P. (2019). Conceptualizing Puberty as
a Window of Opportunity for Impacting Health and Well‐Being Across the Life Span.
Journal of Research on Adolescence, 29(1), 155-176.
Frist., W. H. (2005). Health care in the 21st century. The New England Journal of Medicine, 352:
267–272.
Keefe, F. J., & Blumenthal, J. A. (2004). Health Psychology: What Will the Future Bring?
Health Psychology, 23, 157–157.
Lewis, M. K. (2002). Multicultural Health Psychology. Boston, Allyn & Bacon.
Copyright ©2021 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill
Education
7
Chapter 15: Health Psychology: Challenges for the Future
Macera, C. A., Armstead, C. A., & Anderson, N. B. (2000). Sociocultural Influences on Health.
In A. Baum, T. Revenson, & J. Singer (Eds.), Handbook of Health Psychology (pp. 427–
440). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
Piko, B. (2004). Interplay Between Self and Community: A Role for Health Psychology in
Eastern Europe’s Public Health. Journal of Health Psychology, 9, 111–120.
Reddy, K. S., Shah, B., Varghese, C., & Ramadoss, A. (2005). Responding to the threat of
chronic diseases in India. The Lancet, 366(9498), 1744-1749.
Sawyer, S. M., Afifi, R. A., Bearinger, L. H., Blakemore, S. J., Dick, B., Ezeh, A. C., & Patton,
G. C. (2012). Adolescence: a foundation for future health. The Lancet, 379(9826), 16301640.
McQueen, D. V. (2007). Shaping the future of health promotion: priorities for action. Global
Health Promotion, 14(4), 193.
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. (2007). Overweight and Obesity: A Vision for the
Future retrieved on 2/29/08 on
http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/topics/obesity/calltoaction/fact_vision.htm
Whitfield, K., Weidner, G., Clark, R., & Anderson, N. (2003). Cultural Aspects of Health
Psychology. In I. B. Weiner (Series Ed.) & A. M. Nezu, C. M. Nezu, & P. A. Geller (Vol.
Eds.), Handbook of Psychology: Vol. 9, Health Psychology (pp. 545567). Hoboken, NJ:
John Wiley.
Copyright ©2021 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill
Education