Product Description

An Introduction to Health Psychology presents theory through an appreciation of how society and culture impact in practice. It focuses on three broad themes:

• Health, health behaviour and staying healthy
• Becoming ill and using healthcare
• Being ill and the impact on the individual and their families.

The book covers all mainstream health psychology topics and also provides coverage of crucial contemporary issues such as cross-cultural dimensions of health and illness. Chapters are structured logically and explanation delivered with real clarity.

This is the book that will engage and teach students in an entirely new way. 

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #250128 in Books
• Published on: 2005-11-15
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 619 pages

Review

“…this is one of the best Health Psychology texts I have read in a while”

Anne Whyte, Liverpool John Moores University

“Health psychology examines the determinants of health, illness and sick-role behaviours, in an attempt to inform interventions designed to modify such behaviours where required. The Morrison book provides information on all the aspects of health psychology, whereas information about applying knowledge to intervention design is lacking from the [competitor] book.”

[On relating health psychology to real life]

“I think the Morrison book is better on this aspect – the main reason why I prefer the Morrison book... Morrison includes a chapter on health inequalities and chapters on putting health psychology into practice. These topics are not covered in much detail in the [competitor] book.”

Martin Dempster, Queens University Belfast.

“I particularly like the inclusion of chapters dealing with health inequalities and population approaches to public health as specific areas of relevance to Health Psychologists. These areas are frequently subsumed within other topics in Health Psychology texts and, therefore, sometimes do not receive the attention they deserve.”

“The text is one of the best I have read in terms of placing theory clearly within society and highlighting the role of culture in health. I fully expect it to encourage students to put research into practice, either on a personal level (by providing detailed information on changing individual health behaviours), or on a professional level by encouraging students to study Health Psychology at Masters level.”

“I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, particularly because it has been written from a UK perspective while maintaining and international examination of the research literature. The continuity of themes across chapters and sections will lead students through what can be very complex conceptual models thereby enhancing their learning experience. The use of definitions, diagrams and some very amusing illustrations provides additional depth to the text. The content and tone of the book is ideal for undergraduate students and would provide a great introduction to the topic for those considering studying Health Psychology at postgraduate level. When published I will certainly be recommending it to my students.”

Anne Whyte, Liverpool John Moores University

“In its consideration of the social context and its coverage of practical issues facing  health psychologists, I think this book clearly has the edge over competing UK texts”

“This book is also highly topical and provides a good theoretical basis as well as excellent consideration of practical applied issues.”

Fiona Jones, University of Leeds

Dr Fiona Jones, University of Leeds
This book is highly topical and provides a good theoretical basis as well as excellent consideration of practical applied issues.

From the Inside Flap
- Multiple choice questions to help test your learning
- Links to relevant sites on the web
- Searchable glossary to explain key terms
- Flashcards to test your knowledge of key terms and definitions

Customer Reviews

A superb text for researchers, students, or anyone with an interest
This text gives thorough coverage to all the core health psychology concepts. Its straightforward style and clear organisation make it a joy to read, even for the non-specialist. Morrison and Bennett discuss so much recent research as to make this a worthy addition to anyone's reference book shelf. The best health psych text I've come across.

Intro to Health Psych
This is an excellent text - just what you actually need from a text book. Thorough coverage of the subject area, written from an academic perspective, yet readable enough for a student (or anyone else for that matter) to be able to actually LEARN from it!

Book Review: An Introduction to Health Psychology
This textbook really is excellent. The layout is clear and the content easy to read. All aspects of health psychology are covered hence it will be a useful resource to all: students, researchers, clinicians, in fact anyone wishing to expand their knowledge in health psychology. The clear structure of each chapter including explanations of important issues, the theory behind them, current research base, and possible applications and interventions add not only to deeper understanding, but also show how important and relevant health psychology has become. `Research focus', `What do you think?', and `In the spotlight' sections supplementing the main text further promote the learning experience and allow the reader to fully reflect on the issues at hand whilst at the same time drawing attention to the most up to date research evidence.