Product Description

This introductory text presents a coherent overview of prevalent theories, methods and applications within contemporary health psychology. In particular, it provides a critical analysis of mainstream health psychology by drawing on newer approaches such as discourse, narrative, postmodernism and material discursive analysis. In this way, the largely decontextualized, individualist and cognitively-orientated field of health psychology is brought up to pace with critical developments in other areas such as social psychology. The application of mainstream and newer approaches is logically and critically pursued across a range of substantive areas, and the growing popularity of health psychology is located in the context of the changing organization of health care and the commodification and commercialization of health and lifestyles.

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #496470 in Books
• Published on: 2000-10-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 198 pages

Review
"Critical health psychology does exactly what it says; it encourages a thought-provoking re-examination of our current understanding of health and approaches to health research. Many excellent examples are presented in this book." – British Journal of Psychology (Brit Jnl of Psychology )

About the Author
Dr. Michele L. Crossley is a Lecturer in Psychology at Manchester University Dental School. She has conducted research into the psychological and emotional dimensions of various kinds of health related issues and acted as consultant to a number of health authorities. She is author of Introducing Narrative Psychology: The Self and the Construction of Meaning (2000), also published by Open University Press; Healing Sylvia: Childhood Sexual Abuse and the Construction of Identity (1995); and many publications in international health-related journals.