Health psychology

In this chapter the following is addressed: 1. Clarify the rationale for the existence of health psychology as a discipline and all it aims to achieve. 2. Define health psychology and all important aspects of the philosophy underlying the discipline. 3. Give a description of the different models used to understand health psychology as a discipline. 4. Outline people's views of health and illness both at the personal and cultural levels. 5. See the interconnection between mind and body. 6. Define health as opposed to illness. 7. Know about lifestyle diseases associated with health behaviour in the context of the attributions made of such lifestyles to health. 8. Outline the objectives of health psychology as discipline and its future as a profession.