Health-

Health is a state of physical, mental and social well-being of an individual and not merely
absence of a disease or infirmity. Health was initially considered as the physical wellness of an
individual; however, today the horizons have broadened and this term includes mental wellness
along with physical wellness. The World Health Organization (WHO) has given a definition of
health as 'a state of physical, social and mental well being of an individual and not just a mere
absence of diseases.'
Health is a state of complete physical mental and social well-being. It's not only the absence of
disease.A person is said to be healthy when he/she is free of any type of disease
(infectious/deficiency) when he/she is mentally happy and healthy, and when his/her social
relationships are healthy in society. Hence, to have a healthy life one has to be physically,
mentally, and socially complete.
Health and psychology-
Health psychology focuses on how biological, social and psychological factors influence health
and illness. Health psychologists study how patients handle illness, why some people don’t
follow medical advice and the most effective ways to control pain or change poor health habits.
They also develop health care strategies that foster emotional and physical well-being.
Well-being-
Well-being is the experience of health, happiness, and prosperity. It includes having good mental
health, high life satisfaction, a sense of meaning or purpose, and the ability to manage stress.
More generally, well-being is just feeling well. Well-being is something sought by just about
everyone because it includes so many positive things-feeling happy, healthy, socially connected,
and purposeful.

 Emotional Well-Being- The ability to practice stress-management and relaxation

techniques, be resilient, boost self-love, and generate the emotions that lead to good feelings.
 Physical Well-Being- The ability to improve the functioning of your body through healthy
living and good exercise habits.
 Social Well-Being.-The ability to communicate, develop meaningful relationships with others,
and maintain a support network that helps you overcomes loneliness.
 Psychological well-being- It is a core feature of mental health, and may be defined as
including hedonic (enjoyment, pleasure) and eudaimonic (meaning, fulfillment) happiness, as
well as resilience (coping, emotion regulation, healthy problem solving).
Types of psychological wellbeing

1. The term “Hedonic” wellbeing is normally used to refer to the subjective feelings of
happiness. It comprises of two components, an affective component (high positive
affect and low negative affect) and a cognitive component (satisfaction with life). It is
proposed that an individual experiences happiness when positive affect and
satisfaction with life are both high (Carruthers & Hood, 2004).
2. The less well-known term, “Eudaimonic” wellbeing is used to refer to the purposeful
aspect of PWB. The psychologist Carol Ryff has developed a very clear model that
breaks down Eudaimonic wellbeing into six key types of psychological wellbeing.
 Role of psychology in heath-
Advances in the biomedical and the behavioral sciences have paved the way for the integration
of medical practice towards the biopsychosocial approach. Therefore, dealing with health and
illness overtakes looking for the presence or absence of the disease and infirmity (the biomedical
paradigm) to the biopsychosocial paradigm in which health means a state of complete physical,
psychological and social well-being. Psychology as a behavioral health discipline is the key to
the biopsychosocial practice, and plays a major role in understanding the concept of health and
illness. The clinical role of psychologists as health providers is diverse with the varying areas of
care giving (primary, secondary and tertiary care) and a variety of subspecialties.
Advances in psychological, medical, and physiological research have led to a new way of
thinking about health and illness. This is reflected in the biopsychosocial model that views health
and illness as the product of a combination of factors including biological characteristics (e.g.
genetic predisposition), behavioral factors, (e.g. lifestyle, stress, health beliefs) and social
conditions (e.g. cultural influences, family relationships and social support). This
conceptualization of health and illness has many scientific and practical benefits.

PSYCHOLOGISTS AND THE HEALTH CARE

The services of the health care psychologist would be required in the following areas.
Primary care
To provide important diagnostic interventions, and preventive services for the psychological
problems in primary health care, illness prevention, and behavioral health promotion.
Secondary care
To give psychological assessments and diagnoses, psychological treatments, and rehabilitation.
These services are provided to a variety of age groups and special groups of patients. These
would include children, adolescents, adults, the elderly, and people with special needs such as
those with learning disabilities, the brain-damaged, and the mentally retarded.
Tertiary care
A psychologist is a member of the treatment team caring for the psychological aspects of patients
suffering from acute and chronic life-threatening diseases such as cancer, respiratory and renal
disease. In addition, the role of clinical neuropsychologist in the identification, assessment,
patient care and cognitive rehabilitation of brain-damaged patients is increasing.
PSYCHOLOGISTS’ ROLES IN HOSPITALS AND OTHER MEDICAL CENTERS
Psychologists in hospitals and other health care facilities may work independently, or as a part of
a team. First as clinical psychologists, they are mental health providers and usually render
service through mental health units and psychiatric hospitals. Second, as health or medical
psychologists, they are behavioral health providers and deal with the behavioral dimensions of
the physical health and illness. They provide the clinical and health services to both inpatient and
outpatient units as well as to patients who function independently and to those new patients who
need evaluation.
Assessment
One of the core roles of psychologists in hospitals and primary health care is clinical assessment.
They use psychological tests and measurements for specific purposes. For instance, to assess
current functioning in order to make diagnoses (e.g., confirmation or refutation the clinical
impression and differential diagnosis of the abnormal behavior such as depression, psychosis,
personality disorders, dementia etc. and non-psychiatric issues e.g. relationship conflicts,
compliance, learning differences, educational potential, career interest etc); identify the treatment
needs, assign appropriate treatment and give prognosis, monitor treatment over time, and
ascertain risk management. Professional psychologists are the only mental and physical health
professionals who have the legal right to use, administer, and interpret the psychological
assessments.
Treatment
A major activity engaged in by psychologists in delivering health care is intervention or
treatment, providing a wide variety of clinical interventions for individuals, groups, couples, and
families with physical and mental health problems. These interventions are directed at
preventing, treating, and correcting emotional conflicts, personality disturbances,
psychopathology, and the skill deficits underlying human distress and dysfunction.8 They
provide a variety of psychological interventions such as cognitive behavior therapy; behavioral
modification; family and couple therapy; biofeedback; rehabilitation; group psychotherapy;
psychoanalysis; client-centered therapy; pain management; neuropsychological rehabilitation;
interpersonal psychotherapy etc.
Consultations
Many psychologists provide psychological consultation for health care professionals,
businesspersons, schools, organizations, communities etc. For example, a psychologist may help
a physician to better manage noncompliance with unpleasant medical procedure. A businessman
may consult a psychologist to help reduce conflicts among workers or provide stress
management. Psychologists’ consultation might include assessment, teaching, research, and
therapy.
Administrative Privileges
As experts in human behavior, psychologists are considered as efficient and competent
administrators. Because the understanding of human behavior in social contexts is considered the
backbone of management, therefore psychologists find themselves in administrative positions in
hospitals and other residential treatment settings. Clinicians from psychology serve as
chairpersons of departments, units, or divisions in hospitals e.g. neuropsychology, mental health,
rehabilitation, and occupational health.
THE PRACTICAL ISSUES IN PSYCHOLOGY
Educational Qualification
A licensed clinical health psychologist must possess a bachelor degree in psychology. It should
include courses on the development of human beings, personality, individual differences, normal
and abnormal behavior, biological, cognitive, social and cultural aspects, psychometric and
psychological testing, experimental designs and statistics, as well as internship in clinical work.
Postgraduate studies (MS and PhD) in clinical or health psychology are necessary and
mandatory.
Professional and practice issues
As a profession, psychology is represented in virtually every health care delivery system.
Therefore, in state and federal programs and in most communities throughout the United States,
psychologists are recognized as providing needed, valuable and cost effective health
services. The USA psychologists, however, are recognized as members of the hospital medical
staff with full privileges. They have recently had certain codes on the Current Procedural
Technology in order to provide the psychological care (behavioral health assessments and
interventions) to patients with physical diagnosis, rather than just mental health diagnosis.
Moreover, some United States granted prescription privileges to psychologists to prescribe
psychotropic medications.
Ethical issue
Psychologists like other health providers have ethical principles and code of conduct. This
consists of: (a) general principles (e.g. competence, integrity, professional and scientific
responsibility, respect for people's rights and dignity, concern for the welfare of others and social
responsibility); and (b) specific ethical standards related to their role with their patients and
experiments.
Benefits of Psychology-
Psychologists, more commonly known as therapists or counselors, are mental health
professionals that specialize in human behavior. They are highly experienced in helping people
to improve negative symptoms associated with mental health. They primarily use a technique
called, psychotherapy, or talk therapy, to learn more about their patients, explore hard topics, and
eventually encourage personal growth. There are many benefits of seeing a psychologist, here
are some of the top benefits:
Allows You to Explore Ideas in a Safe Space
Psychotherapy gives you an appropriate place to explore problem areas in your life. Everything
you say is confidential, so you can express things honestly without the worry of offending or
hurting someone. Therapy also allows you a safe space to process your emotions about a
particular person or situation. Depending on your situation, a psychologist may ask you about the
past or present trauma, the death of a loved one, medical illness, difficulties with everyday life,
or about your mental disorder.
Provides a New Perspective
Often times when something is bothering us, we tend to see things from one side only. Especially
in situations where we feel we have been wronged or in cases where depression and anxiety
distort things, it may be hard for us to process the reality of the situation. Seeing a therapist
provides you with a fresh, unbiased evaluation of the situation. Because they are new to the
situation, they are often able to identify things that you missed.
Identify and Eliminate Bad Habits
Everyone has bad habits. While therapy cannot completely eliminate these habits, it can help you
to recognize them. Once you recognize them, you can work on determining the trigger for the
behavior, and try to reduce its effect on you. This will help reduce the frequency of practicing
bad habits. At the very least, you may be able to identify when you need to take a step back from
something or need to ask for help.
Help With the Future
Working on yourself in the present will inevitably benefit your future. Therapy can help you with
future events by helping to mentally prepare for them. This is especially helpful if the event is
expected to be excessively stressful or emotional. Discussing the event ahead of time allows you
and your therapist to come up with a plan and appropriate exit strategies if needed.
Changes in the Brain
Psychotherapy can actually change the way you think and the way your brain works. According
to the American Psychiatric Association, changes in the brain are noticeable after people undergo
psychotherapy, especially in those with depression, panic disorder, PTSD, and other mental
disorders. Research has found that most of these changes are about the same as in people who
take medication to manage their mental health.
As you can see, psychology is highly beneficial for people looking to improve their mental
health. All these benefits can improve not only your mental health but your overall quality of
life.