Defining elements

Defining elements

Health psychology is a specialty of psychology. It is a young discipline, the vitality and dynamism of which are beyond doubt, as evidenced by the numerous books, reviews, congresses, seminars, etc., which take place both at international and European level. It is at the heart of societal issues, which makes it particularly relevant.

For Matarazzo, 1st president of the American section:


The characteristics of health psychology come from scientific and experimental psychology, address the psychic aspects of health and illness, and consider the specific impact of psychosocial factors on health.

Sarafino (1990), in her book Health Psychology, assigns to this discipline three fundamental objectives:

promoting healthy behaviors and lifestyles;
disease prevention and treatment;
improving patient care.