This fully updated concise introduction guides the reader through the core issues in health psychology research and practice. The integrated and interactive approach, combined with full online support and comprehensive coverage, make the book an ideal companion for courses in health psychology.

The new edition of Health Psychology is the perfect introduction to this rapidly developing field. Throughout the book, the psychological processes that shape health-related behaviors, and affect core functions such as the immune and cardiovascular systems, are clearly explained. These relationships provide the foundation for psychological interventions which can change cognition, perception and behavior, thereby improving health.

The book is split into five sections, and builds to provide a comprehensive overview of the field:

• the biological basis of health and illness
• stress and health
• coping resources: social support and individual differences
• motivation and behavior
• relating to patients

Extensively revised to include new material on behavioral change, the role of stress, resilience and social support, recovery from work, and the care of people with chronic disease, the book also includes a range of features which highlight key issues, and engage readers in applying what we have learned from research.

This is essential reading for any undergraduates studying this exciting field for the first time, and the perfect primer for those embarking on postgraduate study.