Health Psychology: A Biopsychosocial Approach

by Richard O. Straub

With Straub’s Health Psychology, students explore the interrelationship of psychological and physical well-being, making meaningful connections between health psychology theory and research and their own everyday experience. Straub explores the main ideas of the field from a biopsychosocial perspective, drawing on the latest research, engaging examples, and thorough considerations of diversity issues as they relate to health psychology (gender, ethnicity, age, orientation).

656 pages, ebook

Published February 15, 2019

Reviews

[Gabrielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, I enjoyed this book! I used this for my upper level undergraduate Society & Health course, complemented by readings of more specific determinants of health readings. Due to the focus of my course, some of the aspects of the book weren’t relevant (eg recommendations specifically to people becoming health psychologists), but that’s to be expected given the focus of the book. I really loved the biopsychosocial lens as it made tor a consistent theory for my students to think through in class discussions and exams.

My biggest point of feedback is it would be great if the author included a sociocultural & structural chapter early on in the book similarly to how he included a biological pathways chapter. This information is embedded throughout the book, but it’d be great to have a chapter dedicated to talking big picture findings tied to gender, race, SES, etc from the start and the *why* behind those findings. Then, once that overarching picture is set, the reader is able to dig deeper in later chapters focused on specific diseases.

Also, it’d be great to have more info on disabilities, especially with the growing focus on disabled people as a health disparity population rather than disabilities being an indicator of health.

[Stephen · Rating 3 out of 5]

An easy introduction to health psych for undergraduates. Not much in the way of advanced theory.