Health psychologists work in a relatively new field of applied psychology. Psychological principles are used to promote changes in people’s attitudes, behaviour and thinking about health and illness.The breadth of the discipline is far-reaching, including:

• the use of psychological theories and interventions to prevent damaging behaviours (such as smoking, drug abuse, poor diet), and to change health-related behaviour in community and workplace settings;

• promoting and protecting health by encouraging behaviours such as exercise, healthy dietary choice, teeth brushing, health checks/self examination;

• health-related cognitions; investigating the processes which can explain, predict and change health and illness behaviours;

• processes influencing health care delivery; the nature and effects of communication between health care practitioners and patients, including interventions to improve communication,

• facilitate adherence, prepare for stressful medical procedures and so on;

• psychological aspects of illness; looking at the psychological impact of acute and chronic illness on individuals, families and carers. Psychological interventions may be used to help promote self-management, facilitate coping with pain or illness, to improve quality of life, and to reduce disability and handicap.

Where?

Health psychologists are represented in a number of settings, such as hospitals, academic health research units, health authorities and university departments.They may deal with problems identified by health care agencies, including NHS Trusts and Health Authorities, health professionals such as GPs, nurses and rehabilitation therapists, and organisations and employers outside the health care system.

Psychology graduates can also use their skills in clinical audit in health services (also called quality improvement).The work is with health clinicians and health service managers, in putting research evidence into practice. Staff are supported in measuring their activities and implementing appropriate improvements.

How?

Qualifications and training

Those who began their training after September 2001 will be required to undertake either an accredited MSc or Stage 1 of the Society’s qualifications in Health Psychology, followed by Stage 2. Some accredited courses for Stage 2 should soon be available.

Pay, prospects and conditions

Over the past 10 years there has been a significant increase in the number of lectureships in health psychology in universities and medical and nurse training schools.This is also reflected in the considerable growth in research into social and behavioural factors in health.

Posts are not necessarily advertised as being for ‘health psychologists’. Employers may request applications from psychologists with the relevant skills to work in the health area, such as clinical or counselling psychologists, or from health professionals in general.

Posts may be advertised in the Society’s Appointments Memorandum as well as in national newspapers such as The
Guardian and The Independent. Pay and employment conditions vary with the employer and nature of the contract. Health psychologists may not necessarily stay with the same type of employer, an individual may move from a university to a health authority, and vice versa. There may also be joint appointments between universities and health service units or trusts.

Research contracts are frequently paid on University Academic and Related Staff Scales, with Grade 1B scales (currently £17,000) for graduate researchers and Grade 1A scales (currently up to £25,000) for post doctoral researchers. Higher scales (Grades 2 and 3) are available for career-level professional researchers, with salaries of up to £31,000 for Grade 2, and up to £37,000 for Grade 3.