Public Health and Health Psychology Theoretical Commonalities

One of the course's first assignments, Social and Behavioral, core entailed exploration of public health professional opportunities, assumptions about the field and the basics of health behavior theory. 

As a past health psychology student, it is a pleasure to know that I can apply some of those theories to health promotion and education. I would like to focus on the connection between health psychology and public health.

I found a questionnaire featuring CDC's Dr. Rodney Hammond. He discussed the relationship between psychology and public health. Hammond was director of the CDC's Division of Violence Prevention, a position that relied heavily on his psychology expertise. His work involved epidemiology, development of evidence-based prevention strategies and community capacity building.

Dr. Hammond's statement (above) is quite profound. Throughout this course, I will be studying, analyzing and at some point apply health behavior theories.

According to Simon and Bennett (2004), public health has both implicitly and explicitly applied social and behavioral psychology theories to program planning and prevention strategies. Health communication, environmental health, behavior in relation to health promotion participation and empowerment. Psychology theories provide structural approaches to prevention through emphasis on barriers, cues and benefits that encourage or discourage a health behavior. 

I am elated that the CDC oversees the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). This institute strives to promote the application of psychology, particularly through Occupational Health Psychology. The inception of this field occurred after psychologists urged that the psychology field needs a proactive role in public health practice to prevent stress, illness and injury, especially regarding occupation. This is one major example of how psychology is being used in a major sector of public health. Thanks to the accomplishments of those like Dr. Hammond, we see these theories effectively applied as prevention strategies and program agendas materialize.  


References:

Rodney Hammond's Interview

Murphy, s., & Bennett, p. (2004). Health psychology and public health: Theoretical possibilities (English). Journal Of Health Psychology, 9(1), 13-27.

http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/ohp/