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Health Psychology
Understanding the Mind-Body Connection

Fourth Edition
August 2025 | 640 pages | SAGE Publications, Inc
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Health Psychology: Understanding the Mind-Body Connection by Catherine A. Sanderson provides an exceptionally clear overview of the field by connecting foundational concepts with cutting-edge research and real-life applications. Now available with the Vantage learning platform, every chapter is thoroughly updated with 30+ new references to reflect changes since the COVID-19 pandemic with a special emphasis on social determinants of health. Recent studies look at topics such as the role of TikTok and other social media platforms in shaping health-related behavior, the influence of anti-transgender laws on suicide attempts, the role of neighborhood green space in preventing chronic illness, and the impact of having good relationships on longevity. Continuing her emphasis on the importance of research methods, the author has updated every Research in Action feature, addressing questions such as Do celebrities help or harm health-related behavior? and Are presidential elections bad for your heart? Finally, the feature Applying Health Psychology to Your Own Life invites students to try highly relevant research-supported strategies for themselves. 
 
Preface
 
Acknowledgments
 
About the Author
 
Chapter 1: Introduction
Understanding Health Psychology

 
The History of Health Psychology

 
Understanding and Explaining Health Disparities

 
Current Challenges Facing the Field of Health Psychology

 
Working in Health Psychology

 
Summary

 
 
Chapter 2: Research Methods
Conducting Research in Health Psychology

 
Understanding Descriptive Research Methods

 
Understanding Experimental Research Methods

 
Understanding Epidemiological Research Methods

 
Evaluating Research Methods

 
Summary

 
Key Terms

 
 
Chapter 3: Theories of Health Behavior
Continuum Theories of Health Behavior

 
Understanding Learning Theories

 
Stage Models of Health Behavior Change

 
Creating Health Behavior Change

 
Personalized Health-Promotion Messages

 
Summary

 
Key Terms

 
 
Chapter 4: Understanding Stress
Sources of Stress

 
Measuring Stress

 
Models of the Stress Response

 
Physical Consequences of Stress

 
Additional Effects of Stress on Health

 
Summary

 
Key Terms

 
 
Chapter 5: Managing Stress
The Impact of Coping Styles

 
The Role of Personality

 
The Power of Social Support

 
The Influence of Religion and Spirituality

 
Strategies for Reducing Stress

 
Summary

 
Key Terms

 
 
Chapter 6: Injury and Injury Prevention
Understanding Injury

 
Risk of Injury Across the Lifespan

 
Understanding Unintentional Injury

 
Understanding Intentional Injury

 
Strategies for Preventing Injuries

 
Summary

 
Key Terms

 
 
Chapter 7: Understanding Substance Use and Abuse
Understanding Tobacco Use

 
Understanding Alcohol Use and Abuse

 
Understanding Drug Use

 
Strategies for Preventing Substance Abuse

 
Treating Substance Abuse

 
Summary

 
Key Terms

 
 
Chapter 8: Understanding Healthy Eating and Weight
Understanding Obesity

 
Factors Influencing Weight

 
Reducing Obesity

 
Understanding Disordered Eating

 
Factors Contributing to Disordered Eating

 
Reducing Disordered Eating

 
Summary

 
Key Terms

 
 
Chapter 9: Understanding and Managing Pain
Understanding Pain

 
The Impact of Biological and Psychosocial Factors on Pain

 
Physical Methods of Reducing Pain

 
Psychological Methods of Reducing Pain

 
The Impact of Placebos on Pain

 
Summary

 
Key Terms

 
 
Chapter 10: Understanding and Managing Chronic Illness
Understanding Chronic Diseases

 
Common Types of Chronic Diseases

 
Consequences of Chronic Diseases

 
Factors Influencing Coping with Chronic Disease

 
Strategies for Managing a Chronic Diseases

 
Summary

 
Key Terms

 
 
Chapter 11: Leading Causes of Mortality: Coronary Heart Disease and Cancer
Coronary Heart Disease

 
Psychosocial Factors Contributing to Coronary Heart Disease

 
Strategies for Reducing the Risk of Recurring Heart Attacks

 
Cancer

 
Psychosocial Factors Influencing the Development of Cancer

 
Factors Influencing Coping with Cancer

 
Summary

 
Key Terms

 
 
Chapter 12: Terminal Illness and Bereavement
Coping With a Terminal Diagnosis

 
Managing a Terminal Diagnosis

 
Managing End of Life Care

 
Understanding Bereavement

 
Coping With Bereavement

 
Summary

 
Key Terms

 
 
Chapter 13: Managing Health Care
Health Screening

 
Health Care Utilization

 
The Experience of Hospitalization

 
Health Care Interactions

 
Adherence

 
Summary

 
Key Terms

 
 
Glossary
 
References
 
Index

A wonderful new way of organizing content for reaching important student learning outcomes.

Elizabeth E. Caldwell
University of New Hampshire
Editorial Review

The edition that I reviewed includes attention to racial discrimination on physiological parameters of stress and also links structural inequalities to the reduced lifespan among African Americans. 

H. Russell Searight
Lake Superior University
Editorial Review
Key features
NEW TO THIS EDITION:
  • Available with the Vantage learning platform for the first time, students have access to the full eBook (with highlighting, note-taking, and audiobook capabilities) and a variety of interactive features and study tools. The Test Yourself feature allows students to learn more about their health behaviors, and Knowledge Checks and Chapter Quizzes help students assess their learning, 
  •  A new focus on the power of social determinants of health highlights how nonmedical factors influence about half of all health outcomes. For example, a lack of access to affordable and nutritious foods contributes to obesity, which in turn increases the risk of diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular disease. These social determinants of health help explain key differences in the impact of the COVID pandemic on life expectancy, as well as higher rates of complications and death among Black women during childbirth.
  •  Over 30 new references in each chapter cover a broad array of research and changes in society since the COVID-19 pandemic. 
  • The Research in Action boxes have been updated to cover new research addressing questions such as Does spending time on TikTok increase disordered eating behavior? and Are presidential elections bad for your heart?
  • Updated real-world examples and photos throughout the book highlight issues including the prevalence of drug overdose deaths in celebrities such as Friends star Matthew Perry, the role of TikTok and other social media platforms in shaping health-related behavior, and the influence of anti-transgender laws on suicide attempts.

KEY FEATURES: 
  • An emphasis on research methods throughout the book asks students to consider the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches to conducting research, such as the bias of self reports of exercise behavior and cannabis use. 
  • A Test Yourself measure helps students examine their own scores on the same measures used by researchers, such as their tendency toward optimism, degree of stress they are experiencing, and type of information they prefer to receive from health care providers. Students can fill out each measure seamlessly in Vantage. 
  • An Applying Health Psychology to Your Own Life box in each chapter specific and relatively easy ways for students to use the information presented in their own lives, including strategies for reducing distracted driving, making time for exercise, and getting enough sleep.
  • The author carries forward an emphasis on health psychology's personal relevance for helping students live long and healthy lives. 
  • Multiple data figures in each chapter illustrate specific research findings to help students understand how scientific findings are presented. 
  • Pedagogical support includes bolded key terms, outlines, a comprehensive glossary, chapter summaries, and more.

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