Grounded in Engel’s biopsychosocial model, Health Psychology emphasizes the intricate relationship between psychological processes and health. Going beyond medical models, it advocates for holistic and multifaceted strategies to address a wide range of healthcare needs, which requires expert knowledge and analysis of the psychosocial context in which they may emerge. This integration involves understanding the interplay between psychological factors - such as stress, behavior, emotions and cognition – and contextual factors in influencing physical health and wellbeing, thereby enabling practitioners to develop more effective interventions tailored to specific settings.
The concept of "care" in its psychological and bio-psycho-social dimensions extends beyond merely treating and preventing diseases. It involves promoting health and abilities, empowerment, well-being, and participation at both individual and collective levels. A health system oriented towards health promotion is participatory and shared, actively and systematically involving people and communities in managing health and personal and social development. A health system like this must offer accessibility, timeliness, and effectiveness while integrating psychological and psychosocial services. Additionally, it should combine these elements with other dimensions of care, as well as human and social promotion within the community.
The current public health context is undeniably complex, making an integrated approach more essential than ever. This landscape consistently integrates disciplines from various scientific fields, incorporating diverse practices and forms of social intervention. Collective health includes a wide range of technical, scientific, cultural, ideological, political, and economic practices, developed not only in academia but also within health institutions, civil society organizations, and research institutes. From this perspective, it fosters transdisciplinary, multiprofessional, interinstitutional, and intersectoral practices.
In this context, this Research Topic aims to explore how Health Psychology interventions can promote a comprehensive model of care tailored to contextual needs. It seeks to stimulate discussion about how Health Psychology can maintain a transformative commitment that integrates theory and practice in a dynamic and contextual manner, making implicit epistemologies and methodologies explicit in daily practices.
We welcome theoretical and empirical contributions from both experts and young scientists who work in the field of Health Psychology, exploring the influence of institutional knowledge and organizational dynamics in Health Psychology interventions, in contexts such as hospitals, primary health care, territorial care, communities, schools, and public and private organizations. This Research Topic is interdisciplinary and open to all research methodologies. Submissions of related hypotheses, original research articles, case reports, perspectives, reviews, opinions, and commentaries are welcome. We hope that this Research Topic will contribute to enhancing an in-depth analysis of these cultures and highlight the need to maintain an open and dynamic epistemological tension, emphasizing a continuous engagement between practice and evolving knowledge.
Grounded in Engel’s biopsychosocial model, Health Psychology emphasizes the intricate relationship between psychological processes and health. Going beyond medical models, it advocates for holistic and multifaceted strategies to address a wide range of healthcare needs, which requires expert knowledge and analysis of the psychosocial context in which they may emerge. This integration involves understanding the interplay between psychological factors - such as stress, behavior, emotions and cognition – and contextual factors in influencing physical health and wellbeing, thereby enabling practitioners to develop more effective interventions tailored to specific settings.
The concept of "care" in its psychological and bio-psycho-social dimensions extends beyond merely treating and preventing diseases. It involves promoting health and abilities, empowerment, well-being, and participation at both individual and collective levels. A health system oriented towards health promotion is participatory and shared, actively and systematically involving people and communities in managing health and personal and social development. A health system like this must offer accessibility, timeliness, and effectiveness while integrating psychological and psychosocial services. Additionally, it should combine these elements with other dimensions of care, as well as human and social promotion within the community.
The current public health context is undeniably complex, making an integrated approach more essential than ever. This landscape consistently integrates disciplines from various scientific fields, incorporating diverse practices and forms of social intervention. Collective health includes a wide range of technical, scientific, cultural, ideological, political, and economic practices, developed not only in academia but also within health institutions, civil society organizations, and research institutes. From this perspective, it fosters transdisciplinary, multiprofessional, interinstitutional, and intersectoral practices.
In this context, this Research Topic aims to explore how Health Psychology interventions can promote a comprehensive model of care tailored to contextual needs. It seeks to stimulate discussion about how Health Psychology can maintain a transformative commitment that integrates theory and practice in a dynamic and contextual manner, making implicit epistemologies and methodologies explicit in daily practices.
We welcome theoretical and empirical contributions from both experts and young scientists who work in the field of Health Psychology, exploring the influence of institutional knowledge and organizational dynamics in Health Psychology interventions, in contexts such as hospitals, primary health care, territorial care, communities, schools, and public and private organizations. This Research Topic is interdisciplinary and open to all research methodologies. Submissions of related hypotheses, original research articles, case reports, perspectives, reviews, opinions, and commentaries are welcome. We hope that this Research Topic will contribute to enhancing an in-depth analysis of these cultures and highlight the need to maintain an open and dynamic epistemological tension, emphasizing a continuous engagement between practice and evolving knowledge.