Health Psychology

1. Psychological Factors in Health and Illness
   1. Role of Personality and Individual Differences
      1. Traits and Health Outcomes
         1. Conscientiousness and longevity
         2. Neuroticism and vulnerability to illness
      2. Personality Disorders and Health Risks
         1. Borderline personality and self-harm
         2. Antisocial personality and risk-taking behaviors
      3. Personality Assessment in Health Contexts
         1. Use of personality measures in predicting patient behavior
         2. Tailoring interventions based on personality types
   2. Emotion and Health Outcomes
      1. Positive Emotions and Physical Health
         1. Impact on immune function
         2. Role in recovery from illness
      2. Negative Emotions and Disease Risk
         1. Depression and cardiovascular disease
         2. Anxiety and gastrointestinal disorders
      3. Emotion Regulation and Management
         1. Techniques for improving emotional resilience
         2. Impact of emotional suppression on physical health
   3. Perception of Illness and Risk
      1. Health Perceptions and Behavior
         1. Illness perceptions and treatment adherence
         2. Risk perception and preventive behavior
      2. Cognitive Representations of Illness
         1. Impact of misconceptions on disease management
         2. Illness narratives and self-identity
      3. Risk Assessment and Decision Making
         1. Heuristics and biases in health-related decision making
         2. Role of probabilistic reasoning in health choices
   4. Cultural and Societal Influences
      1. Sociocultural Models of Health and Illness
         1. Cross-cultural differences in health beliefs
         2. Impact of cultural norms on health behaviors
      2. Societal Stressors and Health
         1. Role of socioeconomic status in health disparities
         2. Impact of stigma and discrimination on mental health
      3. Social Support and Health Outcomes
         1. Functions and types of social support
         2. Importance of community networks in health outcomes
   5. Cognitive Processes in Health and Illness
      1. Health Literacy and Comprehension
         1. Influences on understanding medical information
         2. Strategies to improve health literacy
      2. Cognitive Biases and Health Perceptions
         1. Optimism bias and risk underestimation
         2. Confirmation bias in health beliefs
      3. Decision Making Under Uncertainty
         1. Factors influencing health-related decisions
         2. Role of decision aids in healthcare settings
   6. Behavioral Patterns and Health
      1. Health-Compromising Behaviors
         1. Smoking, alcohol use, and drug abuse
         2. Sedentary lifestyle and dietary habits
      2. Health-Enhancing Behaviors
         1. Exercise and its psychological benefits
         2. Sleep hygiene and its impact on mental health
      3. Habit Formation and Change
         1. Mechanisms of habit persistence
         2. Interventions to promote healthy habits
   7. Stress and Psychophysiological Mechanisms
      1. Acute vs. Chronic Stress Effects
         1. Short-term vs. long-term biological impacts
         2. Psychological symptoms of chronic stress exposure
      2. Stress Mediators and Moderators
         1. Role of cortisol and adrenergic activity
         2. Influence of social support and coping skills
      3. Stress Reduction Techniques
         1. Efficacy of mindfulness and relaxation training
         2. Cognitive strategies for stress management