The pre-history of health psychology in the UK: From natural science and psychoanalysis to social science, social cognition and beyond

Abstract

Health psychology formally came of age in the United Kingdom in the 1980s, but it was prefigured by much discussion about challenges to the dominance of biomedicine in healthcare and debates. This articles focuses on what could be termed the pre-history of health psychology in the UK. This was the period in the earlier 20th century when psychological approaches were dominated by psychoanalysis which was followed by behaviourism and then cognitivism. Review of this pre-history provides the backdrop for the rise of health psychology in the UK and also reveals the tensions between the different theoretical perspectives.

Citation

(2017). The pre-history of health psychology in the UK: From natural science and psychoanalysis to social science, social cognition and beyond. Journal of Health Psychology, 472-791. https://doi.org/10.1177/1359105317705879

• Acceptance Date: Jan 10, 2017
• Publication Date: Mar 8, 2017
• Journal: Journal of Health Psychology
• Print ISSN: 1359-1053
• Publisher: SAGE Publications
• Pages: 472-791
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1359105317705879
• Keywords: clinical psychology, health psychology, history, journals, psychoanalysis
• Publisher URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1359105317705879