Question

Which of the following suggests that chronic illnesses helped in propagating the field of health psychology?

A) Chronic illnesses are easier to manage and treat than acute illnesses.
B) Chronic illnesses do not require psychological interventions.
C) Chronic illnesses often involve complex, long-term management and benefit from psychological support.
D) Chronic illnesses have no psychological components.

Answer 1

Chronic illnesses often require complex, long-term management that integrates psychological support, which has significantly contributed to the propagation of the field of health psychology.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question seeks to identify how chronic illnesses have contributed to the advancement of health psychology. The correct answer is C) Chronic illnesses often involve complex, long-term management and benefit from psychological support. This proposition is supported by the fact that chronic illnesses, unlike acute diseases, require long-term disease management, which can be significantly influenced by psychological factors. Health psychology emerged as a field because of the growing recognition of the impact of behavioral and lifestyle factors in the development of chronic diseases, as well as the importance of psychological support in managing these conditions over time.

Moreover, concepts from health psychology, such as the psychobiological dynamic of health, play crucial roles in evaluating the efficacy of health-related treatments, including those that extend beyond traditional biomedical approaches to include psychological interventions and culturally sensitive healthcare practices.