Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine 

About: Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine is an academic journal published by Taylor & Francis. The journal publishes majorly in the area(s): Medicine & Psychological intervention. It has an ISSN identifier of 2164-2850. It is also open access. Over the lifetime, 367 publications have been published receiving 4434 citations. The journal is also known as: Health Psychol Behav Med & Health psychology & behavioral medicine.

Network analysis: a brief overview and tutorial.

Abstract: Objective: The present paper presents a brief overview on network analysis as a statistical approach for health psychology researchers. Networks comprise graphical representations of the relationsh...

Coping, acculturation, and psychological adaptation among migrants: a theoretical and empirical review and synthesis of the literature

Abstract: Given the continuous, dynamic demographic changes internationally due to intensive worldwide migration and globalization, the need to more fully understand how migrants adapt and cope with acculturation experiences in their new host cultural environment is imperative and timely. However, a comprehensive review of what we currently know about the relationship between coping behavior and acculturation experience for individuals undergoing cultural changes has not yet been undertaken. Hence, the current article aims to compile, review, and examine cumulative cross-cultural psychological research that sheds light on the relationships among coping, acculturation, and psychological and mental health outcomes for migrants. To this end, this present article reviews prevailing literature pertaining to: (a) the stress and coping conceptual perspective of acculturation; (b) four theoretical models of coping, acculturation and cultural adaptation; (c) differential coping pattern among diverse acculturating migrant groups; and (d) the relationship between coping variabilities and acculturation levels among migrants. In terms of theoretical understanding, this review points to the relative strengths and limitations associated with each of the four theoretical models on coping-acculturation-adaptation. These theories and the empirical studies reviewed in this article further highlight the central role of coping behaviors/strategies in the acculturation process and outcome for migrants and ethnic populations, both conceptually and functionally. Moreover, the review shows that across studies culturally preferred coping patterns exist among acculturating migrants and migrant groups and vary with migrants' acculturation levels. Implications and limitations of the existing literature for coping, acculturation, and psychological adaptation research are discussed and recommendations for future research are put forth.

Strategies for improving the quality of verbal patient and family education: a review of the literature and creation of the EDUCATE model

Abstract: Objective: Patient and family education includes print, audio-visual methods, demonstration, and verbal instruction. Our objective was to study verbal instruction as a component of patient and family education and make recommendations for best practices for healthcare providers who use this method. Methods: We conducted a literature review of articles from 1990 to 2014 about verbal education and collaborated on departmental presentations to determine best practices. A survey was sent to all nursing staff to determine perceptions of verbal education and barriers to learning. Results: Through our work, we were able to identify verbal education models, best practices, and needs. We then constructed the EDUCATE model of verbal education, which built upon our findings. Conclusion: Verbal education of patients and family members requires a multidisciplinary approach that takes into account learning styles, literacy, and culture to apply clear communication and methods for the assessment of learning. Providers n...

Autonomous and controlled motivational regulations for multiple health-related behaviors: between- and within-participants analyses

Abstract: Self-determination theory has been applied to the prediction of a number of health-related behaviors with self-determined or autonomous forms of motivation generally more effective in predicting health behavior than non-self-determined or controlled forms. Research has been confined to examining the motivational predictors in single health behaviors rather than comparing effects across multiple behaviors. The present study addressed this gap in the literature by testing the relative contribution of autonomous and controlling motivation to the prediction of a large number of health-related behaviors, and examining individual differences in self-determined motivation as a moderator of the effects of autonomous and controlling motivation on health behavior. Participants were undergraduate students (N = 140) who completed measures of autonomous and controlled motivational regulations and behavioral intention for 20 health-related behaviors at an initial occasion with follow-up behavioral measures taken four weeks later. Path analysis was used to test a process model for each behavior in which motivational regulations predicted behavior mediated by intentions. Some minor idiosyncratic findings aside, between-participants analyses revealed significant effects for autonomous motivational regulations on intentions and behavior across the 20 behaviors. Effects for controlled motivation on intentions and behavior were relatively modest by comparison. Intentions mediated the effect of autonomous motivation on behavior. Within-participants analyses were used to segregate the sample into individuals who based their intentions on autonomous motivation (autonomy-oriented) and controlled motivation (control-oriented). Replicating the between-participants path analyses for the process model in the autonomy- and control-oriented samples did not alter the relative effects of the motivational orientations on intention and behavior. Results provide evidence for consistent effects of autonomous motivation on intentions and behavior across multiple health-related behaviors with little evidence of moderation by individual differences. Findings have implications for the generalizability of proposed effects in self-determination theory and intentions as a mediator of distal motivational factors on health-related behavior.

Students' benefits and barriers to mental health help-seeking

Abstract: Stigma is recognized as a potential barrier to seeking help for a mental health disorder The present study assessed college students' perceived benefits and barriers to obtaining mental health treatment and stigma-related attitudes via a four-page survey A total of 682 students at one Midwestern university participated in the study Findings indicated that females perceived a greater number of benefits to having participated in mental health services and held significantly lower stigma-related attitudes than did males Students who had ever received mental health services reported significantly more barriers to treatment than did students who had never received services Health professionals should target students with educational programs about positive outcomes related to receiving mental health services and work with treatment centers to reduce barriers for receiving services