Mission Statement

Mission Statement of APS College of Health Psychologists

The principal aims of the APS College of Health Psychologists are to: (i) advance the contributions of psychology as a discipline by promoting health and reducing illness through evidence-based practice and research; (ii) develop and promote the evidence-base for effective health psychology practice; (iii) inform psychologists, other health professions, and the general public about the results of current health psychology research and service activities; and (iv) encourage the integration of current psychological knowledge with biomedical information about health and illness.

Preamble to Objectives

The APS College of Health Psychologists was established to provide a professional forum for  advancing knowledge and practice relevant to health promotion and clinical health psychology.

The college supports: (i) the educational, scientific, and professional contributions of psychology to understanding the aetiology, promotion and maintenance of health; (ii) the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of physical and mental illness; (iii) the study of psychological, social, emotional, and behavioural factors related to physical health; and (iv) the improvement of the health care system, and formulation of health policy.

Contributions to physical health and illness

The large number of areas of research and service delivery activities in Health Psychology illustrate the richness of this field. Reports by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare indicate that the leading causes of mortality in Australia have substantial behavioural components. These reports recommend that behavioural risk factors (e.g., smoking, diet, a sedentary lifestyle, stress, drug and alcohol use, and high risk sexual behaviour) be the main focus of efforts in the area of health promotion and disease prevention.

Both the impacts of behaviour on health as well as the influence of health and disease states on psychological factors are being explored. For example, psychosocial and physiological linkages in chronic illnesses, such as diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and respiratory disorders, are being defined. Additionally, strategies to enhance patient adherence to recommended medical and lifestyle health-related changes are an area of speciality of Health Psychologists. Further, Health Psychologists play a role in the training and supervision of health and allied health professionals in basic health behaviour change techniques. This may involve work with diabetes educators, primary care practitioners (i.e. Lifescripts), and staff in cardiac rehabilitation programs.

Current directions

This is a period of rapid change in health care delivery. The college, as part of the Australian Psychological Society, is working to disseminate knowledge of effective health psychology practice and establish liaisons between legislators, researchers and psychologist practitioners to ensure access to Health Psychologists as part of quality health care. Health Psychologists are in increasing demand in health and medical settings. Health Psychologists have become vital members of multidisciplinary clinical and research teams in rehabilitation, cardiology, paediatrics, oncology, endocrinology, anaesthesiology, family practice, dentistry, community health, and other medical fields. Despite substantial progress, there remain many areas where effective health psychology interventions remain underutilised.