Health Psychology
About The Section
The Health Psychology section at the Institute of Psychiatry Psychology Department has been influential in the evolution of Health Psychology as a discipline in the UK. The December 2011 edition of The Psychologist ran a special feature recognising 25yrs of Health Psychology practise in the UK including contributions from Professors Rona Moss-Morris, John Weinman and Lance McCracken of the Health Psychology section. Read more here.
The Health Psychology section is internationally recognised for excellence in research and teaching. It benefits from collaborations within the IoP, a world renowned research centre for Psychology and Psychiatry, as well as with the KCL School of Medicine, the Dental Institute, the School of Nursing and Midwifery and the School of Biomedical Practice. This inter-disciplinary practice is also demonstrated by clinical and research partnerships with King's Health Partners.
It is a leading centre of clinical health psychology boasting four professors in this field:
Professor Rona Moss-Morris, head of the Health Psychology section launched a 2yr project, starting April 2012, supported by the MS Society evaluating mindfulness based cognitive therapy delivered by telephone which builds on her large programme of research in this area;
Professor Myra Hunter, launched two new studies, one in cardiology and one in oncology (MANCAN) in November 2011;
Professor Lance McCracken, Professor of Behavioural Medicine with expertise in pain management and ACT (acceptance and commitment theory);
Professor John Weinman, a Professor of Psychology as Applied to Medicine founded the Health Psychology section and has played a major role in the development of academic and professional health psychology in the UK.
In parallel, the section is also a centre for excellence in health psychology in public health. This strand is led by Professor Theresa Marteau, director of the Centre for the Study of Incentives in Health.