Welcome to our website!

Health psychology is  concerned with understanding how psychological, behavioural, and cultural factors contribute to physical health and illness. We take a biopsychosocial approach, understanding that health is a product of not only biological processes (e.g., a virus, tumor, etc.), but also of psychological (e.g., thoughts and beliefs), behavioural (e.g., habits), and social processes (e.g., socioeconomic status, cultural identity).

We help train other healthcare professionals (e.g., doctors, nurses, speech pathologists) at Flinders University to take advantage of the knowledge health psychology has developed, and importantly we conduct research to generate new knowledge and ideas.

On this site you will find descriptions of who we are and what we do, including both completed research and some projects that are currently underway. There is even the opportunity for you to be part of our ongoing research program.

We hope that you will find the site interesting and consider participating in one or more of our projects. Please contact us if you would like to know more about any of the projects or publications listed on the site.

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                                                                         Our Areas of Interest

• The experience of, and adjustment to, chronic diseases (e.g., arthritis and diabetes)

• Cognitions of healthy individuals that may influence their responses should illness occur

• Abnormal illness behaviour (psychosomatic behaviour)

• Addiction (e.g., exercise dependence, smoking)

• Coping styles/measurement

• Identity

• Information processing and decision making

• Personality

• Stress

• Successful ageing

• Thinking styles

• Informal caregiving