Health & positive psychology
Human well-being is shaped by both biological health (how well your organs and tissues function) and psychological health (your patterns of thought, emotions, and the quality of your relationships).
Health psychology and positive psychology are two approaches that help explain how mental and physical processes interact, giving a fuller picture of what helps people stay healthy and thrive.
Health psychology
Health psychology examines how physical health and psychological factors (such as habits, behaviors, and emotions) influence one another. The goal is to understand how these connections affect the onset, prevention, and course of disease.
This approach goes beyond a strictly biomedical viewpoint, which focuses mainly on illness and physical treatment. Health psychology also considers how inherited traits, stress-management styles, cultural traditions, and interpersonal relationships work together to shape health outcomes.
Imagine two people who both carry a genetic risk for hypertension (high blood pressure). Biological vulnerability is only one factor, so it doesn’t automatically mean someone will develop hypertension.
If the first person’s life includes protective factors (such as a balanced diet, regular exercise, stress management through relaxation techniques, and strong emotional support), they may delay or avoid developing hypertension. In contrast, the second person might face conditions that speed up illness (such as economic strain, few close relationships, or unhealthy coping methods like smoking).
This difference in outcomes is why health psychologists support educational and behavioral programs that promote preventive habits (such as nutritious eating, regular physical activity, and consistent sleep routines) and reduce risky behaviors (like excessive drinking or unsafe driving). Research consistently shows that these changes can help prevent chronic disease, improve mood, and extend life expectancy.
Stress
Stress is a state of tension or strain in response to a challenging situation. It includes both:
- Psychological changes (thoughts and emotions)
- Physical changes (measurable changes in the body)
Stress is often described as negative, but it isn’t always harmful. Whether stress is “good” or “bad” depends on how it affects well-being.
Your body’s stress response developed to help you focus and react quickly to possible threats. Eustress is one example. Eustress is a positive form of stress: the energizing, motivating state that can appear right before a challenge (such as stepping on stage to perform or preparing for a track meet). It increases alertness and can support skill development.
In contrast, distress is a negative form of stress that occurs when demands feel overwhelming or threatening. Distress can contribute to mental fatigue, burnout, or physical illness.
Stress can be brief and intense (such as after an accident or traumatic event) or subtle and ongoing (such as frequent disagreements at work). Intense events can cause immediate hardship, but smaller, repeated hassles can build up over time and create serious health risks by straining the body’s systems and disrupting mental balance.
Ongoing stress has been associated with increased blood pressure (hypertension), reduced immune defense, and headaches. It can also influence everyday choices, leading to overeating, insomnia, or substance use - behaviors that can further harm health.
A particularly harmful source of chronic stress is ACEs (adverse childhood experiences). These include events such as abuse, neglect, or ongoing household instability. Research shows ACEs can alter developing brain systems that regulate stress, affecting emotional health and increasing vulnerability to disease in adulthood.
General adaptation syndrome (GAS)
Hans Selye proposed the General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS), a three-phase pattern that describes how the body responds to continued stress.
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Alarm phase: At the first sign of threat, the sympathetic nervous system activates. Hormones like adrenaline flood the bloodstream to speed up breathing and heart rate, release stored energy, and shift the body into survival mode (the “fight-flight-freeze response”).
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Resistance phase: If the stressor continues, the person confronts the stress. The body stays on alert but begins stabilizing basic functions. Stress hormone levels remain above baseline, and maintaining this state requires substantial energy.
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Exhaustion phase: This phase occurs when the stress decreases or when the body’s resources have been drained by prolonged responding. At this point, the body and mind become more susceptible to illness, recovery slows, and performance declines.
Possible responses to stress
When people experience stress, there are multiple ways they may respond to reduce its impact.
Tend-and-befriend theory
Under stress, some individuals (most often observed among women) respond by protecting themselves and/or close community members (tending) and by seeking alliances for mutual support (befriending). The hormone oxytocin appears to support this cooperative strategy by increasing trust and reducing fear. Historically, this pattern may have improved survival by strengthening social bonds during danger.
Coping
Coping refers to the deliberate mental or physical methods people use to manage external demands and internal tension.
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Problem-focused coping treats stress as a problem to solve. You try different solutions until the stressor is reduced or resolved. For example, someone worried about finances might take on extra work, create a budget, or seek financial advice. This approach works best when the situation can be changed through action.
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Emotion-focused coping targets the emotional discomfort rather than the stressor itself. This may include meditation, breathing exercises, medication, or other strategies that reduce emotional distress. This approach is especially useful when the stressor can’t be changed (such as coping with the death of a loved one or adjusting to chronic illness).
People may switch between coping styles depending on the situation, or use both at the same time. For example, someone caring for an ill parent might use problem-focused coping to schedule medical visits and emotion-focused coping to manage worry or exhaustion.
Positive psychology
Positive psychology explores the factors that help someone flourish, even during hardship. These factors can include strengths, happiness, belonging to a supportive community, engagement in valued work, living according to personal principles, and overall life satisfaction.
Its goal is to identify, measure, and teach strategies that increase life satisfaction and strengthen feelings of purpose, resilience, and connectedness. It also argues that positive emotions, over time, contribute to a deeply fulfilling life - not just short-term pleasure. Examples of positive subjective experiences include gratitude, signature strengths or virtues, and posttraumatic growth.
Positive subjective experiences
Gratitude: Intentionally noticing and appreciating the good aspects of life. Gratitude can be developed through repeated practice, such as keeping a written gratitude list or expressing thanks to others. Research shows gratitude increases subjective well-being, supports optimism, strengthens relationships, and improves mood by shifting attention toward abundance rather than scarcity.
Signature strengths or virtues: Enduring qualities that reflect a person’s core traits. Using these strengths can support authenticity, joy, and enthusiasm. Researchers group these strengths into six broad virtues:
- Wisdom: curiosity, creativity, perspective
- Courage: perseverance, bravery
- Humanity: kindness, emotional intelligence
- Justice: fairness, leadership
- Temperance: prudence, humility, forgiveness
- Transcendence: hope, gratitude, appreciation of beauty
People who use their signature strengths or virtues often report more positive experiences (such as greater subjective well-being and joy). For example, someone high in creativity may feel most engaged when inventing new solutions at work.
Posttraumatic growth: Personal transformation that sometimes follows adversity (such as a major stressor or trauma). For example, people may emerge from crises with a deeper appreciation for life, stronger relationships, or renewed purpose. This doesn’t erase pain, but it shows that growth and hardship can coexist.
How does health psychology differ from positive psychology in its approach to understanding and promoting human well-being?
Health psychology focuses on how biological and psychological factors interact to influence disease onset, prevention, and treatment, emphasizing risk reduction and behavioral health interventions. Positive psychology emphasizes strengths, positive emotions, and flourishing to help people thrive and find life satisfaction even during hardships.
In what ways do health psychology and positive psychology each address the role of stress in health?
Health psychology studies how stress (both positive eustress and negative distress) affects physical and mental health, including the body’s physiological responses and coping strategies. Positive psychology focuses more on building resilience, positive emotions, and strengths that help individuals flourish despite stress and adversity.