Health Psychology of Women

First Published in 1993. Since health psychology is concerned with the universal values of life and death, well­being and suffering, it might be expected that its researchers would be keen to examine both male and female experiences of these phenomena. In practice, however, health psychology has followed health research in adopting a largely male perspective, both in its general approach and selection of topics. Women are different from men, not only in terms of anatomy, but in terms of the socialization processes to which they have been exposed and the social and economic positions they occupy. These differences have a significant impact on women's health, predisposing them to some disorders and protecting them from others. While it is true that male mortality exceeds female mortality from conception to old age, women's survival has the price of increased mental and physical illness. Men die, but women suffer. Despite a growing awareness of these differences there continues to be a distinct bias towards using male subjects for research and studying those diseases which affect more men than women. The Health Psychology of Women is a response to this imbalance and a challenge to the attitude which explores the behavior of half the population in order to draw conclusions about the experience of the whole. It is essential reading for students and researchers of psychology and health, and health professionals in training and practice.