Chapter 1- Health Psychology: An IntroductionWhat do we mean by health?The concept of health as a wholeness existed in ancient china and classical Greece where health was seenas a state of harmony, balance, order or equilibrium with natureGalen (early roman physician), followed the Hippocratic tradition with Hygeia (health) or euexia(soundness) as a balance between the four bodily humors of black bile, yellow bile, phlegm and bloodHuman moods were viewed as consequences of imbalances in one of four bodily fluidsoBloodSanguineoBlack bileMelancholicoYellow bileCholericoPhlegmPhlegmaticThe theory was also related to four elements:oEarthoFireoWateroAirGalen’s theory of humorsHumourSeasonElementOrganQualitiesPersonality TypeCharacterisitcsBloodSpringAirLiverWarm and moistSanguineAmorous.Courageous, hopefulYellow BileSummerFireGall BladderWarm and dryCholericEasily angered, badtemperedBlack BileAutumnEarthSpleenCold and dryMelancholicDespondent,sleepless, irritablePhlegmWinterWaterBrain/ lungsCold and moistPhlegmaticCalm andunemotional1946 WHO health definition:oThe state of complete physical, social and spiritual well-being, not simply the absence of healthoHighly doubtful whether this state is achievable by anyoneoThe definition overlooks the psychological, cultural and economic aspects of healthSocial inequalities and poverty are strongly associated with health outcomes and warrant explicit inclusionin any definition of healthProper definitionoHealth is a state of well-being with satisfaction of physical, cultural, psychosocial, economic andspiritual needs, not simply the absence of healthNeed Satisfaction, Happiness and Subjective Well-BeingMaslow’s hierarchy of needs
