What do health psychologists do?

A health psychologist focuses on how emotional, mental, and social factors affect physical health and wellness. As a health psychologist, your duties are to interview patients, conduct behavioral tests, and diagnose mental health issues that cause physical problems. Other responsibilities involve developing treatment programs, monitoring patient progress, and promoting healthy behaviors. While most health psychologists work directly with patients in a clinical setting, you can also focus on researching health-related issues to aid the psychology industry or even help to develop public policy on mental health care. Many health psychologists specialize in a sub-field, such as community or occupational health psychology. You can find positions in both private practices or larger medical facilities.