Division 8: Health Psychology

Welcome to the webpage of Division 8 Health Psychology. Health psychology focuses on psychological processes that are related to the promotion, maintenance and rehabilitation of health, and the avoidance of and coping with illness (e.g., Matarazzo, 1980). Prominent fields of health psychological research are for example explaining, predicting and changing health-relevant behavior and the coping with stress and illness. 

In line with IAAP’s article 1 of its constitution "...to promote the science and practice of applied psychology and to facilitate interaction and communication about applied psychology around the world", Division 8 Health Psychology aims at connecting health psychologists around the world. 

Our division was founded in 1986, the first divisional president was Richard Evans. Division 8 is currently the second largest division of IAAP, our members come from all parts of the world.

President: Yiqun Gan

President-Elect: John de Wit 

Past President: Sonia Lippke

Secretary and Community Liaison:  Karolyna Zarychta

On this divisional webpage you will find information on the Executive Committee of the Division, on our activities reported in the divisional annual reports and newsletter inputs and on upcoming conferences. 

Are you a member of IAAP Division 8 (health Psychology) and attending EHPS 2023?

If so, we invite you to join the jury of the Best Applied Health Psychology Research Presentation award. This award is an initiative of IAAP Division 8 to recognize the importance of applied health psychology and will be awarded during the closing ceremony of EHPS 2023. As a jury member, you will rate the presentations in one or several oral sessions, using a standardized form. You may also be asked to contribute to ranking the presentations. Jury membership should not take much of your time in addition to attending the session(s). We aim to allocate jurors to sessions in their area of interest and acting as juror provides an opportunity to get to know division members and build our community. Please contact John de Wit, the division’s president-elect, at j.dewit@uu.nl if you want to join the IAAP Division 8 Best Applied Health Psychology Research Presentation award jury.

Support for displaced children from Ukraine

The story of ‘Olga, Boris and their new friends’ is a therapeutic tale created by more than 20 volunteers to help children refugees cope with their new reality. It is a story of two children and their mother fleeing the war in Ukraine. The book is available online free of charge as an e-book in Ukrainian, Russian, Polish, and English, as well as in an animated form with English subtitles. The originators of this initiative are professor Justyna Ziolkowska from SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities in Wroclaw, Poland, and professor Dariusz Galasinski from the University of Wroclaw, Poland.

E-Book in Ukrainian, Russian, Polish, and English

Animated video versions of the book: Ukrainian (click here) and Russian (click here)