The biopsychosocial model views health and illness as the product of a combination of biological factors (such as genes), psychological factors (such as behavior, lifestyle, stress, and health beliefs), and social conditions (such as cultural influences, family relationships, and social support). Certain behaviors such as diet, exercise, and substance use can influence our health. In this section, we will explore the influence of psychological factors and quality of life.

Part of health psychology is understanding how psychological factors (such as attitudes, beliefs, thoughts, moods, and emotions) and overall quality of life impact a person's health. "Quality of life" refers to the general well-being of individuals and societies, including not only wealth and employment (which are often referred to as "standard of living"), but also the built environment, physical and mental health, education, recreation and leisure time, and social belonging. These factors may impact our health directly, or they may influence our behaviors, which in turn affect our health in either positive or negative ways.

Psychology: Attitudes, Moods, and Our Health

One psychological factor that influences physical health is one's attitudes. An attitude can be thought of as a positive or negative evaluation of people, objects, event, or ideas. 

Attitudes are changeable, they can be formed from a person's past and present, and they can influence a person's behavior and well-being. Some attitudes are explicit (i.e., deliberately formed) while others are implicit (i.e., unconscious or outside of awareness). Implicit and explicit attitudes both affect people's behavior, though in different ways. The kind of attitude we hold about a particular person, event, or idea influences how we behave in relation to it, and, thus, our experience of stress in relation to it. Stress is highly correlated with both physical and mental health, so if we hold a certain attitude toward something that increases our stress level, our health may suffer as a result.

Moods also have important implications for mental and physical health. Negative moods can influence people's behavior by determining how they interpret and translate the world around them. Interpreting an event in a negative way is a risk factor for a host of mental health problems including depression, anxiety, aggression, poor self-esteem, and physiological stress, all of which negatively impact one's health and well-being. Positive moods, on the other hand, are thought to increase the likelihood of physical health and well-being by lowering these risk factors.

Attitude and outlook

Research suggests that optimism and positive outlooks are associated with increased health and well-being, while pessimism and learned helplessness decrease health.

Learned Optimism vs. Learned Helplessness

Optimism

Optimism is a world view that interprets situations and events as being optimal, or favorable. Learned optimism refers to the development of one's potential for this optimized outlook; it is the belief that one can influence the future in tangible and meaningful ways. Research shows that optimism correlates with physical health, including a lower likelihood of cardiovascular disease, stroke, depression, and cancer. It also correlates with emotional health, as optimists are more hopeful, have an increased sense of peace and well-being, and embrace change. Furthermore, optimists have been shown to live healthier lifestyles (i.e., smoking less, being more physically active, consuming healthier foods, and consuming more moderate amounts of alcohol) and utilize more positive coping mechanisms, both of which may lower the risk of disease.

Explanatory Style 

Life or world outlooks have three general dimensions: internal vs. external, stable vs. unstable, and global vs. specific. In general, people with an optimistic outlook believe that negative experiences can be attributed to factors outside of the self (external), are not likely to occur consistently (unstable), and are limited to domains or circumstances (specific). They believe the exact opposite in regards to positive experiences, such that these are a result of the self (internal), expected to be repeated (stable), and broadly applicable to life (global). Optimists view the world as constantly working in their favor—even when physical or personal circumstances would seem otherwise. In this way, they are better equipped mentally to handle setbacks in everyday life, as these are believed to be momentary. They are also more likely to embrace and build upon positive circumstances and situations, as these are expected to continue.

Pessimism 

In contrast, learned helplessness is the belief that one has no control over the events in one's life. Learned helplessness is associated with depression and anxiety, both of which threaten a person's physical and mental well-being; it can also contribute to poor health when people neglect diet, exercise, and medical treatment, falsely believing they have no power to change. The more people perceive events as uncontrollable, the more stress they experience, and the less hope they feel about making changes in their lives. Related to this, research has shown that people with a pessimistic explanatory style are more likely to suffer from depression and stress, have weakened immune systems, be more vulnerable to minor ailments (like a cold or fever) and major illnesses (such as heart attacks or cancer), and have a less effective recovery from health problems.

Quality of Life

Quality of life is recognized as an increasingly important healthcare topic. In general, quality of life is a person's assessment of their well-being, or lack thereof. This includes all emotional, social, and physical aspects of the individual's life. In healthcare, health-related quality of life is an assessment of how the individual's well-being may affect, or be affected by, a disease, disability, or disorder.

Internal Influences 

An individual's perceived quality of life is often influenced by their personal expectations, which can vary over time based on environmental influences. Perceived quality of life is highly subjective, and patients' and physicians' rating of the same objective situation have been found to differ significantly. Patient questionnaires assessing quality of life are often multidimensional and cover physical, social, emotional, cognitive, work- or role-related, and possibly spiritual aspects, and even the financial impact of medical conditions. Although causality cannot always be determined, poor quality of life is often correlated with poor health, and high quality of life is often correlated with better health.

External Influences

Living conditions, nutrition, access to education, leisure time, and social isolation are all aspects of quality of life that have been shown to impact a person's health. Poverty is one aspect that is particularly significant—in fact, one third of deaths (around 18 million people a year) are due to poverty-related causes; in total 270 million people, most of them women and children, have died as a result of poverty since 1990. Those living in poverty lack access to basic resources such as healthcare, food, and housing, and suffer disproportionately from malnutrition, disease, lower life expectancy, and disability. Poverty has also been shown to directly impede cognitive function due to the severe burden on one's mental resources brought about by financial worries.

Poverty and health

Those living in poverty lack access to basic resources such as healthcare, food, and housing, and suffer disproportionately from malnutrition, disease, lower life expectancy, and disability.