'Do no harm': has 30 years of health psychology helped or hindered the nations' health?

Abstract

Background: Health Psychology aims to improve patient health outcomes through research and practice. Methods: This paper will present a bibliometric analysis of a number of data bases (media data, academic journals, citation indices, NHS data) to explore the association between 4 research areas in health psychology and key health outcomes. In particular, it will focus on research exploring help seeking and early warning signs, adherence to medication, the doctor patient relationship and behaviour change. Results: The paper will argue that although we aim to promote health, many of our research perspectives may do harm by flooding the health care system with the worried well (who are seeking help for trivial problems), creating side effects to medication (by promoting adherence to drugs with poor NNTs), eradicating the placebo effect (by encouraging patient centred care) and not changing behaviour (by creating a one size fixes all approach). Discussion: It will conclude that health psychology researchers need to maintain a critical eye on the wider context of health care in order to avoid violating the first ethical principle of ‘do no harm’.