Professional Ethics in Health Psychology; Review on the Ethic Codes in Health Services

Health psychology based on the bio-psychological-social perspective was proposed when the biomedical perspective did not meet the needs of treatment systems for the management of chronic diseases and behavior-related health problems. This course examines how behaviors and lifestyles affect on health. Health psychologists often help patients and their families in medical situations to correct their maladaptive behaviors and beliefs and to manage illness-related issues. A health psychologist in these situations often faces a variety of ethical challenges that are sometimes the same issues that a physician or psychologist faces, such as respect for individual independence, profitability, non-harm, and justice. But sometimes it deals with issues such as equal access to health-related services, the efficiency of services provided, attention to current issues such as the elderly population and measures appropriate to different age groups and the use of technology to improve health services. Ethical guidelines are not really a set of principles and rules that are used only when there are moral dilemmas or on special occasions, but every action in the field of health also has an ethical dimension. As a member of the medical treatment team, the health psychologist faces special ethical challenges, such as maintaining confidentiality and sharing patient information with other members. Accordingly, health psychologists need accurate knowledge of ethical medical and psychological guidelines and their application in providing professional services.