Peer review statement

Critical Health Psychology: Foundations, Approaches and Applications has been written by people who actively research and teach in this subfield of psychology. We recognise the importance of critical, and considered, expert review in producing textbooks, and accordingly, invited feedback for this work at every stage of development. Significant points of evaluation and development included:

(1) Our large editorial team collectively supported the chapter authors and/or section editors in planning content for each chapter.

(2) Once written, each chapter was reviewed internally by two people on the editorial team who were not authors of that chapter. They were encouraged to give substantial feedback, and each chapter was amended accordingly.

(3) The whole book was then externally reviewed by two international experts in the field, Wendy Stainton Rogers (Professor Emerita in Health Psychology, Open University, UK), and Martine Robson (Lecturer in Psychology, Aberystwyth University). They were invited to comment on their overall opinion of the book, structure and organisation, coverage of the subject, content of each specific chapter, and any inaccuracies or inconsistencies. Chapter content was amended accordingly.

(4) Recognising students are experts of their own learning and our primary target readership, where possible, draft chapters were shared with students on relevant courses. They were invited to give anonymised feedback, which was acted upon.

(5) All the chapters were also reviewed Dr Eleanor Brittain for their engagement with Kaupapa Māori scholarship and representations of te ao Māori.

(6) Because of the different content, the Hauora chapter followed a separate pattern of review, which included the expert review and consideration of Tā Mason Durie, as well as an earlier internal review by a member of the editorial team who was not an author.

Reviewer comments:

This book is outstandingly good, in very many ways. It is erudite and impressively scholarly, covers an amazingly broad knowledge-base, and offers students a massive bounty of resources they can access to help them gain real insight and in-depth understanding of contemporary critical health psychology. Its treatment of and respect for Māori scholarship in relation to healthcare policy and practice is very impressive, making it an ideal resource for teaching health psychology in A/NZ. The text weaves a compelling narrative around the different approaches to health psychology, including mainstream, phenomenological and social constructionist approaches, as well as  theorization from a ‘more than human’ perspective. The book can be very much recognized as ‘cutting edge’ – really up to date and informed by recent scholarship in the field, making it also relevant for an international readership. Wendy Stainton Rogers, Professor Emerita in Health Psychology, Open University, UK.

I found this textbook engaging to read, thought-provoking, and generative. It meets the goal of centring the Aotearoa and Māori context while offering important and innovative theoretical perspectives that have a global applications where medicine and discourses of neoliberal healthism are decontextualized and disconnected from collectivist values and goals, and subjugated minoritized and Indigenous knowledges. It offers an affirmative as well as in-depth perspective – the examples of alternative practice are valuable and generative, inspiring optimism and empowerment in relation to systemic and community level change. The end-of-chapter activities, directions for future reading and thinking, and reflections offer clear opportunities for deeper engagement. The focus on inclusive, culturally-informed and ethical critical health approach and practice has wide applicability as a framework for understanding complex contexts of health behaviours and outcomes, planning for change, and implementing effective interventions. Martine Robson, Lecturer in Psychology, Aberystwyth University, UK.

I really enjoyed this textbook, as not only was it simple to follow and easy to read, but it felt relatable and real. What I mean by this, is that often in textbooks they discuss elaborate topics or theories that discuss how we know the world works the way it does, or theories that are purely theoretical and lack application. In this textbook, a lot of the theories had real world examples and used real people and cultures to elaborate on this, and made me think of my own life and the people in it… I also enjoyed reading the historical context of Māori, the colonisation they have faced, and how it is still seen in today’s structural systems. Anonymous student on 175.743 Health the Social Context, Massey University.