Tools of psychosocial biology in health care research

Much health care research involves measurement of biological function. This chapter is concerned with the assessment of biological function in psychosocial research on health. The psychosocial factors studied in health care research include features of the individual’s sociodemographic position (age, gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic status etc.), aspects of social experience (such as social networks and social support), exposure to different types of adversity (e.g. work stress, life events, informal care-giving), family and neighbourhood factors (such as family conflict and neighbourhood social cohesion), and psychological parameters (such as depression, anxiety and hostility). Psychosocial studies in health care research are concerned with the contribution of these factors to disease causation, progression and prognosis, and the impact of psychosocial interventions on disease status and quality of life. The biological measures assessed in psychosocial research fall into three categories: