What Is the State of Health Psychology in the Global South?

Despite the growth of health psychology in the Global North, there is a paucity of information on the state of health psychology in the Global South (Dados & Connell, 2012). This chapter aims to fill that gap. We begin by exploring the presence and reach of health psychology as a professional division in the Global South, relying primarily on information provided on the websites of psychology associations/societies, keyword searches on university websites, and the World Wide Web. We then describe the state of health psychology as a professional division in countries of the Global South, from Africa through Asia and the Pacific to Latin America and the Caribbean. Following this, we present information regarding the presence or otherwise of health psychology interest groups or bodies in the Global South. Finally, for each country where health psychology is present, we highlight empirical research that indicates the scope of health psychology topics/themes being addressed. We conclude by noting that despite its relatively young age, health psychology as a professional division seems to be growing faster in the Global South than previously thought and suggest ways in which that growth might be supported.