New global textbook invites students to think critically about health, power and inequality

Critical Health Psychology: Foundations, Approaches and Applications has been published by eight Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa Massey University academics from the School of Psychology; Professor Sarah Riley, Dr Kathryn McGuigan, Dr Eleanor Brittain, Dr Gareth Terry, Dr Siobhán Healy-Cullen, Associate Professor Clifford van Ommen, Associate Professor Don Baken, and Phd student Aorangi Kora.

Professor Sarah Riley says the goal was to connect psychological theory with the lived realities of individuals and communities:

“We wanted to create a resource that reflects the realities of people’s lives. Health and illness don’t happen in a vacuum, they’re shaped by social structures, power dynamics and histories. This book invites students to think critically about how those forces operate,” Professor Riley says.

The textbook is the first open access critical health psychology textbook, offering a perspective from contemporary, Aotearoa New Zealand–based resource that is freely accessible to students and educators all over the world.

Structured in three parts, the book first introduces the foundations of critical health psychology, then explores key approaches to understanding illness, diagnosis, and patient-practitioner relationships. The final section applies these insights to real-world contexts such as therapeutic work, public health, and community-based practice.

Each chapter includes interactive features such as case studies, reflective prompts and opportunities for self-directed learning. The book’s modular format means educators can adopt it as a full course text or integrate selected chapters into existing curricula. With a Creative Commons license, the content is also adaptable for localised use.

One of the book’s authors, Dr Kathryn McGuigan says adaptability was central to the book’s design:

“The flexibility of the textbook was important to us. We wanted educators to be able to pick up chapters and shape them to suit their teaching context, whether that’s in Aotearoa, Australia, the UK or elsewhere.”

The book was a collaboration with Massey University Library who provided funding and support staff, and a grant from the Council of Australasian University Librarians OER Collective. It will be used as a teaching resource in four Massey University courses covering health psychology, ethics and professional practice, ensuring that students across programmes are introduced to critical perspectives on health from the outset of their studies.

The book also offers readers a lens to critically examine how power, identity and structural inequities shape health outcomes and access to care. Its commitment to equity is woven throughout, challenging dominant narratives in mainstream health psychology and amplifying voices that have historically been excluded.

One student reviewer from Massey commented that the text “felt relatable and real,” praising its ability to connect theoretical material with everyday life and diverse cultural experiences.

The textbook is suitable for postgraduate and advanced undergraduate students, as well as practitioners and community learners working in health, psychology, policy or social services. It is freely available online as part of the Open Educational Resources Collective.

You can explore the textbook here.