However, stress does aggravate the condition. Students are more likely to be sick during exam periods than during other times of the semester. Furthermore, people who are exposed to prolonged periods of stress, for example in wars, suffer from various somatic problems. Extreme levels of stress for prolonged periods of times can influence not only mental and social well-being, but also physical health, and may be fatal in some cases. Understanding the relation between psychological states like stress and physical health is another concern of health psychology.
Health psychology is also concerned with health after an individual acquired a disease.
These diseases are called chronic diseases because they are not immediately fatal. Health psychology examines ways to increase the health of individuals suffering from these diseases. In this context, the broad WHO definition of health can create difficult conflicts. All the previous examples illustrate the close connection between psychological variables and physical health. In addition, it is important to realize social factors.