Psychobiology is an interdisciplinary field of research that integrates knowledge from fields such as neuroscience, physiology, genetics, and psychology to understand how our biological systems interact, and their role in mental processes, behaviors, and health. The combination of different research areas and methods provides a deeper understanding of how we function psychologically and contributes to the development of more effective interventions for various types of ill-health conditions.
Epidemiology is the scientific study of the distribution and causes of ill health in a given population. Modern epidemiology is a general scientific method in which statistical patterns are used to identify causes of disease and death and to evaluate the effects of preventive measures. A broad definition of epidemiology includes also the study of events other than diseases and health problems, such as sickness absence, health behaviours and mental well-being, the determinants of which can be found in both physical and psychosocial exposures in work, private life and society at large. Epidemiology often uses databases with information on a very large number of individuals, preferably followed over a long period of time.
