Psychology and Health - General Psychology - Lecture Notes, Study notes of Psychology

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Psychology and Health Biopsychosocial model Physical illness is caused by a combination of interacting factors that include: • Biological processes • Psychological processes • Sociocultural processes Health Psychology –Impact of psychosocial factors on: • Health –Promotion –Maintenance • Illness –Prevention –Causation –Treatment Stress & Coping • Stressor: –Any event that places a demand on a person • Stress: –Any circumstances that threaten or are perceived to: • Threatens well-being • Taxes coping ability –Occurs with an imbalance between demands and resources Docsity.com • Stress Response: –How an individual reacts to a demand Stressors • Catastrophes: –Predictable increase in illness • Major Events & Life Transitions: –Moderately strong relationship to incidence of illness • Daily Hassles: –Stress is cumulative –Best predictor of illness • Four Principal Stressors: –Frustration • Thwarting the pursuit of a goal • Often occurs through failures or loss –Change • Circumstances that require readjustment • Social Readjustment Rating Scale – Conflict: •Two or more incompatible behaviors compete for expression • Conflict Types: –Approach-Approach: two attractive goals –Approach-Avoidance: goal has positive and negative attributes –Avoidance-Avoidance: two unattractive goals – Pressure: •Expectations or demands to act a certain way. Docsity.com • Resistance Phase: –Release of stress hormones –Coping efforts get underway • Exhaustion Phase –Physiological collapse –Activation of the PNS –Immune System depression –Diseases of adaptation develop Stress Response • Brain & Endocrine Pathways: – 1. Hyothalamus • Hypothalamus activates sympathetic NS • Central adrenal gland activated • Catecholamines produce fight or flight – 2. Hypothalamus • Hypothalamus activates pituitary and release of ACTH • Corticosteroids release fats and proteins Coping • Constructive Coping –Healthy and adaptive ways of dealing with stress –Methods: • Problem-focused • Emotion-focused Coping Methods • Problem - Focused Coping Docsity.com –Direct Action • Problem-solving techniques –Cognitive Reappraisal • Develop realistic appraisals • Adjust expectations or goals –Proactive Coping • Preventative measures • Emotion - Focused Coping –Denial –Stress Management • Reduces emotional reactions to stress • Reduces physiological vulnerability –Social Support Stress & Health • Psychosomatic Diseases –Physical ailments partially caused by psychological factors • Key is chronic autonomic arousal due to stress –Hypertension, heart disease –Cancer, diabetes –MS, arthritis –Migraines –Asthma –Ulcers Heart Disease • Framington Heart Study: Docsity.com –Longitudinal study begun in 1948 –Identified Type A personality as a risk factor for coronary artery disease • Type A Personality includes: • Time urgent • Competitive • Hostile • The critical risk factor is cynical hostility: Type A Personality • Disease Explanations: –Increased physiological reactivity –Increased life stress from hostility –Reduced social support –Poor lifestyle habits Hostility & Heart Disease • Normative Aging Study: –774 males studied over three years –Hostility was a better predictor of heart disease than • Smoking • Alcohol use • High cholesterol Stress & Illness • Summarizing Stress Research: –Stress clearly contributes to the causation of illness –Research is all correlational Docsity.com –Change behavior and you change the risk of contracting it –You can not tell who is infected • Universal Precautions –Transmission is by bodily fluids: • Blood, semen, vaginal secretions • Sexual Contact –75-80% of all cases –High risk in gay males –Heterosexual transmission: »Women are 12 times more likely to contract it from a man • Contaminated blood exposure –Health care workers –Patients receiving blood • Babies born to HIV+ mothers • Intravenous Drug Use –HIV transmitted by blood on previously used needles AIDS: –Present status • 40 million HIV+ people in the world • 66% HIV+ people live in Africa • 25% of adults in South Africa are HIV+ –Medical Aspects: • AIDS is caused by HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) • HIV invades T-helper lymphocyte cells (white blood cells) –Reduces immune systems response to incoming diseases Docsity.com • AIDS Time Frame: –Average person goes 10 years before progressing into AIDS –Once diagnosed with AIDS the life expectancy is about 2 years • AIDS Treatment: –No cure –No vaccine –Prevention is the best treatment –Attitudes and behavior don’t correlate very highly –High Risk Sexual Behavior • 75% of university students say they have a lower than average risk of contracting HIV • Only a small percentage of sexually active people use a condom • Young gay males have returned to high rates of risky behaviors • One in three HIV positive gay men are unaware of their HIV status –IV Drug Abuse • Clean needles for prevention • Problems: –Little concern about the future –Sexually promiscuous • Smoking –The major preventable cause of death in North America –23% of women; 28% of men smoke –Education best predicts smoking Docsity.com • Smoking Health Consequences: –Lung Cancer • Smoking increases the risk by 3,000% –Lung disease • Includes asthma, respiratory infection, emphysema –Cancer • Mouth, larynx, digestive system, bladder, kidney, pancreas, colon, and cervix –Heart Disease • 50% of all smoking related deaths are from heart disease –Stroke • 25% more likely to have a stroke • Passive Smoke: –Third leading cause of preventable death in the U.S. • Stop Smoking Programs – Statistics: • 50% of all smokers quit eventually • 3% succeed on the first attempt –Successful programs combine: • Physician recommendations –Deal with withdrawal symptoms • Cognitive-behavioral interventions –Change behaviors • Media anti-smoking campaigns Docsity.com