Psychology from Science to Practice

PSY 105 Health, Stress, & Coping

Overview
Health psychology Stress
Stressors
Stressful life events Hassles of daily life Work-related stress

Fight-or-flight syndrome General Adaptation Syndrome Effects

Physical well-being Psychological well-being Task performance

Health belief model Behavioral risk factors

Smoking Poor nutrition Alcohol consumption Behaviors associated with contracting AIDS

Prevention strategies
Primary Secondary

Objectives
When you complete this lesson you will be able to: Define health psychology Define stress and describe its major causes and effects Explain the health belief model Explain the importance of effective communication between doctor and patient List and describe four behavioral risk factors that contribute to developing illness Describe a psychological risk factor that contributes to developing illness

Health Psychology: An Overview

Health psychology
Relationships between psychological variables and health Beliefs, attitudes, behavior contribute to illness

Behavioral medicine
Combination of behavioral/ biomedical knowledge for prevention/ treatment of disorders

Increased interest
Current leading causes of death related to lifestyles
Preventable Behaviors difficult to change

Lifestyle = pattern of decisions/ behaviors that determine health/ quality of life

Stress: Its Basic Nature

Stress
Response to threatening/ disrupting events that effect physical/ psychological functions
Process in reaction to stressors
Share characteristics:
1. Highly intense, producing a state of overload 2. Evoke incompatible tendencies 3. Uncontrollable Generally brief reactions Can be part of three stage GAS sequence if chronic 1. Alarm Doesnt consider cognitive processes 2. Resistance 3. Exhaustion

Stress: Some Major Causes

Stressful life events
Accumulated stress Consider ones ability to handle impact of stress Catastrophe
Posttraumatic stress disorder
Severe psychological disorder occurring after life-threatening event

Hassles of daily life

Frequent Hassles Scale
Positive correlations between scores on scale and reports of psychological symptoms

Work-related stress
Work overload Work underload Low job control Role conflict/ ambiguity Lack of support Conflict with other employees

Stress: Some Major Effects

Physical well-being
Prolonged exposure disrupts immune system
Reduces circulating levels of lymphocytes Increases levels of cortisol Negatively effects cardiovascular system

Psychological well-being Task performance

Interferes with performance because:
Stress can be distracting Negative impact on health interferes Performance falls at some point
Caution:

Precise effects depend on many factors!

Understanding & Communicating Our Health Needs

Additional roles of health psychologists
Identify techniques to reduce/ eliminate unhealthy behaviors Promote adoption of healthy lifestyles
Difficult due to patients attitudes/ beliefs Health belief model suggests willingness to change depends on:
Extent to which we perceive a threat to our health Extent to which we believe a specific behavior will reduce threat

Patient satisfaction is important

Effectively communicate with patients

Behavioral & Psychological Correlates of Illness:

The Effects of Thoughts & Actions on Health
Risk factors
Aspects of lifestyle that affect chances of developing disease
Smoking
Why do people do it?
Genetic Psychosocial Cognitive

Poor diet
Poor nutrition Overeating
Why do people do it? oGenetic oBehavioral oEnvironmental oType of initial motivation

-Autonomous -Controlled

Behavioral & Psychological Correlates of Illness:

The Effects of Thoughts & Actions on Health Risk Factors
Aspects of lifestyle that affect chances of developing disease Alcohol
Chronic consumption can cause deficits in cognitive abilities and other disease Why do people do it? Genetics Environment

Unprotected sex/ intravenous drug use

AIDS Psychologists lead behavior change programs using IMB model and elicitation research
oHelps determine why target groups dont perform AIDSpreventative behavior

Behavioral & Psychological Correlates of Illness:

The Effects of Thoughts & Actions on Health
Risk Factors
Mood states Emotions
Inadequate emotional expressions can have adverse effect
Type D personalities are likely to experience
Suppressed immune systems Greater recurrence of cancer Higher mortality rates

Plays role in progression of hypertension

Extreme reactivity to emotional stress may indicate predisposition

Positive emotions
Increase change of recovery Can reverse negative cardiovascular effects Associated with psychological resilience

Promoting Wellness: Developing a Healthier Lifestyle

Prevention strategies
Techniques designed to reduce occurrence of illness Two stages
Primary
Reduce/ eliminate incidence of preventable illness/ injury Education about relationship between behaviors and health Promote motivation Promote skills to practice healthy behavior Intervention

Secondary
Decrease severity of current illness by focusing on early detection Screening Self-examination

Summary
Health psychology Stress
Stressors
Stressful life events Hassles of daily life Work-related stress

Fight-or-flight syndrome General Adaptation Syndrome Effects

Physical well-being Psychological well-being Task performance

Health belief model Behavioral risk factors

Smoking Poor nutrition Alcohol consumption Behaviors associated with contracting AIDS

Prevention strategies
Primary Secondary