CH.7 Flashcards
physical disorders and health psychology
behavioral medicine
interdisciplinary approach applying behavioral science to the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of medical problems. also known as psychosomatic medicine
health psychology
subfield of behavioral medicine that studies psychological factors important in health promotion and maintenance
general adaptation syndrome (GAS)
sequence of reactions to sustained stress described by Hans Selye. these stages are alarm, resistance, and exhaustion, which may lead to death
self-efficancy
perception of having the ability to cope with stress or challenges
immune system
body’s means of identifying and eliminating any foreign materials (for example, bacteria, parasites, and even transplanted organs) that enter
humoral branch: blood and other bodily fluids
cellular branch: protects against viral and parasitil infections
leukocytes are primary agents
decides wether you contract a virus
high stress and low social support»_space; high sickness
antigens
foreign material that enters the body, including bacteria and parasites
rheumatoid arthritis
painful, degenerative disease in which the immune system essentially attacks itself, resulting in stiffness, swelling, and even destruction of the joints.
cognitive-behavioral treatments can help relieve pain and stiffness
psychoneuroimmunology (PNI)
study of psychological influences on the neurological responding involved in the body’s immune response
AIDS-related complex (ARC)
group of minor health problems such as weight loss, fever, and night sweats that appears after HIV infection but before development of full-blown AIDS
cancer
category of often-fatal medical conditions involving abnormal cell growth and malignancy
can also effect plants and animals
uncontroalable risk factors: age, family history and genetics, ethnic background, environment
controllable risk factors: tobacco use, poor diet, sedentary lifestyle, psychosocial factors, uv light exposure, alcohol, sexual behavior
*cancer is influenced by psychological, behavioral, and social factors
psychoncology
study of psychological factors involved in the course and treatment of cancer
cardiovascular disease
afflictions in the mechanisms, including the heart, blood vessels, and their controllers, responsible for transporting blood to the body’s tissues and organs. psychological factors may play important roles in such diseases and their treatments
stroke/cerebral vascular accident (CVA)
temporary blockage of blood vessels supplying the brain, or a rupture of vessels in the brain, resulting in temporary or permanent loss of brain functioning
hypertension
major risk factor for stroke and heart and kidney disease that is intimately related to psychological factors. also known as high blood pressure
affected by salt, fluid volume, sympathetic arousal, and stress
psychological contributors include anger and hostility
*influenced by psychological, behavioral, and social factors
essential hypertension
high blood pressure with no verifiable physical cause, which makes up the overwhelming majority of high blood pressure cases
coronary heart disease (CHD)
blockage of the arteries supplying blood to the heart muscle; a major cause of death in Western culture, with social and psychological factors involved
risk factors: stress, anxiety, anger/ poor coping skills/ low social support/ lifestyle factors/ type A behavior pattern
type A behavior pattern
cluster of behaviors including excessive competitiveness, time-pressured impatience, accelerated speech, and anger, originally thought to promote high risk for heart disease
type B behavior pattern
cluster of behaviors including a relaxed attitude, indifference to time pressure, and less forceful ambition; originally thought to promote low risk for heart disease
acute pain
pain that typically follows an injury and disappears once the injury heals or is effectively treated
chronic pain
enduring pain that does not decrease over time; may occur in muscles, joints, and the lower back; and may be caused by enlarged blood vessels or degenerating or cancerous tissue. other significant factors are social and psychological
women: migranes/ arthritis/ carpal tunel
men: cardiac/ low back
endogenous (natural) opioids
substance occurring naturally throughout the body that functions like a neurotransmitter to shut down pain sensation even in the presence of marked tissue damage. these opids may contribute to psychological problems such as eating disorders. also known as an endorphin or enkephalin
chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS)
incapacitating exhaustion following only minimal exertion, accompanied by fever, headaches, muscle and joint pain, depression, and anxiety
biofeedback
use of physiological monitoring equipment to make individuals aware of their own bodily functions, such as blood pressure or brain waves, that they cannot normally access, with the purpose of controlling these functions
relaxation response
active components of meditation methods, including repetitive thoughts of a sound to reduce distracting thoughts and closing the mind to other intruding thoughts, that decrease the flow of stress hormones and neurotransmitters and cause a feeling of calm
Which of the following is an interdisciplinary field that applies knowledge about human thoughts, emotions, and activities to prevent, diagnose, and treat medical problems?
a. behavioral medicine
b. endogenous medicine
c. health psychology
d. medical psychology
behavioral medicine
The general adaptation syndrome describes several stages people experience in response to sustained stress. These stages occur in which order?
alarm, resistance, exhaustion
Cortisol is:
a hormone that stimulates the hippocampus to turn off the stress response
Next month Shanti has to take an important college entrance exam. Which factor is most likely to influence whether her response to the exam is positive or negative?
Shanti’s beliefs about how much control she has over the situation
Joan has been living with HIV for three years and has just started participating in a stress-management support group. Based on previous research, what might Joan expect from her participation?
an increase in the activity of T helper and natural killer cells
The study of how psychosocial factors influence cancer is known as:
psychoncology
Which of the following is a risk factor for coronary heart disease?
anger that is part of the type A behavior pattern
Biofeedback can be used to teach people how to:
consciously control physiological functions that are outside awareness
Which of the following accurately characterizes the effects of denial as a coping strategy?
People who deny their disease may not notice meaningful variations in their symptoms.
Which three behaviors, all of which can be modified, put people at the most risk for physical problems?
unhealthy diet, lack of exercise, smoking
stress
physiological response of an individual
vary from person to person
stressor
event that evokes stress response
primary paths of stress
psychological factors can influence basic biological processes
long-standing behavior patterns may put people at risk for disease
biology of stress
activates sympathetic branch of ANS
neuromodulators and neuropeptides act like neurotransmitters
activates the HPA axis producing cortisol (arousal)
physiology of stress
hippocampus: part of the limbic system highly responsive to cortisol helps to turn off HPA cycle chronic stress may damage cells in hipp., which interferes with stopping the HPA loop (become less good at shutting off stress response)
social influences on stress
high cortisol associated with low social status
low social status-fewer lymphocytes and immune suppression
dominant males benefit from predictability and controllability
primate research
leukocytes
white blood cells
macrophages: first line of defense, destroy antigens, signal lymphocytes
lymphocytes: B cells (humoral branch) and T cells (cellular branch)
B cells: produce antibodies (copies)
T cells: slash and burn
AIDS
acquired immunodeficiency virus
flu-like symptoms
med time from infection to full-blown AIDS is 7.3-10 years or more
treated with HAART (highly active antiretroviral therapy )
-current most effective drug treatment
-60% show neg. side effects
development and course influenced by psychological, behavioral, and social factors
malignant cells
different shapes and sizes
spread out
carcinomas
epithelial tissue (skin, and skin type stuff)
sarcomas
connective tissue
leukemias
blood cells (most common)
lymphomas
lymphatic system (rare) (lymph nodes and connective vessels)
angina pectoris
chest pain from partial obstruction of the arteries
atherosclerosis
accumulation of artery plaque
Ischemia
deficiency of blood suppply because of too much plaque
myocardial infarction
heart attack involving death of heart tissue
