Chapter 8 -using Health Services Flashcards
What is a main reason that different people recognize symptoms more easily?
Individual differences and personality
What are 2 types of people who may respond to symptoms more frequently?
Hypochondria - people who are preoccupied or worried that normal body symptoms are indicators of an illness
Neuroticism - personality marked by negative emotion, self consciousness and concern with bodily processes
What is the SYSTEM PERCEPTION HYPOTHESIS?
A theory that people who are high in neuroticism or negative affecitvity RECOGNIZE or REPORT there symptoms more frequently.
(May exxagerrate symptoms, or he more attentive)
what are 5 factors that influence how we interpret symptoms?
Individual differences and personality
Cultural differences
Situational factors
Stress
Mood
How do cultural differences influence Symptom recognition?
Symptoms arriving from a problem can be experienced differently
Chinese train ride - stomach hurts Vs. Vertigo
What do situational factors do?
Boring situation - makes more attentive
Intense physical activity - makes less attentive
MEDICAL STUDENTS DISEASE - as they study illness they imagine they have it
When attention is focused elsewhere recognition is lowered
How does stress affect recognition?
Precipitate or aggravate the experience of symptoms
- may believe they are more vulnerable and play closer attention
What are 3 ways that change interpretation of symptoms?
Prior experience
Expectations
Seriousness of symptom
What does prior experience do for interpretation?
- people with previous medical condition estimate it to be less serious
- also influenced by how common it is
- more common means less serious
What do expectations do?
Seriousness?
- Expecting symptoms activates brain regions associated with experience of symptoms
- Symptoms that affect highly valued parts are seen as more serious
- if affects mobility, face or valued organ people will seek treatment
- If a symptom causes pain
- has impact on one life (hand)
What are illness schemes and five components?
Organized conceptions of illness
According to self regulatory model of illness cognitions…
Identity - it's name Consequences - symptoms Causes - Duration - length of time Cure - whether the person believes it can be cured
What are the 3 models of illness?
Acute illness - specific vital or bacterial agent l, short duration (flu)
Chronic illness - caused by several factors such as health habits, long duration and severe consequences (heart disease)
Cyclic illness - alternating periods (herpes)
What is the lay referral network?
An informal network of family and friends who offer their own interpretations of symptoms before any medical treatment is sought
Beneficial because it causes people to use homemade remedies and more likely to be healthy and exercise
Alternative therapies on the rise
What does the Internet do?
Lay referral network
CYBERCHONDRIA - increasing health related anxiety
Tells information about illnes and medication, etc
what are 5 things that predict the use of health services?
Age
Gender
Socio-economic
Culture
Social psychological factors