Chapter 9 - Physical Disorders and Health Psychology

Question 1

Major contributors to illness

Answer 1

• Psychological
• Behavioral

Question 2

Psychosomatic medicine

Answer 2

Psychological factors affect somatic (physical) function

Question 3

Behavioral Medicine

Answer 3

Knowledge derived from behavioral science is applied to the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of medical problems.

Question 4

Heath Psychology

Answer 4

[Subfield of Behavioral Medicine] Practitioners

Promote the maintenance of health along with analyzing and recommending improvements in health-care systems and health-policy formation within the field of psychology.

Question 5

Psychological and Social Factors influence health in 2 ways

Answer 5

1. Affect the basic biological processes that lead to illness and diseases
2. Long-standing behavioral patterns may put people at risk to develop certain physical disorders.

Question 6

General Adaption Syndrome (GAS)

Answer 6

Body goes through several stages in response to sustained stress
1. Alarm response to immediate danger or threat
2. Stage of resistance where we mobilize various coping mechanisms to respond to continuing stress
3. Stage of exhaustion in which our bodies suffer permeant damage or death if the stress is too intense or lasts too long.

Question 7

Self-efficacy

Answer 7

Psychological factors in the sense of control and confidence allows us to cope with stress or challenges

Question 8

Immune System

Answer 8

Protects the body from any foreign materials that may enter it, including cold viruses

(effect of stress on susceptibility to infections is mediated through the immune system.

Question 9

Antigen

Answer 9

Any number of substances usually bacteria, viruses, or parasites

[Immune system identifies antigens and eliminates them in the body]

Question 10

Two main parts of the immune system

Answer 10

• Humoral
• Cellular

Question 11

Leukocytes

Answer 11

White blood cells that do most of the work, include:

*Macrophages - surround identifiable antigens and destroy them
* Lymphocytes - contain two groups (B cells and T cells) are signaled by the macrophages

Question 12

B cells

Answer 12

Operate within the humoral part of the immune system, releasing molecules (immunoglobulins acting as antibodies) that seek antigens to neutralize them.

• Memory B cells - created after the antigens have been neutralized so next time the antigen is encountered, the immune system may respond top the antigen faster.

Question 13

T cells

Answer 13

Operate within the cellular brain of the immune system

• Killer T cells - directly destroys viruses and cancer cells
• Memory T cells - are created to speed future response to the same antigen
• Helper T cells (aka T4 cells) - enhance the immune system response by signaling B cells to produce antibodies and telling other T cells to destroy the antigen.
• Suppressor T cells - suppress the production of antibodies by B cells when they are no longer needed.

Question 14

Autoimmune disease

Answer 14

(such as Rheumatoid arthritis)

With too many T4 cells, the immune system is overreactive and may attack the body’s normal cells rather than antigens causing the body to be subject to invasion by a number of antigens.

Question 15

Immunotherapy

Answer 15

Anticancer viruses genetically engineered to enter cancer cells, stimulating the patient’s own immune system to destroy the cancer throughout the patient’s body.

Question 16

Psychoneuroimmunology

Answer 16

Object of study is psychological influences on the neurological responding implicated in our immune response.

[connections between the nervous system and the immune system.]

Question 17

AIDS-related complex

Answer 17

After several months to several years with no symptoms, patients may develop minor health problems such as weight loss, fever, and night sweats.

Question 18

Cognitive-behavioral stress-management (CBSM)

Answer 18

Have positive effects on the immune systems of individuals who are already symptomatic.

Question 19

Cancer

Answer 19

Different varieties of cancer are subject to psychosocial influences

Question 20

Psychoncology

Answer 20

Treating cancer patients with psychotherapy relieves their anxiety, depression and sometimes pain.

Question 21

Cardiovascular Disease

Answer 21

Consists of the heart, blood vessels, and complex control mechanisms for regulating their function.

Question 22

Strokes aka Cerebral Vascular Accidents

Answer 22

temporary blockages of blood vessels leading to the brain or a rupture of blood vessels in the brain that result in temporary or permanent brain damage and loss of functioning.

Question 23

Hypertension

Answer 23

(High blood pressure) is a major risk factor not only for stroke and heart disease ut also for kidney disease.

Question 24

Essential Hypertension

Answer 24

Specific psychical abnormalities, such as kidney disease or tumors on the adrenal glands with no specific psychical cause.

Question 25

Coronary Heart Disease

Answer 25

Blockage of the arteries supplying the blood to the heart muscle (the myocardium)

Question 26

Angina Pectoris

Answer 26

Chest pain resulting from partial obstruction of the arteries

Question 27

Atherosclerosis

Answer 27

Fatty substance or plaque builds up inside the the arteries and causes an obstruction.

Question 28

Ischemia

Answer 28

Deficiency of blood to a body part caused by the narrowing of the arteries by too much plaque

Question 29

Myocardial infarction (aka heart attack)

Answer 29

The death of heart tissue when a specific artery becomes clogged with plaque.

Question 30

Mycardial Stunning

Answer 30

Heart failure

Question 31

Type A Behavior

Answer 31

Excessive competitive drive, sense of always being pressured for time, impatience, incredible amounts of energy that may show up in accelerated speech and motor activity, and angry outbursts.

Question 32

Type B Behavior

Answer 32

More relaxed, less concerned about deadlines, and seldom feels the pressure or, perhaps, the excitement of challenges or overwhelming ambition.

Question 33

Acute Pain

Answer 33

Typically follows an injury and disappears once the injury heals or is effectively treated.

Question 34

Chronic Pain

Answer 34

May begin with an acute episode but does not decrease over time, even when the injury has healed or effective treatments have been administered.

[typically in the muscles, joints, or tendons]

Question 35

Pain Behaviors

Answer 35

include changing the way one sits or walks, continually complaining about pain to others, grimacing, and, most important, avoiding various activities, particulary these involving work or leisure.

Question 36

Suffering

Answer 36

Emotional component of pain

Question 37

Endogenous (natural) opioids

Answer 37

Exists within the body called endorphins and enkephalins (much like neurotransmitters).

They are implicated in a variety of psychological symptoms and conditions including tolerance and dependence, eating disorders, and stress reactions.

Question 38

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Answer 38

Most common in women

Symptoms include:
* Subjective memory impairment
* Tender lymph nodes
* Sore throat
* Muscle Pain
* Joint Pain
* Headache
* Unrefreshing sleep
* Postexertional malaise lasting more than 24 hours

Question 39

Biofeedback

Answer 39

Process of making patients aware of specific physiological functions, that, ordinarily they would not notice consciously , such as heart rate, blood pressure, muscle tension, in specific areas of the body, electroencephalogram rhythms (brain waves), and patterns of blood flow.

Question 40

Relaxation Response

Answer 40

Person silently repeats a mantra (focusing attention solely on the repeated syllable) to minimize distraction by closing the mind to intruding thoughts)

Question 41

Comprehensive Stress-and Pain-reduction program

Answer 41

Individuals work hard to identify unrealistic negative thoughts and to develop new appraisals and attitudes almost instantaneously when negative thoughts occur.

*During time-management training, patients are taught to prioritize their activities and pay less attention to nonessential demands.

• During assertiveness training, they learn to stand up for themselves in an appropriate way.