Health Beliefs Flashcards
Health
State of complete physical, mental and social well-being
World Health Organisation (1948)
Health: ill
Symptoms are perceived, evaluated and acted upon
Social situations
Cultural differences
Diagnosis
Process of determining the nature of a disease or disorder and distinguishing it from other possible conditions
Diagnosis: perspective of clinician
Signs and symptoms grouped together
Identify patterns in the body
Appropriate action
Seen it before
What does a diagnosis do?
Gives reason
Reassurance
Legitimise
Expectation that healthcare professionals can treat it
Label - positive or negative
Stigmatise people
Impact sense of self identity
Rename us to others
What does a diagnosis not do?
Not always a clear explanation
Not a clear idea of future
No diagnosis - medical unexplained symptoms, lack of clarity
Illness cognition
Patients owt implicit common sense beliefs about their illness - Leventhal et al., 1980, 1997
Framework for coping and understanding illness
Cognitive dimensions of illness beliefs: identity
What they think the illness is
Cognitive dimensions of illness beliefs: perceived cause
Cause of the illness
Cognitive dimensions of illness beliefs: time line
Duration of the illness
Cognitive dimensions of illness beliefs: consequences
Impact of the illness of their health
E.g. pain and symptoms, social life and work
Cognitive dimensions of illness beliefs: curability and controllability
How likely it is to cure the illness and still live a good lifestyle
Leventhal’s self regulatory model of illness behaviour
Interpretation, coping and appraisal interrelate in order to maintain a status quo
Normal health disrupted - model purposes that the individual is motivated to return to the balance back to normality
Everything influences each other
Leventhal’s self regulatory model of illness behaviour: representation of health threat
Identity
Cause
Consequence
Timeline
Cure/control
Leventhal’s self regulatory model of illness behaviour: stage 1 - interpretation
Symptoms perception
Social messages - deviation from norm
Leventhal’s self regulatory model of illness behaviour: stage 2 - coping
Approach coping - learn and does as much as they can themselves
Avoidance coping - leave to health professionals
Leventhal’s self regulatory model of illness behaviour: stage 3 - appraisal
Was my coping strategy effective
Leventhal’s self regulatory model of illness behaviour: emotional response to health threat
Fear
Anxiety
Depression
Determination
Locus of control
Degree to which people perceive themselves to be in control of a situation - Rotter, 1966
Continuum
Locus of control: internal
Your are in control of events
Personally responsible of what happens to you
Your actions affect the outcome
Locus of control: external
Events are uncontrollable
Controlled by external factors or luck
Things happen to you
Health locus of control
Wallston and colleagues (1991, 1994)
Evaluated whether an individual believes their health is controlled by them or external factors
Internal - more likely to engage in health enhancing behaviour
Internal health locus of control
Internal beliefs
High health protective behaviour
External health locus of control
Strong external beliefs consider external forces
I.e. luck, fate, or chance
Health locus of control: powerful others
Strong beliefs that state is determined by the action of powerful others
I.e. healthcare professionals
Learned helplessness
Seligman, 1972
Perceived lack of control
Failure is inevitable
Generalised helpless behaviour in response to failure
Self-efficacy
One has the capabilities to execute the courses of actions required to manage prospective situations
Situation specific self-confidence
Belied in their ability to succeed in particular behaviour
Rehabilitation process
Sense of mastery - mediating, moderating role
