Health Beliefs Flashcards
Health
State of complete physical, mental and social well-being
World health organisation (1948)
Ill
Symptoms are perceived, evaluated and acted upon
Social situation
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 are grouped together
Identify patterns in the body
Most appropriate action - further diagnosis, treatment, see what happens
Seen it before - know what it is and what to do
What does a diagnosis do?
Gives reason for feeling ill
Act as reassurance
Legitimise behaviour
Expectation that healthcare professionals can treat it
Label
Stigmatise
Impact sense of what we are
Rename us to others
What does a diagnosis not do?
Not always clear explanation
Not clear idea of future
No diagnosis - medical unexplained symptoms, lack of clarity
Illness cognition
Patients own 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 on their health
E.g. pain and symptoms, social life and work
Cognitive dimensions of illness beliefs: durability and controllability
How likely it is to cure the illness and still live a good lifestyle
Leventhal’s self regulatory model
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: representation of health threat
Identity
Cause
Time line
Consequence
Cure/control
Leventhal’s self regulatory model: stage 1 - interpretation
Symptom perception
Social messages - deviation from norm
Leventhal’s self regulatory model: stage 2 - coping
Approach coping - learn and does as much as they can themselves
Avoidance coping - leave to healthcare professionals
Leventhal’s self regulatory model: emotional response to health threats
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
You 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)
Evaluates whether an individual believes their health is controlled by them or external factors
Internal - more likely to engage in health enhancing behaviours
Internal health locus of control
Internal beliefs
High health protective behaviours
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 actions of powerful others
I.e. healthcare professionals
Learned helplessness
Seligman, 1972
Perceived lack of control
Cannot change the course of negative events
Response to failure
Self-efficacy
One has the capabilities to execute the course of actions required to manage situation (Bandura, 1977, 1986).
Situation specific self-confidence
Belief in their ability to succeed
Rehabilitation process
Sense of mastery
