Health Psychology Flashcards
Healthy psychology
- links behaviour cognition, and physical health
- emphasize role of mental processes in maintaning a healthy body
Biopsychosocial Model
Health outcomes = combination of biological, psychological, and social factors
Biological components
- sex, illness, genetics, immune functioning, neurochemistry
Psychological Factors
-personality, history, behaviours, beliefs, memories, coping strategies
e.g person w positive outlook recover from surgery better than one w negative mindset
Social Factors
- friends, family, culture, status social economic, education
Stress
- physiological response to an environmental event
TYPES of Stressors
- Catastrophic events
-natural disaster - Major life events
- marriage - Daily hassles
-traffic
Primary apprasial vs Secondary aprasial
- evaluating job interview as either a challenge or threat
-considering whether u have the skills to perform well
General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS)
- Alarm Stage
-release of adrenaline - Resistance Stage
-functioning at work, dealing with problem - Exhaustion Stage
-burnt out
SAM axis vs HPA axis
-fast-acting cardiovascular response
-fight or flight
E.g heart racing after near accident
vs
-prolonged response
-conserves energy
E.g. stressed after week of pressure at work
Coristol
- hormone produced by the adrenal cortex
- in response to stress
-via HPA axis
acute/short lived stressor
- can strengthen body’s stress response
chronic/ prolonged stressors
- damages ones health
- weakens immune response
-increase inflamation - lead to cardio vascular disease
Type A vs Type B perosnality
A: competitive, driven, focused on time management
B: reflective, creative, less competitive
Resilience
- ability to cope with stress and return to baseline levels quickly
Diathesis-stress model
- traditional view on how genes and environment interact
-genes give us diathesis (inherent risk)
-stress events trigger rxn
Epigenetics
- studies how life events change gene expression
E.g diet or stress effects
Social support
- belief one can turn to peoples help to aid stress
Mindefulness
- focuses attention on the present
-acceptance of thoughts and feelings
Implmentation intentions
- if then
E.g.: “ if I finish my work by 5, I will go to the gym
Humor & Health
- associated with optimism
- higher self-esteem, and lower rates of depression
Building positive mentions
-enhance wellbeing
-signal safety
-enable exploration, and reslience
Traumatic Experience
- helps people find meaning in negative events
-promote wellbeing
FLOW
- focused attention on the task
E.g. musician losing track of time while performing
Which is more important - The Objective Stressor, or the Perceived stress?
- perceived stress
- determines impacts on health and wellbeing
Challenge reactivity
-occurs in SAM
-heartbeats faster
-more blood flow
-circulation
-ready to fight
Threat reactivity
-impairs peformance
-fear
IDEAL follow up to s stress respone
- body returns to homeostasis rapidly
-using parasympathetic nervous system
Stress links to Cardiovascular disease hint SAM
-chronically activates SAM means chronic high blood pressure
-plaque buildup in arteries
Stress & Risk-taking
- rewards seem more attractive
- more likely to act impulsively
Health Disparities
- the difference in health status between groups
-socioeconomic status in childhood
correlation between stress & control
People who have a higher degree of perceived control over their lives experience less stress
Problem-focused coping vs Emotion-focused coping
- confront and control rather than avoid the problem
vs - no direct solution of distress
