health psychology

Question 1

What is Health Psychology according to Johnston (1994)?

Answer 1

Health Psychology is the study of psychological and behavioral processes in health, illness, and health care.

Question 2

How does Taylor (1995) define Health Psychology?

Answer 2

Health Psychology focuses on understanding psychological influences on health, illness, and recovery, and developing interventions to promote health and manage illness.

Question 3

What key questions does Adler (1994) identify for Health Psychology?

3

Answer 3

1. Who becomes sick and why?
2. . Who recovers and why among the sick?
3. How can illness be prevented or recovery promoted?

Question 4

What are the main differences between the biomedical model and the biopsychosocial model?

Answer 4

The biomedical model views disease as caused by physical factors (e.g., bacteria), sees individuals as passive, and separates mind and body, while the biopsychosocial model integrates biological, psychological, and social factors and emphasizes individual responsibility

Question 5

What does the biomedical model suggest about illness and treatment?

Answer 5

Illness is caused by external physical factors or internal issues (e.g., genetics). Treatment focuses on medicines and medical interventions, and health is seen as separate from the mind.

Question 6

What are the leading causes of death in the UK?

Answer 6

Leading causes include heart disease, cancer, respiratory diseases, and stroke (The Independent, 2017).

Question 7

What are the top risk factors for death in the UK?

Answer 7

Risk factors include smoking, high blood pressure, obesity, physical inactivity, and poor diet (The Independent, 2017).

Question 8

How do psychosocial factors contribute to health outcomes?

Answer 8

Factors such as behaviors (e.g., smoking, diet), personality traits (e.g., hostility), stress, loneliness, lack of social support, and socioeconomic status influence disease development.

Question 9

How can lifestyle changes prevent cancer in the UK?

Answer 9

Preventing smoking, maintaining a healthy weight, and practicing sun safety could prevent over 135,000 cancer cases annually in the UK (Cancer Research UK, 2018).

Question 10

What does data on mortality and risk factors suggest about the biomedical model?

Answer 10

Evidence that lifestyle, psychological, and social factors contribute to disease challenges the biomedical model’s focus on physical causes and passive treatment.

Question 11

How does the World Health Organization (WHO) define health?

Answer 11

Health is “a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity” (WHO, 1946), suggesting health and illness are not qualitatively different

Question 12

What are the three dimensions of health according to Bishop and Yardley (2010)?

Answer 12

1. Biomedical - No diagnosed medical problems.
2. Functional - Ability to do necessary tasks.
3. Well-being - Enjoying life and feeling positive

Question 13

How does positive affect benefit health?

Answer 13

Positive affect improves immune function, reduces stress, promotes well-being, and is linked to longer life expectancy

Question 14

How do personality traits like conscientiousness impact health?

Answer 14

Traits like conscientiousness are linked to better health outcomes and longer life expectancy due to better health management.

Question 15

How do mind and body interact in health outcomes?

Answer 15

Positive emotions, stress, personality, and social support all influence physiological processes such as immune function, stress responses, and health behaviors.

Question 16

What does the Biopsychosocial Model propose about health?

Answer 16

Health is shaped by biological, psychological, and social factors. It views individuals as responsible for their health and suggests a continuum of health and illness, with mind and body interacting.

Question 17

Why is Health Psychology important today?

Answer 17

Health Psychology is crucial due to changing death causes, the recognition of psychological factors in health, and the growing emphasis on personal health behaviors and their impact on health outcomes.

Question 18

What is the recommended sleep duration for healthy adults?

Answer 18

Adults should aim for 7-9 hours of sleep per night for optimal health and functioning (The Great British Bedtime Report, 2017).

Question 19

What are the health risks associated with insufficient sleep?

Answer 19

Insufficient sleep increases the risk of premature mortality, heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, obesity, depression, anxiety, and dementia.

Question 20

What are key sleep hygiene tips?

Answer 20

Tips include getting natural light in the morning, avoiding screens before bed, keeping a regular sleep schedule, avoiding stress, and creating a relaxing routine.

Question 21

How does social support impact health?

Answer 21

Social support reduces mortality, improves immune function, lowers blood pressure, helps recovery from illness, and promotes better sleep and mental health.

Question 22

What is the effect of loneliness and social isolation on health?

Answer 22

Loneliness and social isolation have a significant negative impact on health, increasing the risk of mortality and mental health issues.

Question 23

What does research suggest about the role of social support in mortality?

Answer 23

Meta-analyses show that social support and the absence of loneliness can reduce mortality risk as much as traditional health risk factors like smoking and obesity.

Question 24

What are the health benefits of social support?

Answer 24

Social support is linked to reduced mortality, lower blood pressure, better immune function, improved pregnancy outcomes, and better sleep.

Question 25

How does social support influence sleep?

Answer 25

Social support improves sleep quality, with positive relationships and low loneliness contributing to better sleep. Stressful relationships, however, can worsen sleep.

Question 26

What are the two hypotheses explaining how social support affects health?

Answer 26

Direct Effects Hypothesis: Social support improves self-esteem and physiological processes, promoting better health.
Buffering Hypothesis: Social support helps individuals cope with stress, reducing its harmful effects on health.

Question 27

Can social support have negative effects on health?

Answer 27

Yes, social support may be harmful if the support is of poor quality, mismatched to needs, or encourages unhealthy behaviors.