Health Psychology Flashcards
What is Behavioral Medicine?
Interdisciplinary field, focused on behavior, that integrates knowledge from various professions.
It can have a psychological focus, but also a medical focus, serving as an umbrella term for contributions from different fields.
What is Health Psychology?
A branch of behavioral medicine focused on how mental health influences physical health
It emphasizes the importance of holistic treatment and the interrelation physical and psychological health.
Define stress.
Psychological and/or physiological responses to difficult or demanding circumstances.
It impacts cognition, hormones, and other pathways. It is often a symptom of various different disorders.
Who is Hans Selye and what did he contribute to the understanding of stress?
Introduced the concept of General Adaptation Syndrome.
It describes the body’s response to stressors through fight or flight mechanisms.
What is chronic stress?
A prolonged state of stress that can wear down the body over time.
Americans are statistically very stressed, which can lead to various health issues.
How does stress impact physical health?
It impacts:
- weight by affecting ghrelin (hunger hormone)
- decreases endorphins (therefore increases pain sensitivity)
- causes digestive issues
- disrupts the HPA Axis (Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal), affecting cortisol release
What is Psychoneuroimmunology (PNI)?
The study of how stress affects the immune system and cognition.
More stress leads to increased inflammation and impacts T-Cells, allowing for disease progression and increasing the probability of opportunistic infections.
What is coping?
Efforts to manage stress.
It can vary greatly between individuals based on numerous factors, both genetic and environmental.
What is appraisal in the context of stress evaluation? What are the two types of appraisal and what do they context of?
- Primary appraisal: the importance or impact of a stressor on an individual’s life.
- Secondary appraisal: assesses one’s ability to manage the stressor.
Define problem-focused coping.
When an individual thinks of a problem that has a solution.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is effective in this approach.
Define emotion-focused coping.
Coping strategy for when there is no clear solution to a problem.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is beneficial here.
How can social support affect stress?
Relationships can buffer the effects of stress.
Social isolation and loneliness correlate with a wide range of problems.
What role does health psychology play in weight management?
Supports healthy lifestyles and manages eating behaviors.
Mental health clinicians should be involved when prescribing weight medications to manage potential underlying psychological conditions, as psychological and physical health influence each other.
What is the STAR method in smoking cessation?
Setting a date
Telling friends and family
Anticipating challenges
Removing triggers
This method helps clients prepare for quitting smoking. It addresses the need for social support.
Define tolerance in substance use.
The need for higher doses of a substance to achieve the desired effect.
It is influenced by various factors, such as continued use an/or abuse of a substance.
