Health psychology Flashcards
What does the stress response impact, and what are two implications of it?
The stress response improves physiological/mental functioning to meet imminent demands and enable survival. It can be adaptive (lion hunting or fleeing) or maladaptive (breakdown in a presentation).
What do health psychologists study?
Factors that influence well-being and health
What is/are stress/stressors
A pattern of cognitive, physiological and behavioural responses to (perceived) imbalance between situational demands and coping resources/demanding or threatening situations.
2 definitions of health
WHO, 1948: “A state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”
Huber et al., 2011: “Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.”
List the 6 dimensions of health
- Bodily functions
- Quality of life
- Mental functions, perception
- Spiritual/existential dimension
- Social wellbeing
- Daily functioning
Patients assigned the biggest importance to these dimensions, while Policy makers assigned the least importance to them.
How do we have to work on the clearness of these definitions of health?
Distinguishing between the narrow interpretation of “health as an absence from disease” and the broad interpretation with te six dimensions.
What is “positive health”?
A different approach, based on the following advice: “Take health not as an aim in itself, but as a means to a meaningful life.” OOF THAT IS DEEP
How to implement the positive health approach
- Connect to what is important to the person through motivational interviewing
- Find out what they want to change
- Offer perspectives on what can be done and provide guidance to them.
What are stressors?
Define three stages of stressors.
Stimuli that place demands on us and require us to adapt.
Microstressors: Daily hassles/minor annoyances
Major negative events: Personal, distressing events
Catastrophic events: Most occur unexpectedly, affect large numbers of people.
List 8 negative consequences of stress and what they are labeled as in society
Labeled as “growing plague” and “epidemic”.
- 6 leading causes of death
- Work problems
- Cognitive impairments
- Loss of productivity
- Sleep disorders
- Depression and other mental illness
- Aggression/relational conflict
- ETC
Name the 2 stress mindsets
Stress-is-debilitating vs stress-is-enhancing.
Can be measured with the stress mindset measure (SMM)
What are stress mindsets?
They focus on negative consequences. May contribute to the negative impact of stress.
What is the “stress paradox”?
While experiencing stress can debilitate health/performance, stress can also fundamentally enhance health/performance! This works because if you know you’re stressed but do not think that it’s harmful for your health, there is a very low risk of dying. When you change your mind about stress (“my body is just preparing me for action), you can change your body’s response to it. (Kelly McGonigal)
Give the definition of mindfulness by Mark Williams
A non-judgmental awareness; a direct knowing of what is going on inside and outside ourselves, moment by moment
