HealthPsych S1 - Intro incomplete Flashcards
What is the bio medical model of medicine?
Traditional medicine where social and psychological factors am not considered.
Treatment involves physical intervention (surgery, drugs).
This model is dominant in western medicine.
Define health psychology
Psychology’s contribution to:
- The promotion and maintenance of health
- The prevention and treatment of illness
- The identification of psychological factors affecting health and illness
- The analysis and improvement of the healthcare system and health policy information
What is the biopsychosocial model of medicine?
A more modern approach to medicine
Recognises that biological (genetics, physiology, pathogens), psychological (emotion, behaviour, cognition) and social (social class, employment, support) factors all have an impact on each other and on health and illness
Why is the biopsychosocial model important in modern medicine?
It’s success is proven in history, for example with measles: there was an enormous drop in cases upon the improvement of housing, sanitation and diet in the 20th century - before the introduction of a vaccine.
Why is the study of human diversity relevant to medicine?
We must consider that different groups of people have different:
- Health problems
- Health beliefs
- Lifestyles which impact on health
- Health needs
How do stereotypes affect practise?
Healthcare professionals should:
- Be aware of their own stereotyping and how that may impact of the treatment of and interactions with colleagues and patients
- Not be expected to agree with or approve of any aspect of patients but regardless should provide good healthcare and respect their rights
Define “stereotype”
A generalisation made about specific social groups and their members
May be broadly correct but can be erroneous
How are stereotypes created?
Stereotypes are how we store and organise memories and knowledge.
Knowledge is stores in schemata (groups of related information)
Their function is to save mental processing power, to allow anticipation and predictions of the environment to be made - to avoid information overload.
Discuss in-group/out-group attributions
Groups are a source of self-identity and self esteem
We are more likely to focus on the negative connotations of members of out-groups and the positive attributes of members of our own groups, which subconsciously builds self esteem
Negative bias in stereotyping can lead to prejudice
Define prejudice
The evaluative and affective component
The prejudgment of people based on stereotyping, often negatively
“Allowing stereotypes to affect ones attitudes towards other social groups”
Define discrimination
Allowing stereotypes to affect our attitudes towards other groups and allowing those affected attitudes to be shown in our behaviours towards members of those stereotyped groups
Give an example of the interplay of stereotyping, prejudice and discrimination
If we make an assumption on someone based on their age then we are pre-judging them by assuming they will conform to stereotype. This is prejudice. If we then act on those assumptions then we would be discriminating
How may stereotypes be combatted?
We rely on stereotyping more when we are under pressure or fatigue so we can teach ourselves to be aware of our own stereotyping
Getting to know members of other groups helps challenge negative stereotypes
Reflective practise can also help
How valid are common stereotypes regarding ageing and intellectual decline?
It’s hard to say. Cross sectional studies report a linear decline accelerating after age 70 but there are methodological issues with these studies due to several confounders:
-Changes over time in individuals
-The validity of measures
-Cohort effects (numeracy/arithmetic skills)
However more valid longitudinal studies paint a less pessimistic picture where decline does not occur in all facets of “intellect” simultaneously
