L7

Question 1

Health psychology definition

Answer 1

11 aims to understand and change thoughts, emotions and behavior and their interaction in the context of health, illness and healthcare
2. understand and change:
thoughts<->behaviors<->emotions<->thoughts

Question 2

focus of health psychologists

Answer 2

1. health promotion and maintenance: intervene at the social (e.g. gov policy, community) or individual level to promote:
   - health
   - prevent illness (what will your last 10 years look like?)
   
   • improvement of health care system and the formulation of health policy
   • scientists who research the area
   • etiology and correlates of health, illness and dysfunction (e.g. combat smoking in thailand)
     - disease progression
     - reduce disability
2. piano staircase initiative

Question 3

health and illness definition

Answer 3

1. whether a person is named as health or ill depends on:
   - what the person him/herself perceives as such
   - what doctors gather from the medical point of view

Question 4

Illness-wellness continuum

Answer 4

1. premature death <—-> high level wellness
2. premature death
   - disability -> symptoms -> signs
   - treatment model ->
   - more health compromising behaviors
3. high level wellness
   - -> awareness -> education -> growth
   - wellness model ->
   - more health enhancing behaviors

Question 5

the biopsychosocial model: overview

Answer 5

1. health and illness are consequences of the interplay of biological, psychological, and social factors
2. maintains that the macrolevel and microlevel processes continually interact to influence health and illness
3. emphasizes both health and illness
4. the world (biggest box)
   - social systems
   
   • society, community, family
5. the person (middle size box)
   - psychological systems
   
   • cognition, emotion, motivation, behaviors
6. biological systems (smallest box)
   - biological systems
   
   • organs, tissues, cells

Question 6

the biopsychosocial model: triangle

Answer 6

psychological <-> social factor <-> biological factor <-> psychological factor

Question 7

contributions of psychology to health

Answer 7

1. provided techniques useful in changing behaviors that affect health and illness
2. committed to keeping people healthy rather than waiting to only treat them when they become ill
3. developed reliable and valid measures for assessing health-related factors
4. contributed a solid foundation of scientific methods for studying such behaviors

Question 8

the need for health psychology

Answer 8

1. increase in chronic or lifestyle-related illness
   - acute disorders
   - chronic illness
2. advances in technology and research
3. expanded health care services
4. increased medical acceptance

Question 9

Stress definition

Answer 9

1. a negative emotional experience accompanied by:
   - physiological changes e.g. increase heart rate, cortisol level
   - cognitive changes e.g. worry, anxiety
   - behavioral changes, e.g. performance, smoke more

Question 10

Classification of stress

Answer 10

1. stress vs stressor
2. duration: acute vs chronic
3. type: positive vs negative

Question 11

Stressors definition

Answer 11

1. any circumstance that threatens or is perceived to threaten one’s well-being and that requires one’s coping ability
2. stressful events are called stressors
3. individual differences: a stressor may be stressful to some but not to others
   - highly subjective
4. how the event is perceived determines whether it is a stressor
   - e.g. flying on an airplane is stressful to someone but not the frequent fliers

Question 12

Sources of stressors (external vs internal)

Answer 12

1. external vs internal
   - external: from outside
   
   • you have a new academic supervisor and you do not get along well with him/her
     - internal: from yourself
   • you have studied overnight for your exam and you have too little sleep and are exhausted

Question 13

sources of stressors (major vs minor)

Answer 13

1. major vs minor
   - major: stressful life events or significant life changes
   
   • positive: graduation, married
   • negative: e.g. unemployment, getting stick
     - minor: daily stress/hassles
   • Hassle means “ annoying or troublesome concern”, some minor things e.g. traffic jam, changes in routine, making small decisions
   • cumulative in nature

Question 14

acute stress

Answer 14

1. clear when it starts and ends
   -e.g. you have just enrolled in an introductory psychology course which is not your major. last night, you stayed up late to study for a mid term quiz. this morning you almost missed the shuttle bus and you had a scholarship interview at 8.30am

Question 15

chronic stress/strain

Answer 15

1. continuous stress
   - e.g. during your summer exchange trip, you met suki, a 18-year-old girl whose mother is diagnosed with lung cancer. suki has to do 2 part time jobs to support her two younger brothers, take care of her mother, and pay the credit card debt of her father

Question 16

social readjustment rating scale

Answer 16

1. death of a spouse -> marriage -> changes

Question 17

Measuring your stress level

Answer 17

1. depression anxiety stress scale-21
2. rate the statements with this scale
3. stress = q(1,6,8,11,12,14,18) summation
4. an assessment of disturbance
   - severity labels are used to describe the full range of scores in the population
   - “Mild” means the person is above the population mean but still probably below the typical severity of someone seeking help
   - not mild level of disorder

Question 18

Han Selye’s general adaptation syndrome theory (GAS)

Answer 18

1. non-specific response
   - same pattern of physiological responses occurs regardless of the type of stressors
   - confronts a stressor -> mobilizes for action
   - regardless of the cause of threat -> same response occurs
   
   • no individual differences
   • no event differences

Question 19

GAS theory: Stages

Answer 19

1. 3 stages
   - alarm
   
   • mobilizes to meet the threat
     - resistance
   • continues coping with the stressor, through confrontatoin
     - exhaustion
   • if we fail to overcome the threat or we have consumed all body resources

Question 20

Limitations of Selye’s theory

Answer 20

1. limited role given to psychological factors
   - appraisal is important in experience
2. not all responses to stress are uniform
   - individual responses are affected by personality, emotions and biological constitutions

Question 21

Lazarus’ psychological appraisal theory

Answer 21

1. appraisal plays an important role in stress experience
2. primary appraisal process
   - to determine the meaning of the events (to make sense of the event)
   
   • is this event positive/ neutral/ negative
   • has harm already been happened(past)
   • will it be a threat of future damage?
   • how challenge is the event? can i overcome or even profit from it
3. secondary appraisal process
   - evaluation of one’s coping abilities and resources for overcoming the harm threat or challenge

Question 22

situational demands (potential stressor)

Answer 22

1. perceived resources
   - sufficient to meet situational demands: minimal stress
   - insufficient to meet situational demands: great deal of stress

Question 23

good sides of Lazarus’ theory

Answer 23

1. some responses to stress are a conscious effort to cope with stress
2. cognitive responses to stress include beliefs about
   - what causes it
   - whether it can be controlled
   - how harmful or threatening it is
3. emphasizes the individual differences in
   (perceived) stressor x resources

Question 24

stress and well-being (different system)

Answer 24

1. activates the autonomic nervous system (ANS) rapidly
2. activates the Hypothalamus-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) Axis more slowly
   3.both system have major effect on health (e.g. immune functioning) and well-being
   - cortisol

Question 25

Stress responses manifesting in bodily symptoms

Answer 25

brief symptoms inventory (BSI) - Somatization Sub Scale (conversion from mental health to physical symptoms)
- how much that problem has bothered you during the past 7 days (including today)?
- faintness or dizziness
- pains in the heart or chest
- nausea or upset stomach
- trouble getting your breath
- hot or cold spells
- numbness or tingling in parts of your body
- feeling weak in parts of your body

Question 26

anticipating stress

Answer 26

1. anticipating a stressor can be as stressful as its actual occurrence
2. medical students blood pressure study
   - the blood pressure on the day before an exam was as high as that during exam

Question 27

extreme types of aftereffect of stress

Answer 27

1. posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
   - exposure to a trauma -> chronic effects on mental and physical health
   
   • war, natural disaster, domestic abuse, getting a life-threatening disease…
     - a person suffering from PTSD has undergone a highly stressful event
   • directly experiencing the event
   • witnessing the event
   • learning that an event occurred to a close friend or family member
   • repeated exposure to details of traumatic events (e.g. police officers)

Question 28

Categories of PTSD - 4 clusters of symptoms

Answer 28

1. intrusion
   - experiencing flashbacks or distressing dreams (reliving the truam)
2. effortful avoidance
   - avoiding external reminders
3. changes in cognition and mood
   - feeling of detachment, impaired memory or concentration
4. arousal or anxiety
   - hypervigilant, irritable behaviors, or anger outburst

Question 29

extreme aftereffect of stress reactions:

Answer 29

1. experiencing flashbacks (reliving the trauma)
2. psychic numbing
3. increased arousal (vigilant, agitated)
4. avoidance of the experience
5. sleeping disturbance
6. impaired memory or concentration…

Question 30

Acute stress disorders vs PTSD

Answer 30

1. duration of disturbance
   - ASD: 3 days to 1 months
   - PTSD: more than one month

Question 31

Aspects of stress management

Answer 31

1. cognitive aspects
   - reappraise the problem and resources
2. behavioral aspects
   - minimizing physiological risks
   
   • e.g. exercise
     - breathing relaxation
3. emotional aspects
   - releasing pent-up emotions
   
   • e.g. seeking emotional support/self-disclosure
     - managing hostility by forgiving

Question 32

styles of stress coping

Answer 32

1. problem-focused coping
   - useful for controllable stressors
   - target: the problem do something constructive
2. emotion-focused coping
   - uncontrollable stressors
   - thinking and feelings, regulate emotions

Question 33

problem-focused coping style: cognitive aspect

Answer 33

1. confront the problems
   - especially on controllable stressors
   - e.g. if you are facing an exam next week, plan ahead for your revision schedule
   - e.g. nearly get late for an appointment or scholarship interview?
2. reappraise the problems
   - more rational and adaptive thinking
   - change our catastrophic thinking
   - take a newer perspective
   
   • positive emotion, social support up!
   • catastrophic thoughts down!
     . appraise the stressor: is it positive/negative
   • has harm already been happen (past)
   • is there a threat of future damage
     -how challenge is the event> can i overcome it?
     - any alternatives if i change / don’t change

Question 34

problem-focused coping style - emotional aspect

Answer 34

1. reappraising the resources
   - sources of social support: a partner/spouse, relative, friends, coworkers, social and community ties, or even pets
   -visible vs invisible, f2f vs online
   - informational/practical support, e.g. advice or concrete directions
   - instrumental/ tangible support e.g. provision of goods, materials or services
   - appraisal support, e.g. provision of thoughts or cognitive strategies
   - emotional support, e.g. that one is loved and cared for, esteemed and valued

Question 35

problem-focused coping style - example

Answer 35

1. anticipating a scholarship interview
   - appraise the stressor
   
   • is it a positive or negative change to me? any gains/losses that i will get? any threat or harm to me?
     - evaluate resources
     -do i get help from my friends or teachers? can i ask about the successful ones? do they have any suggestion to help me prepare for the interview?
     - alternatives
   • what i can gain if i succeed? how about the loss if i fail? any other alternatives i can take to compensate this loss? internship program? financial asssistance?

Question 36

emotional-focused coping style - behavioral aspect

Answer 36

1. stay healthy: physical exercises and sleep
   - endorphins secretion during exercise gives you happy mood
   - good physical activity and quality sleep gives you energy to combat stressors
   - sleep well
2. eat healthy
   - avoid eating snack/junk food for stress relief
   - obesity or eating problems
   3 avoid addictive behaviors
   - e.g. smoking, drinking (too much), drugs

Question 37

emotional-focused coping style - behavioral/emotional aspects

Answer 37

1. activities that calm your body and mind, e.g. prayer, music , dancing, movie, baking..
   - mindfulness meditation, muscle relaxation, breathing exercise…
   - relaxation techniques
   
   • deep breathing
     -progressive muscle relaxation (RMP)
   • assumptions: the body responds to anxiety-provoking events with muscles tensions
   • elevation of physiological tensions = subjective experience of “stress”
   • deep muscle relaxation is compatible with anxiety, thus less psychological tensions

Question 38

emotion-focused coping style - emotional aspects

Answer 38

1. mindfulness training
   - a meditation training in which a person self-regulate his or her thoughts and actions in the present moment, non-judgementally
   - mindfulness-based stress reaction (MBSR) program
   
   • audio recordings for guided meditation practice
   • keep tracks of how much time they practiced each day - keep a diary
   • to approach stressful situations mindfully rather than reacting to them automatically
   • to be aware of your emotion and gain insights
2. be forgiving to others and yourself
3. self-compassoin
   - self-kindness: being warm and understanding toward ourselves when we suffer, fail or feel inadequate, rather than ignoring our pain or flagellating ourselves with self-criticism
   - common humanity: knowing that you are not unique to the sufferings
   - mindfulness: non-judgemental, here-and-now, de-centering