Module 38-9 Health Psychology Flashcards
health psychology
the aggregate of the specific educational, scientific, and profession contribution of the discipline of psychology to the promotion and maintenance of health, the promotion and treatment of illness and related dysfunction
includes effects of emotions, personality, attitudes, behaviors, responses to stress
topics of study in health psychology (behavioral medicine)
- phases of stress response and adaptation
- how stress and health are affected by:
appraisal of stressors
severity of stressors
personality types
perceived control
emotion or problem focus
optimism
social support
exercise
relaxation
religious faith and participation
biomedical vs biopsychosocial model
biomedical – what biologically caused the illness
biopsychosocial – how did other environmental factors cause this illness
biomedical model
reductionist: explains illness by simplest possible process (e.g. disordered cell growth in tumors)
single-factor causes: looks for one cause instead of many causes
focuses on illness (not health)
people are not responsible for illness
biopsychosocial model
holistic: looks at all levels of explanation from micro-level (e.g. biochemical changes in the body) to macro-level (the culture or environment you live in)
focuses on multi-factorial model: assumes that health and illness have many causes and is very complex
does not focus exclusively on illness but instead emphasizes health as on a continuum
people’s behavior and lifestyle shape their health, not solely predetermined and that instead you can change your behavior
why zebras don’t get ulcers (fight or flight)
like in the animal kingdom, humans have the same cortisol effect but in response to non-life-threatening stress
stress
refers to the process of appraising and responding to events which we considering threatening or challenging
stressor
event or condition which we view as threatening, challenging, or overwhelming
ex: poverty, explosion, psychology test, cold, being in a plane, loud noises
appraisal
refers to deciding whether to view something as a stressor
stress reaction
refers to any emotional and physical responses to the stressor such as rapid heartbeat, elevated cortisol levels, and crying
components of stress
- process in which you participate
- includes stressor, cognitive appraisal, body response, and coping strategies
- advantages to breaking “stress” into these components is that we can see options for altering each of these different factors
stress in america study (APA)
- all generations (ages) are experiencing similar levels of stress
- differences in managing stress between generations
inherently and universally stressful conditions
extreme, chronic physical threats or challenges (such as noise or starvation)
benefits of BRIEF stress experiences
- improves immune system response
- motivates action
- focuses priorities
- feelings of engagement, energized, satisfied
- provides challenges that encourages growth, knowledge, and self-esteem
harmful effects of extreme or prolonged stress
- mental and physical coping systems become overwhelmed and defeated rather than strengthened
- immune functioning and other health factors decline because of damage
- key factor is whether there is a chance for recovery and healing
stressors
the events and conditions that trigger our stress response, because theya re perceived/apraised as overwhelmingly challenging, threatening, and/or harmful
spectrum of levels of intensity and persistence of stressors (or 4 categories)
- catastrophes
- significant life changes
- chronic daily hassles
- low social status/power
- text focuses on the first three
stressor: catastrophic events/conditions
- appraisal is not essential in a catastrophic event: most people agee that the event is harmful and overwhelming
- ex: hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, war/combat, wildfires
- can be one single event or chronic harmful conditions
effects of catastrophic events/conditions
short term: increased heart attacks on the day of the event
long term: depression, nightmares, anxiety, flashbacks
bonding: both the trauma and the recovery are with others
effects of what are considered “happy” life changes: marriage, starting college/job, birth/adoption
- change is challenging
- new roles, priorities, tasks, can put strain on coping resources
life change negative impact on health
- increases when
a) changes are painful, such as death in family, loss of job, heart attack
b) changes are in a cluster, and there are too many at once
causes of chronic daily difficulty
- too many tasks, too little time, too little control
- lack of social power and freedom (bullying, poverty, oppressive political conditions)
body’s stress response system: phase 1
“fight or flight”
- sympathetic nervous system responds, reducing pain and increasing heart rate
- core of adrenal glands produces norepinephrine and epinephrine (adrenaline)
body’s stress response system: phase 2
“resistance”
brain sends signals to outer part of the adrenal glands to produce cortisol and other stress hormones, which focus on planning adaptive coping strategies and resisting defeat by the stressor
body’s stress response system: phase 3
exhaustion
General Adaptation Syndrome [GAS]
- defense, then fatigue of stress response system over time
- phase 1: mobilization of resources, alarm reaction
- phase 2: resistance (coping with stressor)
- phase 3: exhaustion (reserves depleted)
effects of prolonged stress on brain cells
- production of new neurons declines
- neural circuits int eh brain break down
- DNA telomeres shorten, cells lose ability to divide, cells die, tissue stops regenerating, early aging and death
female stress response
- “tend and befriend” : nurture themeselves and others, and bond together
- bonding hormone oxytocin (love hormone)
- bheaviorla and neurological signs of becoming more empathetic uner stress
male stress response
- social withdrawal, numbing with alcohol
- more likely to become aggressive under stress
- less empathy and less tuning in to others under stress
stress and couple coregulation
- couples may regulate each other’s stress hormone levels
- hormone syncing during pregnancy (cortisol levels) and from spending lots of time together with someone
psychoneuroimmunology
the study of how interacting psychological, neural, and endocrine processes affect health
psychophysiological illness
previously known as psychosomatic
- a real illness caused in part by psychological factors such as the experience of stress
immune response (w/o stress)
- B lymphocytes for bacteria
- T lymphocytes for virus, cancer, other foreign substances
- macrophages for harmful intruders/worn-out cell
- natural killer (NK) cells for diseased/infected cells that need to be cleared out
psychoneuroimmunology (how each part functions)
psychological factors: appraisal, thoughts, and feelings
neurological factors: brain signals engaging the stress response system
immunology: stress hormone exposure which suppresses the immune system
stress –> illness pathway
stressors appraisal thoughts feelings brain signals hormonal action immune suppression risk of illness
impact of stress on catching a cold
- those experiencing stress more likely to catch a cold
- tradeoff between stress response and immune response may help our bodies focus energy on managing stress
stress vs AIDS and Cancer
- exposure to stress worsens the development of AIDS in those exposed to HIV due to suppressed immune response
- reducing stress slows progression of AIDS
- stress may weaken the body’s defenses against the replication and spread of malignant cells
coronary heart/artery disease
the blood vessels that provide oxygen and nutrients to the heart muscle itself become clogged, narrowed and closed
factors leading to heart disease
biological: genetic disposition to high blood pressure and high cholesterol
behavioral: smoking, inactivity, high-fat diet
psychological: chronic stress, and personality styes that worsen the experience of stress
type A personality & stress vs heart disease
in one study, heart attacks only struck people with Type A traits
type A personality
impatient, verbally aggressive, always pushing themselves and others to achieve
type B personality
more relaxed and go with the flow
pessimism
refers to assumption that negative outcomes will happen, and often facing them by complaining and/or giving up
pessimism and heart disease
- men who are generally pessimistic are more likely to develop heart disease within ten years than optimists
- benefits are anticipation and planning to prevent or cope with negative events
depression vs heart disease
both are caused by excessive inflammation due to chronic stress
effects of chronic stress and high cortisol
- headaches, high blood pressure, inflammation
- immune suppression
- heart disease
- bad fat
methods to reduce stress and improve health
- address stressors
- soothe emotions
- increase one’s sense of control over stressors
- exchange pessimism for optimism
- get social support
- aerobic exercise
- relaxation and meditation
- participation in communities of faith
- alternative medicine
problem-focused coping
reducing the stressors, such as by working out a conflict, or tackling a difficult project
risk: magnifying emotional distress, especially if trying to change something that’s difficult to change (ie another person’s traits)
cortisol
steroid hormone released in response to stress
religion and stress
indirect through positive social interaction and support – optimism and having faith
stress coping (emotion focused)
address your emotion might make you feel better but you’re not addressing the actual problem
