Psychology Of Symptoms + Placebo

Question 1

What are risk factors for increased symptom reporting

Answer 1

F > M
Higher levels of NA
Irving alone (vs with others)
Marital status

Question 2

What is the “competition of cues” hypothesis?

Answer 2

That awareness of symptoms due to internal sensation + external stimulation + these compete for attention.
Both are used to determine body symptoms
Higher symptom reporting when more external info used to determine internal state

Question 3

What is Negative Affect?

Answer 3

Personality dimension associated with self-reported anxiety, depression and distress
Greater dissatisfaction with job, relationships, health etc
Related to symptom reporting but no actual differences in morbidity or mortality

Question 4

What is Mass Psychogenic Illness + what are the factors?

Answer 4

When providing an ‘illness label’ causes people to actively search for sensation consistent with this label
Explosive and travels through line of sight
More common in women
Identifiable index case - usually older and higher status or “in group”

Question 5

Nocebo Effect

Answer 5

The experience of adverse SEs or unpleasant symptoms in response to an inert medication/procedure
If you give patients info about the possible SEs they tend to report those SEs

Question 6

Placebo

Answer 6

Any medical procedure producing an effect in patients because of its therapeutic intent not its specific nature

Question 7

How do neutral, positive and negative statements change outcomes

Answer 7

Neutral statements have minimal effect on response
Negative = no effect on producing response
Positive = high effect on producing desired response/outcome

Question 8

What treatment characteristics enhance placebo?

Answer 8

More serious illness + sophisticated treatment
Precise instructions + expectations of what will occur
Surgery > others
Injections > pills
Multiple drugs > monotherapy
Known brands, larger pills, colour

Question 9

What clinician characteristics enhance placebo?

Answer 9

High status + credibility
High confidence in treatment
Formal medical setting
Clear indication of expected response
Concern for patient + empathy

Question 10

What are the four theories of Placebo Action

Answer 10

Anxiety reduction
Cognitive dissonance
Expectancy + schematic changes
Classical conditioning