Psychosocial Interventions

Question 1

Educational & Informative

Answer 1

Campaigns

Question 2

Cognitive-Behavioural

Answer 2

First wave – change behaviour (Pavlovian, Skinnerian inspired)

Second Wave – cognitive focus e.g progressive muscle relaxation, systematic sensitization

Third Wave – Feel the fear but do it anyway, with stress causing behaviour, including mindfulness (incorporate those stressful thoughts and let them go) different to meditation (lying on the beach or a cloud).

Fourth Wave – digital interventions (VR games?).

Question 3

Elements of Psychosocial Intervention

Answer 3

Mastery & control; reduction in helplessness

Reduction of social isolation – reducing loneliness more vulnerability which relates to stress and how you react to it.

Self-disclosure & emotional expression

Enhanced personal relationships & self-efficacy.

Question 4

Aims of Psychosocial Intervention (PNI perspective)

Answer 4

Altered psychological state improved quality of life (disease resistance; increased survival rate)

• Asthma can flare up from stress, if you can alter state, able to increase survival rate.

Route: reduction in anxiety and depression (reduction in stress hormones & enhancement of immune parameters.

Question 5

Two examples of psychosocial intervention paradigms from biopsychosocial/ Psychoneuroimmune focus

Answer 5

1) Expressive writing

2) Mindfulness

Question 6

Pennebaker (1986)

Answer 6

A lot of students with eating disorders, found they also had traumatic experiences in the past. Showed if they wrote about their experience it improved their psychological and physical health.

Write for a couple weeks has beneficial effects, however writing for too long can be counterproductive.

Does not have to be handed into someone so no one will read your story, it could go in the bin, therefore people are able to express more freely.

Question 7

Psychosocial Mechanisms

Answer 7

• Releases hidden or secretive experiences
• Labels, thoughts & feelings – helps you control the emotion
• Create a story, and more controllability
• Reduces hostility, weight off your shoulder
• Improves social relationships – more socially engaged
• Use of joining words ‘because’ (predictable as you’re able to explain the cause and effect).

Question 8

Benefits Psychological

Answer 8

Less stressed

More connection with self and others

More compassionate

Greater meaning and purpose of life.

Question 9

Biological Benefits

Answer 9

Blood pressure

Immune system

Stress levels

Telomere Length – shorten as we grow older, help with disease, however when using mindfulness maintains the length.