Review Health Psych Final Flashcards
acceptance
the final stage in the stages of death or dying, in which people finally acnowledge that death is inevitable and believe they can face it calmly
Acute diseases
a disease characterized by a relatively sudden onset of symptoms that are usually severe
adherence
the extent to which a person follows recommnded treatments and health behaviors
advanced-directives
legal documents that allow you to convey your decisions about end-of-life care ahead of time
AIDS
a disease caused by the human immunodeficiency virus in which the body’s natural defense system is disabled, leaving the body unable to fight off even mild infections. Although there is no cure for aids, some drug regimens (such as AZT and HAART) can help prolong survival and improve the quality of life.
anger
one of the stages of death and dying in which people feel that their prognosis is unfair, search for reasons why it happened, and express negative emotions, such as anger, rage, envy, and resenment.
appriasal delay
the dealy from when people experience–and notice–some type of symptoms to when they decide that they are ill.
assisted suicide
helping a person to kill himself or herself, such as by providing the means to accomplish this task
bargaining
a stage in the stages of death and dying in which people attempt to trade good behavior for good health, and thus delay the inevitable
behavrioal (or utlization) delay
a delay in the time it takes people to decide to actually get help from a professional after they realize they are ill and in need of medical help
bereavement
the period of grief and mourning after a death
burnout
the experience of long-term exhaustion and diminished interest
Cancer
an uncontrollable growth and spread of abnormal cells, which fomr tumors. Benign tumors consist of cells that are relatively typical of the nerby cells and grow relatively slowly. On the other hand, malignant tumors (which are commonly called cancers) consist of cells that are different from their surrounding cells and grow rapidly. Malignant tumors often grow beyond their originical location and invade other body organs (metastasize), spreading cnacer throughout the body.
Chronic Diseases
a condition that often has multiple causes, including people’s behavioral choices or lifestyles, and a slow onset and increase over time. Chronic conditions can only be managed; although people with a chronic disease sometimes get wrose and sometimes stay the same, they can’t be cured.
Coronary heart disease
a chronic disease in which the arteries become narrowed or clogged, due to atherosclerosis or arterisclerosis. Coronary heart disease is the leading cuase of death in the United States
denial
the frist stage in the stages of death and dying, in which people’s initial reaction to receiving a diagnosis of a terminal illness is to deny the accuracy of this information
depression
one of the stages of death and dying in which people have a feeling of anticipatory greif and greif about the upcoming losses he or she will experience in death
disease model
a theory of behavior that describes addiction as caused primarily by internal physiological forces, such as cravings, urges, and compulsions, and hence the “addict” is unable to voluntarily control his/her behavior
emotional appeals
a type of persuasive message designed to elicit and emotional reaction, such asfear or happiness
emotion–focused coping
a type of coping that focuses on managing the emotional affects of a stressful situation. This strategy could include a number of different approaches, including simply not thinking about the problem (E.G., denial or avoidance) as well as venting about the problem to others (e.g., seeking social support).
fear-based appeals
a type of persuasive message designed to elicit fear and anxiety, which in turn may lead to attitude and behavior change.
grief
the feelings caused by bereavement followingthe loss of a loved one
health behavior
behavrios designed to promote a person’s good helath and prevent illness. This type of behavior could include exercising regularly, wearing a seat belt, and getting immunizations to prevent disease
health maintenance organization (HMO)
a common type of health-care plan in which an employer or an employee pays a set fee every month and in turn has unlimited access to medical care (at either no cost or a greatly reduced cost). In some cases, HMOs requrie patients to see their own staff, whereas in other systems patients can choose from among a group of medical professionals who have all agreed to accept a specified payment for their services (preferred provider organziation). HMOs assign people to a primary-care physican, who manages their care and must refer to specialists.
hospice
an alternative care choice for terminally ill patients that is designed to provide personal comfort and open discussion. Hospice care may be delivered within a person’s home, a hospital, or a separate facility
illness behavior
a person’s behavior that is directed toward determining his or her health status after experiencing symptoms. This could include talking to other people–family and friends as well as health professionals–personally monitoring symptoms, and reading about the helath problem.
illness delay
the time required for a person to decide that help from a professional is requried after realizing he or she is ill. People often believed that the symtoms will go away on their own and hence delay seeking medical care.
intentional nonadherence
the condition in which patients understand the practitioner’s directions but modify the regimen in some way or ignore it completely because they are not willing to follow the recommendations
lingering-trajectory deaths
deaths that occur when the peron is ill for a long time, and death comes after period of gradually declining health
moral theory
da theory which posits that people who engage in addicggive behaviors, such as smoking, drinking, and gambling, have some type of moral weakness. According to this model, people who are lazy and undisciplined lack the “moral fiber” to stop engaging in these self-destructive behaviors
mourning
the expression of greif follwing a loss
problem–focused coping
a common strategy for managing challenging situations by trying to confron and chane the stressor, which can include seeking assistance form tohers, taking direct actions, and planning.
quality-adjusted life years (QALY)
a measure of the number of years a person would likely live following the treatment multitplied by the quality of each of those years. The quality is determined both by the severity of the symptoms (e.g., being confined to a wheelchair or experiencing considerable pain is more sever than experienicng a mild headache or spraining your ankle) and their duration (e.g., even a very painful bout of food poisonin lasts a few days at ost, whereas severe cancer pain could last for years).
quick-trajectory deaths
deaths in which the loss is sudden and unexpected
relapse
a return to an old pattern of behavior after beginning to change it.
scheduling delay
a type of dealy that occurs when people fail to make an appointment for medical care after they have decided they have decided they are in need of assistance
screening
behaviors design to detect an illness or disease at an early stage
self-affirmation
a strategy designed to increase people’s receptivity to messages that potentially threaten the self by buffering feelings of self-worth
sick-role behavior
behavior that is directed at helping people who are ill return to good health. The sick role has certain perks, including receiving sympathy and care from others and being exempt from daily repsonsibliites, such as chores, work, and classes. However, the person who is sick aso has the responsibility for trying to get better, whcih can include seeking medical attention and following medical recommendations.
social learning theory
a theory stating that people do not need to directly experience the rewards or costs of engaging in a particular behavior to leran about their outcomes but rather could learn about such consequences through observational learning or modeling
social support
the individual belief that a person Is cared for and loved, estemeed and valued, and belongs to a network of communication and mutual obligations.
stages of death and dying
a well-known five-stages model for explaining how people cope with dying that was developed in the late 1960’s by Dr. Elizabeht Kubler-Ross
