Social dimensions of health and disease

Question 1

Why do some people require more health care than others?

Answer 1

1. Genetics, age, sex
2. Less use of preventative services
3. More unhealthy habits
4. Increased levels of psychological distress (unemployment, difficult shifts)
5. Problems with access
6. Presence or absence of alternative providers (private)
7. The “social norm”

Question 2

What is the inverse equity law?

Answer 2

The introduction of a new intervention tends to increase inequality to start with, then it eventually resolves

Question 3

What are the ways that the NHS is trying to reduce inequalities?

Answer 3

Reviews-review services to look at evidence
Guidelines-Identify problems and try to tackle them
Targets and payments-Trying to incentiveise hospitals to take on more socially disadvantaged patients
Frameworks-set out clear requirements for care
Regulators-care quality commission

Question 4

What is assimilation?

Answer 4

To become part of a host culture

Question 5

What is integration?

Answer 5

To take on aspects of a new culture while keeping some of your own

Question 6

What is de-culturation?

Answer 6

Culture becomes annihilated or a person loses their culture

Question 7

What kinds of jobs have higher risk of CVD?

Answer 7

Highly powered, high stress jobs as these cause chronically high BP

Question 8

What is the cognitive transitional model of coping with stress in chronic illnesses?

Answer 8

That the important part is how well an individual copes with stress rather than the amount of stress that individual faces.

Question 9

What are the main impacts of chronic illness?

Answer 9

emotional distress
restrictions on normal life
learning how to manage the illness
side effects

Question 10

What is the key to coping with chronic illness?

Answer 10

Breaking the link between coping and stress

Question 11

What are the two main ways of coping with chronic illness?

Answer 11

problem focused - deal directly with the stressor

emotion focused - reduce negative emotions resulting from the stressor

Question 12

What are the main ways to help with coping with chronic disease?

Answer 12

ISSS
Information provision
Social support
Self management training
Stress management training

Question 13

What are the emotion-focused stratagies people might use to cope with chronic disease?

Answer 13

Seeking emotional support
 Denial
 Venting anger
 Distraction
 Praying
 Exercise
 Alcohol/drugs
 Humour
 DSH
 Suicide

Question 14

What are the different personality types that will influence coping with chronic disease?

Answer 14

Type A - Inpatinet, doing things quickly
Type C - Passive and compliant
Type N - Worrying and negative outlook