Topic 5: Health, Stress, Coping

Question 1

Define health

Answer 1

complete state of physical, mental, social WB and not just absence of disease or infirmity

Question 2

Define health psychology

Answer 2

understanding psychological influences on how people stay healthy, why they become ill, how they response when they get sick

Question 3

Role of health psychologists

Answer 3

education/behaviour change programs - illness, trauma, injury, disability

Question 4

Role of psychological treatments

Answer 4

decrease problems that accompany/contribute to illness/injury - chronic pain, addiction, sleep, anxiety, depression

Question 5

Biopscyhosocial model

Answer 5

psychology, social, biology = health

Question 6

Theories of HB - health belief model

Answer 6

Hochbaum 
perceived susceptibility (optimistic bias) - perceived severity - benefits + barriers - cues to action (willingness)

Question 7

Theories of HB - protection motivation theory of health

Answer 7

perceived susceptibility - perceived severity - benefits + barriers - cues to action - self efficacy

self efficacy = belief they can perform actions necessary to produce an intended behaviour

Question 8

What does health-related behaviour depend on?

Answer 8

1. desire to avoid disease/illness

2. belief that specific health action will prevent/cure illness

Question 9

Theories of HB - theory of reasoned action

Answer 9

social cognitive view
behaviour stems from behavioural intentions

beliefs + evaluation = attitudes
normative beliefs + motivation to comply = subjective norms
= behavioural intention
= behaviour

Question 10

Theories of HB - theory of planned behaviour

Answer 10

beliefs about behaviour - attitudes toward behaviour - behavioural intention = behaviour

normative beliefs - subjective norms - behavioural intention = behaviour

control of beliefs - perceived behavioural control - behavioural intention/actual behavioural control = behaviour

Question 11

Theories of HB - transtheoretical model/stages of change

Answer 11

pre-contemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, maintenance

Question 12

Health promotion: promoting health behaviours

Answer 12

work with health professionals 
reduce risk factors 
prevention of illness 
promotion of positive health-related behaviour 
advice on attitudes/beliefs

Question 13

Barriers to health promotion

Answer 13

individual, family, community, cultural, ethnic, health system, other (vulnerability in adolescence, peer pressure, self-sabotage, thrill-seeking)

Question 14

Define stress

Answer 14

challenge to a person’s capacity to adapt to inner/outer demands = psychological process

physiological + emotional arousal

Question 15

What are stressors?

Answer 15

stimulus event that places a demand on an organism for an adaptive response

Question 16

What are some sources of stress?

Answer 16

major life events, traumatic/catastrophic events, daily hassles

Question 17

What are the two different types of stress?

Answer 17

acute stress - fight/flight, tend and befriend

episodal stress - frequent acute stress, type A personality (ceaseless worry)

Question 18

Body’s acute stress response - Sympathetic adrenal medullary (SAM)

Answer 18

sudden stressor = fight/flight
release adrenaline/noradrenaline
increase HR, BP, shaking, sweating
hypothalamus activates ANS

Question 19

Body’s acute stress response - hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HDA) system

Answer 19

continued stressor
‘slow acting stress system’ - controls cortisol levels
hypothalamus stimulates pituitary gland = release of cortisol + hormone ACTH

Question 20

General adaptation syndrome

Answer 20

Selye
= chronic stress

1. alarm reaction - fight/flight
2. resistance - physiology returns to normal, glucose, stress hormones remain high
3. exhaustion - prolonged stress = body break down, vulnerability to infection

Question 21

Define coping

Answer 21

how to deal with internal/external demands - behavioural, emotional, motivational thoughts/responses

Question 22

Define appraisal of stress

Answer 22

1. cognitive appraisal - interpretation
2. primary appraisal - decision of situation (is it a threat?)
3. secondary appraisal - evaluate options, decide how to respond (emotional forecasting)
4. stress moderator variables - eg good health

Question 23

Types of coping responses/mechanisms - anticipatory coping

Answer 23

Problem focused/problem directed coping

Emotion focused coping

Question 24

Problem focused/problem directed coping

Answer 24

controllable stressors

taking control, info seeking, evaluation, change situation

Question 25

Emotion focused coping

Answer 25

uncontrollable stressors

distractions, change thoughts/emotional consequences, dec. neg emotions

Question 26

Success

Answer 26

resources to match perceived demand

achieve positive outcomes despite threats to WB

Question 27

Modifying cognitive strategies

Answer 27

reappraising, restructuring, perceived control

Question 28

Stress inoculation

Answer 28

cognitive brain therapy (CBT)
phase 1. awareness of behaviour
phase 2. identify new behaviour
phase 3. appraise consequence of new behaviour

Question 29

Social support as coping resource

Answer 29

SE support, tangible (money, transport), info support, buffering hypothesis