Week 8: PID and health

Question 1

What is the WHO’s definition of health?

Answer 1

According to the WHO (2023), health is “a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.”

Question 2

How does the NHS define physical health?

Answer 2

The NHS defines physical health as “the ability to maintain a healthy quality of life that allows us to get the most out of our daily activities without undue fatigue or physical stress. It relates to various aspects like sleep, exercise, nutrition, and sexual health.”

Question 3

What are the components of Quality of Life (QoL)?

Answer 3

QoL is multidimensional and includes:

Emotional well-being
Interpersonal relationships
Material well-being
Personal development
Physical well-being
Self-determination
Social inclusion
Rights (Schalock, 2004)

Question 4

What are the four ways that personality could be linked to illness, as suggested by Suls & Rittenhouse (1990) and Smith & Williams (1991)?

Answer 4

1)Personality causes ill-health.
2)Correlations between personality and ill-health.
3)Personality may result in behaviors that cause ill-health.
4)Ill-health may produce changes in personality.

Question 5

What are Type A and Type B personalities, according to Friedman & Rosenman (1956)?

Answer 5

Type A: Competitive, time-urgent, prone to heart disease (more likely to have cardiovascular disease).
Type B: Relaxed, patient, linked to better heart health (less likely to have cardiovascular disease).

Question 6

What is the Jenkins Activity Survey?

Answer 6

The Jenkins Activity Survey (Jenkins et al., 1979) is a tool used to assess Type A and Type B personality traits, which are linked to cardiovascular health.

Question 7

What is Type D personality, according to Denollet et al. (1996)?

Answer 7

Type D personality is characterized by two traits:

Negative affectivity: A tendency to experience frequent negative emotions (e.g., anxiety, irritability, sadness).
Social inhibition: A tendency to avoid social interactions due to fear of rejection or disapproval.

Question 8

Is Type D personality linked to cardiovascular disease (CVD)?

Answer 8

Yes, Garcia-Retamero et al. (2016) found that Type D personalities are associated with more severe acute coronary syndrome (ACS) in patients with recurrent CVD, including higher risk markers for heart damage.

Question 9

What is the link between personality and physical health?

Answer 9

Personality traits like neuroticism, hostility, and Type A behavior patterns are associated with higher risks of CVD, hypertension, and stress-related disorders. Traits linked to resilience, such as hardiness, correlate with better health outcomes.

Question 10

How does intelligence relate to physical health?

Answer 10

Studies like the Australian Veterans Health Study and others have shown that IQ is related to health, with lower IQ scores being linked to increased risk of death (Batty et al., 2007). Higher IQ individuals may also have better access to healthcare and treatment.

Question 11

What are some of the challenges faced by people with intellectual disabilities (ID) in accessing healthcare?

Answer 11

People with ID face barriers like impaired communication skills, poor health literacy, reliance on carers for health details, socioeconomic status, and diagnostic overshadowing (overlooking their health needs due to their disability).

Question 12

How can health inequality for people with ID be addressed?

Answer 12

Measures to address health inequality include:

Annual health checks for people with ID
Training healthcare providers in communication skills and person-centered approaches
Providing health care with advocacy support

Question 13

What is psychological resilience?

Answer 13

Psychological resilience is the ability to adapt positively to adversity and challenges, involving two key concepts: adversity and positive adaptation (Luthar et al., 2000).

Question 14

How has resilience been studied?

Answer 14

Resilience has been studied in various settings, including military personnel, elite sports, business management, education, and nursing, with a focus on understanding how people withstand or thrive under pressure.

Question 15

What role does resilience play in chronic pain?

Answer 15

In a study by Rolbieki et al. (2016), resilience strategies in chronic pain patients included:

Sense of control
Active engagement in treatments
Establishing social connections
Pain acceptance and positive affect

Question 16

What are some resilience strategies in chronic pain management?

Answer 16

Sense of control: Actively seeking treatment options and information.
Active engagement: Participating in both medical and alternative treatments.
Social connections: Seeking support from online communities or forums.
Pain acceptance and positive affect: Practicing hope and focusing on positive aspects of life.

Question 17

What factors are involved in the experience of health and illness?

Answer 17

Individual differences such as resilience, psychological factors (e.g., coping), and intelligence can have a significant impact on the perception of and reactions to health issues.