Week Six - Health Psychology

Question 1

What are the differences between the biomedical model and the biopsychosocial model?

Answer 1

Biomedical; measures success by the absence of disease, guards information from the family, emphasises illness
Biopsychosocial; holistic approach, active participation with patient, emphasises health

Question 2

How does the ‘world health organisation’ define health?

Answer 2

State of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or informity

Question 3

What ethical principles underlie the Greater Good vs. individual rights argument?

Answer 3

Individual rights - Beneficence vs. Greater good - Autonomy

Question 4

What is health psychology?

Answer 4

Study of social, behavioural, cognitive, and emotional factors that influence the maintenance of health, development of illness and disease, course of illness or disease, patient’s and family’s response to illness and disease.

Question 5

What are some that may be influenced in the bio, social and psychological factors of the biopsychosocial model of health?

Answer 5

Bio; genetic predisposition, physiological functioning
Social; culture, legislation, community, access to education, family
Psychological; cognition, emotion, personality, motivation

Question 6

Are there macro and micro influences on health?

Answer 6

Yes, macro = e.g. social policy; micro = e.g. cellular disorder

Question 7

Which health model sees healthiness as a continuum?

Answer 7

Biopsychosocial model

Question 8

What does the illness/wellness continuum involve?

Answer 8

If somebody is showing signs of disability or illness, we use a treatment model to restore to neutral; if somebody does not have illness, we use a wellness model to encourage vitality

Question 9

How can we examine the disease burden?

Answer 9

Mortality and causes of death
Years of life lost to death (YLL) - fatal disease burden
Years of life lost to disability (YLD) - disability related disease
Disability adjusted life years (DALYs) - years of ‘healthy’ life lost

Question 10

Why are DALYs important to know?

Answer 10

Important information for the allocation of health resources.

Question 11

Which sub-groups of the Australian population experience ‘health’ differently?

Answer 11

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people; socioeconomically disadvantaged people; rural Australians; people with disability prisoners; overseas born people

Question 12

What are the characteristics of a chronic disease?

Answer 12

Prolonged; Do not often resolve spontaneously; Are rarely cured completely. Chronic diseases entail high mortality, either directly or by contributing to other causes of death (e.g. suicide)

Question 13

What percentage will chronic diseases make up of Australia’s overall disease burden due to death, disability and diminished quality of life by 2020?

Answer 13

80%

Question 14

More than half of the total burden of disease and injury is attributable to only 5 conditions. These are?

Answer 14

CVD, cancer, COPD, musculoskeletal conditions and diabetes

Question 15

What is among the most preventable?

Answer 15

Chronic diseases

Question 16

High blood pressure, high cholesterol and obesity are preventable biomedical risk factors for which conditions?

Answer 16

CVD, preventable cancers, COPD and diabetes

Question 17

Tobacco smoking, unhealthy diet and inadequate physical activity are what?

Answer 17

Behavioural risk factors

Question 18

What does SNAP stand for?

Answer 18

Smoking, Nutrition, Alcohol, Physical Activity

Question 19

What is the difference between a clinical health psychologist and a public health psychologist?

Answer 19

Clinical; applying psychology to illness assessment, treatment and rehab. Mostly secondary and tertiary prevention.
Public; health promotion, illness promotion. Mostly primary prevention.

Question 20

What are the three levels of theory in health psychology?

Answer 20

Individual or intrapersonal; interpersonal; community

Question 21

What does the individual level of the theory in healthy psychology focus on?

Answer 21

Behaviour is mediated by cognition; what we know and think affects our actions. Knowledge is necessary for, but not sufficient to product, most behaviour changes. Perceptions, motivations, and skills are key influences on behaviour.

Question 22

What does the interpersonal level of the theory in health psychology focus on?

Answer 22

Assumes individuals exist within, and are influenced by, a social environment.

Question 23

What is one of the most frequently used and robust health behaviour theories?

Answer 23

Social cognitive theory; explores reciprocal interactions of people and their environments. Focus on self-efficacy, goals, outcome expectancies.

Question 24

What does the community level of the theory of health psychology focus on?

Answer 24

Explore how social systems function and change, and the influence of community members and organisations

Question 25

What is the prevalence of smoking in Australia today?

Answer 25

Approximately 13%

Question 26

In what way does the NSW mental health act make a distinction between mentally ill and mentally disordered persons?

Answer 26

Ill - symptoms of mental illness

Disordered - irrational behaviour

Question 27

What rights do patients in psychiatric hospitals have?

Answer 27

Best possible care in least restrictive environment, should be able care not punishment.

Question 28

Why would the Mental Health Act need to define words and conduct that may not indicate illness or disorder?

Answer 28

To prevent people from having someone locked up in a mental institution for illegitimate reasons.