Health psychology
Understanding psychological influences on how people stay healthy, why they become ill and how they respond to these
Biopsychosocial model
- biological factors
- psychological factors
- social factors
Psychological factors of health psychology
- Health compromising behaviour (disordered eating, alcohol/drugs, smoking)
- ## Health promoting behaviours (exercise, healthy eating, dental hygiene)
Health Psych theories - Health Belief Model
Factors that influence whether someone does or doesn’t engage in particular health behaviours
Health behaviour factors:
- Perceived susceptibility: perception that you are likely to contract particular condition
- Perceived severity: perception of seriousness of activity and impact on life (e.g. tanning)
- Benefits/barriers to action: evaluate benefits or costs to gain by stopping behaviour
- Cues to action: environmental influences
- Self-efficacy: confidence in ability to take action
Health Psych Theories - Theory of reasoned behaviour
Health promoting behaviours
Behaviour -> intention ->
1. attitude towards behaviour (outcome beliefs)
2. subjective norm (motivation to comply e.g. GP told me to)
3. Perceived behavioural control (can I engage? resources? ability?)
Assumes we have complete control over behaviour (doesn’t account for limitations e.g. injury)
Health Psych Theories - Transtheoretical model
Progress through stages of motivation
- Precontemplation
- may be unaware problem exists
- not considering changing behaviour - contemplation
- aware of problem
- consider taking action - Preparation
- prepare to make changes
- make sml changes - Action
- Actively working on change - Maintenance
- change achieved
- work to maintain
If move through opposite direction = relapse
Barriers to health promotion
Individual
- health-compromising behaviour more rewarding in short term
- health promoting less enjoyable, more effort
- unrealistic optimism (think invincible)
- motivated ignorance (ignore info. telling to exercise)
Family
- parent modelling
Health system
- lack of health insurance
- doctor-patient relationship
Community, cultural and ethnic
- social norms
- impoverishment
Stress
- Challenge to one’s capacity to adapt to inner and outer demands
- Threatens wellbeing -> taxes coping ability
- Everyday event
Stress Appraisal
Lazarus
Primary - what type
Secondary - response
- stress in eye of beholder e.g. rollercoaster
- stressful for one person, not stressful for another
Stress Types
Lazarus 3 types
- Harm/loss
- damage already occurred (accident, job loss) - Threat
- anticipation of harm or loss (fear of failing) - Challenge
- opportunity for growth (becoming parent, new job)
Stress Sources
Change life events
- marriage, moving out, fired, gone to jail
- social re-adjustment rating scale -> measure exposure to stressful life events
Acculturative Stress
- experienced when trying to adapt to new culture e.g. racism
Catastrophes
- occur on mass level
- natural (floods)
- human (war)
- associated with loss/harm
Daily hassles
- losing keys, traffic
Stress Physiology
Fight/flight
- Autonomic nervous system mobilises for attack/flee enemy
- adaptive/ survival purpose
- not so adaptive in modern world
- body prepares but doesn’t release (e.g. when getting in trouble from boss, body prepares, but doesn’t respond same as would to a bear)
General Adaption Syndrome
- 3 stages of body’s stress response
1. alarm - fight or flight
2. resistance - stress present by physiological changes calm down
3. exhaustion - resources limited, resistance reduced
Stress Coping
Efforts to master/reduce/tolerate coping
Problem focused coping:
- deal with stressor itself
- effort to change situation
Emotion focused coping:
- deal with psychological consequences
- efforts to alter thoughts
- e.g. eating, retail therapy
Stress - psychological health
Problems due to stress:
- poor academic performance
- burnout
- insomnia
- alcohol/dug abuse
Psychological disorders due to stress:
- depression
- schizophrenia
- anxiety disorders
- eating disorders
- PTSD
Stress - physical health
Type A personality -> increased risk of heart disease
- A = competitive, impatient, anger/hostility
- B = relaxed, patient, easy going
Immune functioning
- immune response is body’s defensive reaction to invasion by bacteria/foreign
- stressors (shock, decrease food) decrease immune functioning in animals
Stress - Social Support
Presence of others:
- can confide in
- expect help and concern
Associated with:
- increased immune functioning
2 hypothesis:
- Buffering hypothesis: stress present
- Direct effects hypothesis: less stress to start with
