General Psychology: Health Psychology PDF

General Psychology HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY Health Psychology u Health psychology: Focuses on the role that psychology plays in an individual’s health and in preventing and treating illness u Health promotion: helps individuals improve their lifestyles u Public health: helps policy makers Biopsychosocial M...

General Psychology HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY Health Psychology u Health psychology: Focuses on the role that psychology plays in an individual’s health and in preventing and treating illness u Health promotion: helps individuals improve their lifestyles u Public health: helps policy makers Biopsychosocial Model u Health psychology integrates biological, psychological, and social factors in health. The Relation Between Body and Mind u The mind definitely affects physical health, but the body also influences the mind u Health may influence psychological experiences such as cognitive abilities, stress, and coping Change u Sometimes we engage in unhealthy behavior and wish to change that behavior Theoretical Models of Change u Theory of reasoned action u u u specific intentions about behavior u positive attitude about the new behavior u perceptions of social group support Theory of planned behavior u u Effective change requires: Effective change requires: Perceptions of control over outcome Criticism: sometimes our health decisions are not rational How do Individuals make Healthy Lifestyle Choices? u The stages of change model involves the process by which people give up bad habits and take on a healthier lifestyle u Changes are not made overnight, but they take place over a series of stages Stages of Change Model Resources for Effective Life Change u Personal motivation u Change is most effective when individuals are changing for themselves. u intrinsic v. extrinsic motivation Resources for Effective Life Change u u Social Relationships u Social support is one way to make a difference in our lives and provides us with information and feedback from others indicating that one is loved and cared for, esteemed and valued. u Benefits of social support u tangible assistance u Information u emotional support Religious Faith u Linked to longer, healthier, life u Social support comes with religious affiliation Stress u A person’s response to events that are threatening or challenging u u Stressors u Circumstances and events in life u Stressors produce threats to our well-being Daily life as repeated sequence of u Perceiving a threat u Considering ways to cope u Adapting to the threat with greater or less success Nature of Stress u u Stress varies according to individuals u Social situations u Activities For people to consider an event stressful, they must: u Perceive it as threatening or challenging u Lack all the resources to deal with it effectively Categorizing Stressors Cataclysmic events Strong stressors that occur suddenly and typically affect many people at once Personal stressors Major life events, that have immediate negative consequences that generally fade with time Background stressors Everyday annoyances that cause minor irritation and may have long-term ill effects The High Cost of Stress u Stress produces both biological and psychological consequences u Psychophysiological disorders: Medical problems influenced by an interaction of psychological, emotional, and physical difficulties u Stress affects us in multiple ways u Increases the risk of illness u May hurt our ability to recover from diseases u Reduces our ability to cope with future stress The General Adaptation Syndrome Model u Theory developed by Selye u Physiological response to stress follows the same set pattern regardless of the cause of stress u Consists of three phases u Alarm and mobilization u Resistance u Exhaustion The General Adaptation Syndrome Model u General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS) Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis u Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis (HPA) u controls reactions to stressful events Psychoneuroimmunology (PNI) and Stress u Focuses on the outcomes of stress u Main consequences of stress: u Physiological results u Harmful behaviors u Indirect health-related behaviors Coping with Stress Emotion-focused coping Managing emotions in the face of stress, seeking to change the way one feels about or perceives a problem Problem-focused coping Attempting to modify the stressful problem or source of stress Avoidant coping Use more direct escape routes, such as drug or alcohol use Least effective Coping with Stress u People also use: u Defense mechanisms – Unconscious strategies to reduce anxiety by concealing the source from themselves and others u Emotional insulation – Person stops experiencing emotions and thereby remains unaffected and unmoved by both positive and negative experiences Coping Styles: Hardiness and Resilience u Hardiness: Personality trait characterized by a sense of commitment, the perception of problems of challenges, and a sense of control u u Three components u Commitment: see activities as important and meaningful u Challenge: see change as positive, not a threat u Control: perceive that they can influence life events Resilience: Ability to withstand, overcome, and actually thrive after profound diversity Social Support: Turning to Others u Mutual network of caring, interested others u u u Enables us to u Experience lower levels of stress u Be better able to cope with stress we do undergo Brain activation in areas reflecting stress was reduced when the participant was able to hold another’s hand Spirituality also provides health-related benefits u Example: attending religious services Subjective Well-Being u Subjective well-being: People’s sense of their happiness and satisfaction with their lives u Characteristics of happy people u Have high self-esteem - Positive illusions u Have a firm sense of control u Optimistic in nature u Men and women are generally made happy by the same sorts of activities - but not always u Like to be around other people Subjective Well-Being u Set points for happiness u u Most people have relatively high happiness set points u 30% rate selves as “very happy” u Only 10% rate themselves as “not too happy” Despite the ups and downs of life, most people adapt to life by returning to a steady-state level of happiness