Chapter 14 - Health Psychology

Psychoneuroimmunnology:

A new field of scientific inquiry that explores connections among psychological factors (such as attitudes and emotions), the nervous system, and the immune system. The immune system and the central nervous system are similar in their modes of receiving, recognizing, and integrating signals from the external environment both possess "sensory" elements that receive information from the environment and other parts of the body "motor" elements that carry out an appropriate response. Both systems also rely on chemical mediators for communication. Use CRH corticotropin--releasing hormone

Hardiness

A personality trait characterized by a sense of commitment rather than alienation and of control rather than powerlessness; a perception of problems as challenges rather than threats. Promote thriving during difficult times Sense of commitment rather than alienation Control rather than powerlessness Ex. trying to get the last second shot even tho alot of pressure

AIDS

A sexually transmitted infection, caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), that destroys the body's immune system. Without treatment, vulnerable to germs that a normal immune system can destroy Chronic condition not terminal now ⅕ do not know they have contracted virus ½ are not treated

health psychology

A subfield of psychology that emphasizes psychology's role in establishing and maintaining health and preventing and treating illness. Lifestyle choices, behaviors,. And psychological characteristics can play important roles in health Focuses on behavioral, social, and cognitive factors

alarm

Body activates resources to deal with threat BP, RR, HR increase Glucose is released Allow to deal with threat immediately Immune response is suppressed Stress hormones released After initial threat, the body releases protective

From the biopsychosocial perspective, the many diverse aspects of each human being are tightly intertwined. Our bodies and minds are deeply connected. While the mind is responsible for much of what happens in the body, it is not the only factor

Body influences the mind Health psychology and behavioral medicine are concerned not only with how psychological states influence health, but also with how health and illness may influence the person's psychological experience, including cognitive abilities, stress, and coping A person who is feeling psychologically run-down may not realize that the level of fatigue is the beginning stage of an illness. In turn, being physically healthy can be a source of psychological wellness.

Health experts recommend that adults engage in at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity on most, preferably all, days of the week and that children exercise for 60 minutes daily.

Both moderate and intense activities Most effective component of weight--loss programs is regular exercise

Actionn/willpower

Commit to making a real behavioral change and enact an effective plan Challenge is to find ways to support the new, healthy behavior Establish reinforcements or rewards for the new behavior Acknowledging, enjoying, and celebrating accomplishments can motivate consistent behavior. Support comes from social network Focus on alternative behaviors that replace the unhealthy ones Avoiding temptations

Personality CHaracteristics good for stress

Conscientiousness Personal control self-efficacy optimism

Biggest health risk is being overweight or obese

Eating right means selecting sensible, nutritious foods that maximize health and wellness. Healthy eating is not just about losing weight, it is about committing to lifelong healthy food habits Well-balanced diet provides more energy, lower blood pressure and lessen the ris for cancer Red meat consumptions was linked to an increased risk of earlier death

How we handle stress

Explained by gennes as well as particular stressful experiences Pre and postnatal stress

Alarm stage

First reaction to stressor Temporary state of shock during which resistance to illness and stress falls below normal limits In order to cope, the body releases hormones, that for a short time affect the functioning of the immune system Prone to infection from illness and injury

preparation/determination

Getting ready to take action Thinning concretely about how they might take on their new challenge Explore best ways to quit

resistance stage

Glands manufacture different hormones to protect the individual Endocrine and sympathetic nervous system activity are not as high as they are inn the alarm stage Hormones that reduce information circulate at high levels If the body fails to combat stress and the stress persists enters exhaustion

ways to quit smoking

Going cold turkey -No major lifestyle changes -Better success in lighter smokers Using a substitute source of nicotine -Gum, patch, supplying small amounts diminishes the intensity of the withdrawal Seeking therapeutic help No one method for quitting smoking is foolproof. Often a combination of approaches is the best strategy. Furthermore, quitting for good typically requires more than one try

chronic stress

HPA axis remains activated over the long haul Affect other body systems Increasing immune system responsiveness Depression, loneliness, etc.

Giving support is also beneficial

Helping others may reduce the output of stress hormone Improving cardiovascular health and strengthening immune system

Personality traits that worsen stress with special significant to CVI

Impatient, quick to anger, frequent hostility

Precontemplation

Individuals are not yet thinking about change Unaware of problems Raising one's consciousness about the problem is crucial Common for individuals to deny their behavior as a problem and defend it

coping

Individuals' interpretation of the events in their life as harmful, threatening, or challenging and their determination of whether they have the resources to cope effectively with the events.

Self-efficacy

Influences whether individuals try to develop healthy habits, coping with stress, how long they persist in the face of obstacles, stress experience Sticking to new years resolution Achieve weight loss, exercise, etc. Having a can--do attitude

social support

Information and feedback from others indicating that one is loved and cared for, esteemed and valued, and included in a network of communication and mutual obligation. -tanngible assistance -Information -emotional support

primary appraisal

Interpret whether an event involves harm or loss that has already occurred Threat of a future danger Challenge to overcome Good strategy for overcoming stress two steps to appraisal

Quitting smoking

Linked to 20 percent of cancer deaths, 21 percent of heart disease deaths, and 82 percent of chronic pulmonary disease deaths Fwer people smoke now Men are more likely to smoke Nicotine, the active drug in cigarettes, is a stimulant that increases the smoker's energy and alertness, a pleasurable and reinforcing experience In addition, nicotine stimulates neurotransmitters that have a calming or pain-reducing effect

stress and cancer

Lower NK killer cells inn the blood Linked to development of further malignancies and length of survival

Constant associated with modern life can keep this activation active chronically

Many of us have a lifestyle of constant stress Weekly report due, etc. Chronic exacerbation of alarm and resistance phase While is it adaptive in the short term, having a constant increased heart rate and blood pressure can result in hypertension Constant suppression of digestion can result in GI distress

Why is tend and befriend seen more in females?

More typically of females because Oxytocin is inhibited by testosterone Men have more testorone Less likely to initiate tend and befriend

Resources for effective life change

Motivation Social Relationships Religious Faith Personality Characteristics

How to be safe during sec

Only 100 safe behavior is abstinence and many individuals do not view this as an option Cuddling, massage, and mutual masturbation (without exchange of secretions) present no risk Penetration is risky Use condom Most effective in preventing gonorrhea, syphilis, chlamydia, HPV and AIDS Scare tactics are less affective

Research has shown that creating a context in which people feel more in control, more autonomous, and more competent is associated with enhanced outcomes for a broad array of health behaviors, including controlling diabetes through diet

People are more likely to succeed in New Year's resolutions if they approach them with a sense of self-efficacy and autonomy

Selye's General Adaptation Syndrome

Process people went through when stressed alarm, resistance, exhaustion

resistance

Protective hormone released Bodily response reduced but not back to normal HR, RR, BP Immune functioning is good recovers Inflammatory processes HIGH Cortisol, c-reactive protein

Stress and cardiovascular disease

Reason to believe that stress increases an individual's risk for CVD Chronic emotional stress is associated with high blood pressure, heart disease, and early death adrenaline surge caused by severe emotional stress causes the blood to clot more rapidly—and blood clotting is a major factor in heart attacks

Religious faith

Religious faith is strongly related to maintaining a healthy lifestyle and to good health Linked to social support Access to warm group of others Prevent isolation and loneliness Many religions frown on excess and promote moderation. Indeed, weekly religious attendance relates to a host of healthy behaviors,

Conscientiousness

Responsible and reliable Most important when it comes to health, healthy living, and longevity Less likely to die then less conscience people

Religious faith and spirituality more generally may also be important factors in good health because they provide a sense of life meaning and a buffer against the effects of stressful life events

Role in maintaining hope and stimulating motivation for positive life changes People who live longer are more religious and better outcomes with HIV positive test Help avoid burnout at work

General adaptation syndrome:

Selye's term for the common effects of stressful demands on the body, consisting of three stages: alarm, resistance, and exhaustion.

Tend and befriend - alarm stage

Shelly Taylor Sympathetic arousal Involves seeking social support during threat More typical of females Based on interaction of estrogen and oxytocin

Journaling

Short term it is linked with increased stress Long term it brings physical and psychological health benefits

social relationships

Social ties are an important, if not the most important variable in predicting health Loneliness is linked with impaired physical health and mental health Chronic loneliness can lead to an early death Social support helps to reduce negative connection between loneliness and depressions

Preliminary hypotheses about the interaction that causes vulnerability to disease include:

Stressful experiences lower the efficiency of immune systems, making individuals more susceptible to disease. Stress directly promotes disease-producing processes. Stressful experiences may cause the activation of dormant viruses that diminish the individual's ability to cope with disease.

Evaluation of the model

Successfully applied to a broad range of behaviors Smoking, exercise, etc Controversial whether the stages are mutually exclusive and whether individuals move from one stage to another in the order proposed Refers more to attitudes that change then behaviors

Maintenance

Successfully avoid temptations and consistently pursue healthy behaviors Skilled at anticipating tempting situations and avoid them or actively prepare for them At some point you find that Actively fighting the urge to indulge in unhealthy behaviors is no longer unnecessary Transcendence No longer consciously nagd in maintaining their healthy lifestyle rather it has become who they are

Fight or Flight - alarm stage

Sympathetic nervous system to allow us to either face or flee from a threat Increased heart rate Increase breathing Increased blood flow to muscles Decreased digestion to immune function

Hypothalamic-pituatary adrenal axis

The complex set of interactions among the hypothalamus, the pituitary gland, and the adrenal glands that regulate various body processes and control reactions to stressful events. Regulates various body processes including digestion, immune system responses, emotion, and energy expenditure

Problem focused coping:

The coping strategy of squarely facing one's troubles and trying to solve them. Coming up with goals and implementation intentions Usually works best

Stages of change model:

Theoretical model describing a five step process by which individuals give up bad habits and adopt healthier lifestyles. Breaks down behavioral changes into five steps Real change does not occur overnight Changes occurs in progressive stages precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, maintenance, relapse

Theory of reasoned action:

Theoretical model stating that effective change requires individuals to have specific intentions about their behaviors, positive attitudes about a new behavior perceive that their social group looks positively on the new behavior as well.

Theory of planned behavior:

Theoretical model that includes the basic ideas of the theory of reasoned action but adds the person's perceptions of control over the outcome. Have accurately predicted whether individuals successfully enact health behaviors Ex. cancer screening, childrens snack food consumption

aerobic exercise

a lower probability of developing cardiovascular disease and cancer

Physical active is linked to longevity of life as well as

a lower probability of developing cardiovascular disease and cancer Improved cognitive functioning, positive coping with stress, increased self-esteem and body esteem Reduces levels of anxiety and depression Gives us the ability to face life's potential stressors

relapse

a return to former patterns Can be discouraging Majority of people who change do not succeed on the first try Try and fail and try again Cycle through the five stages several times before achieving a stable., healthy lifestyle

Personal control

associated with taking the right steps toward a long, healthy life is a sense of personal control Internal locus of control Cann reduce stress during difficult times Lead to development of problem solving strategies to deal with life's challenges Lower risk for chronic diseases like cancer and CVD Avoid risky lifestyle Associated with emotional well being Successful coping with a stressful event, healthy behavior, change and good health

How to have a healthier body

becoming physically active eating right quitting smokinng

According to the text, health psychology overlaps in significant ways with

behavioral medicine

Exhaustion

collapse in exhaustion, and vulnerability to disease increases. Serious, possibly irreversible damage to the body—such

dealing with difficult circumstances, expending effort to solve life's problems and seeking to control or reduce stress are key aspects of

coping

Emotion focused coping:

entails responding to the stress that one is feeling—trying to manage the emotional reaction—rather than confronting the root problem. Don't go to class, say it is too hard, joe about it In some instances, emotion-focused coping can be beneficial Denial can be used to avoid destructive impact of shock by postponing the time you have to deal with the stress For example, one study found that following the death of a loved one, bereaved individuals who directed their attention away from their negative feelings had fewer health problems and were rated as better adjusted by their friends, compared to bereaved individuals who did not use this coping strategy

Type A behavior patterns:

excessively competitive, hard-driven, impatient, and hostile is related to the incidence of heart disease.

According to optimists explain the causes of bad events as

external

Type D behavior patterns

generally distressed, frequently experience negative emotions, and are socially inhibited 3 fold increase in cardiovascular outcomes

A personality trait that is characterized by a sense of commitment and control, as well as by a perception of problems as

hardiness

A set of attitudes marked by a sense of control over events, commitment to life and work, and motivation and courage to confront stressful events, is known as

hardiness

Optimist

identify causes of bad events as external, unstable, and specific Better life outcomes Expectancy that good things are more likely than bad things to occur in the future Function more effectively Powerful tool against hopelessness

pessimist

identify causes of bad events as internal stable and global

secondary appraisal

individuals evaluate their resources and determine how effectively they can be marshaled to cope with the event. This appraisal is secondary because it both comes after primary appraisal and depends on the degree to which the event is appraised as harmful, threatening, or challenging.

STI:

infection that is contnracted primarily though sexual-activity vaginal intnercouses as well as oral and anal sex 1 in every 6 adults Viruses and bacterial Implications on future fertility, risk of cancer, and life expectancy

health promotion

involves helping people change their lifestyle to optimize their health and assisting them in achieving balance in physical, emotional, social, spiritual, and intellectual health and wellness. HR departments

Cognitive appraisal

is essentially a kind of problem solving. It involves managing taxing circumstances, expending effort to solve life's problems, and seeking to master or reduce stress.

stress

is the response to environmental stressors

When the brain detects a threat in the environment,

it signals the hypothalamus to release corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH). The pituitary produces a hormone that then tells the adrenal glands to release cortisol Stress hormone Directs cells to make sugar, fat, and protein available so the body can take action Suppresses immune system

In comparison to nonreligious people, religious individuals have

lower mortality rates and lower BP

optimism as a resource that allows individuals to engage constructively with potentially frightening information.

more likely than others to seek out genetic testing in order to learn about their risk for disease Optimists engage with life from a place of strength, so when an optimist finds out, for instance, that a favorite pastime, tanning, is related to an elevated risk of skin cancer, the information is important but not overwhelming. In contrast, pessimists are already living in a bleak world and prefer not to hear more bad news. Another personality trait

The biggest health risk facing most Americans today is

overweight and obesisty

Health behaviors:

practices that have an impact on physical well-being Adoping health to stress, exercising, eating right, etc.

stress management programs

program A regimen that teaches individuals how to appraise stressful events, how to develop skills for coping with stress, and how to put these skills into use in everyday life. Can be specific or a range of techniques Taught through workshops Research shows it works A biopsychosocial perspective predicts, healthy changes in one area of life can have benefits that flow to other areas.

Hot reactors because have intense physiological reactions to stress

reactions to stress: Their hearts race, their breathing quickens, and their muscles tense up. One study found that hostility was a better predictor of coronary heart disease in older men than smoking, drinking, high caloric intake, or high levels of LDL cholesterol

Type B behavior patterns:

relaxed and easygoing—that is related to a lower incidence of heart disease.

implementation intentions

specific strategies for dealing with the challenges of making a life change People are more successful when make these Planning and goal setting is crucial to making effective change are strategies for actually putting our health goals to work. Setting short-term, achievable goals also allows individuals to experience the emotional payoff of small successes along the way to self-change. Doing well is a potent motivator for future progress

The theoretical model that breaks down behavioral change into five distinct steps is the A. theory of planned

stages of change model

consist(s) of the tension, discomfort, or physical symptoms that arise when a situation strains our ability to cope effectively.

stress

exercise

structured activities whose goal is to promote health

According to the Biopsychosocial model, our health is the result of an interaction between biological, psychological and social factors.

true

Typically, the best approach to quitting smoking is to

use a combination of methods

public health

with studying health and disease in large populations to guide policymakers Public health experts identify public health concerns, st priorities, amd design interventions for health promotion ensure that all populations have access to cost-effective healthcare and health promotion services

Acute stress

Be adaptive Cortisol levels return to normal Poorer immune system functioning

Contemplation

Acknowledge the problem, but not ready to commit to change Actively thinning about change Mixed feelings Weigh short-term gains of harmful behavior against the long-term benefits changing. Future rewards can be difficult to pursue when immediate pleasures beckon.

exhaustion

All the body's resources are used up Increased vulnerability to disease

4. In addition to taking a full load of classes, Bonnie works at two part-time jobs and helps her sister care for two toddlers. Bonnie is achievement oriented and strives to get A's in all of her courses. Because of her many commitments, she is often in a hurry and regularly does more than one thing at a time, but she tells people that she enjoys her busy routine. Which answer best assesses whether Bonnie is Type A and at risk for cardiovascular disease?

Although Bonnie may experience stress, the lack of hostility mentioned in this description suggests that she is not Type A or at risk for cardiovascular disease.

Behavioral medicine

An interdisciplinary field that focuses on developing and integrating behavioral and biomedical knowledge to promote health and reduce illness; overlaps with and is sometimes indistinguishable from health psychology. Focuses on behavioral, social, and biomedical factors

Optimism

Associated with taking proactive steps to one's health Pessimism is linked to engaging in health compromising behaviors

Social sharing

Turning to others who act as a sounding board or a willing ear Can be online

motivation

Why of behavior Changing for the right reasons Change is most effective when you are doing it because you want to Those who joined voluntarily were more likely to los wight Intrinsic motivation Doing something because you want to Extrinsic motivation External rewards