Chapter 1 What is Heath Psychology?

psychosomatic medicine (5)

Studies and treats particular diseases believed to be caused by emotional conflicts, such as ulcers, hypertension, and asthma - the term is now used more broadly to mean an approach to health-related problems and diseases that examines psychological as well as somatic origins

prospective research (10)

A research strategy in which people are followed forward in time to examine how a group of people change or how the relationship between two variables changes over time. i.e., hostility developing early in life, but heart disease develops later, we would be more confident that hostility is a risk factor for heart disease

Health (3)

The absence of disease or infirmity, coupled with a complete state of physical, mental, and social well-being; health psychologists recognize this to be a state that is actively achieved rather than the mere absence of illness

Etiology (3)

The origins or causes of an illness

longitudinal research (11)

The repeated observation and measurement of the same individuals over a period of time - a type of prospective research design

Epidemiology (11)

The study of the frequency, distribution, and causes of infectious and noninfectious disease in a population

acute disorder (7)

Illness or other medical problems that occur over a short time, that are usually the result of an infectious process, and that are reversible

biopsychosocial model (5)

The view that biological, psychological, and social factors are all involved in any given state of health or illness

conversion hysteria (5)

The viewpoint , originally advanced by Freud, that specific unconscious conflicts can produce physical disturbances symbolic of the repressed conflict

correlational research (10)

Measuring two variables and determining whether they are related to each other. i.e. studies on smoking and lung cancer - correlation does not prove causation

Morbidity (11)

Refers to the # of cases of a disease that exist at some given point in time - may be expressed as: incidence or prevalence

Health Psychology (3)

The subarea within psychology devoted to understanding psychological influences on health, illness, and responses to those states, as well as the psychological origins and impacts of health policy and health intervention

Nightmare death (6)

sudden, unexpected nocturnal deaths among male refugees

Theory (9)

A set of analytic statements that explain a set of phenomena, such as why people practice poor health behavior - generate specific predictions, so they can be tested and modified as the evidence comes in.

experiment (10)

A type of research in which a researcher randomly assigns people to two or more conditions, varies the treatments that people in each condition are given, and then measures the effect on some response

1. disease was thought to arise when evil spirits entered the body 2. humoral theory of illness 3. Disease was regards as God's punishment for evildoing 4. advances in understanding medicine (4)

History of illnesses: 1. During prehistoric times: 2. During the ancient greeks: 3. During the Middle ages: 4. Renaissance

chronic illness (7)

Illnesses that are long lasting and usually irreversible - psychological and social factors are implicated as causes - due to their length, psychological issues arise in their management

randomized clinical trials (10)

An experimental study of the effects of a drug or treatment administered to human subjects who are randomly selected from ta broad population and assigned on a random basis to either an experimental or a control group. - the goal is to determine the clinical efficacy and pharmacologic effects of the drug or procedure

Wellness (3)

An optimum state of health achieved through balance among physical, mental, and social well-being

Evidence-based medicine (10)

Means that medical interventions go through rigorous testing and evaluation of their benefits before they become the standard of care, usually through randomized clinical trials

1. acute disorders 2. chronic illness (lifestyle diseases) (7)

Until the 20th century, the major causes of illness and death in the U.S. were ______1______, now however, _____2_____ are the main contributors to disability and death.

biomedical model (5)

Viewpoint that illness can be explained on the basis of aberrant somatic processes, such as biochemical imbalances or neurophysiological abnormalities. - assumes that psychological and social processes are largely irrelevant to the disease process - considered the dominant model in medical practice until recently

1. Changing Patterns of Illness 2. Advances in Technology and Research 3. Expanded Health care services 4. increased medical acceptance (7-9)

What are some of the factors that have contributed to the development of health psychology?

1. focus on health promotion and maintenance 2. study the prevention and treatment of illness 3. study the etiology and correlates of health, illness, and dysfunction 4. improve the health care system and the formulation of health policy (3)

What are some of the tasks that health psychologists do?

chronic diseases such as: 1. heart disease 2. cancer 3. diabetes (4)

What are the main causes of disability and death?

students go into many different professions

What is health psychology training for?

Meta-analysis (12)

combines results from different studies to identify how strong the evidence is for particular research findings. i.e., A meta-analysis might be conducted on 100 students of dietary interventions to identify which characteristics of these interventions lead to more successful dietary change.

Humoral theory of illness (4)

disease resulted when the four humors or circulating fluids of the body - blood, black bile, yellow bile, and phlegm - were out of balance.

retrospective designs (11)

looks backwards in time in an attempt to reconstruct the conditions that led to a current situation. - Interviewing people with a particular disease and asking them about their childhood health behaviors or exposure to risks can identify conditions leading to an adult disease - led to developing the risk factors for AIDS

Mortality (11)

refers to # of deaths due to particular causes