1. Introduction to Health Psychology

Question 1

Definition of health?

Answer 1

Health is a state of complete well-being, including
- Physical
- Mental/Emotional
- Social

Question 2

Health is no longer considered only the…?

Answer 2

Absence of disease.
Reflecting a change go going beyond the biomedical model.

Question 3

What is psychology?

Answer 3

The scientific study of behaviour and mind.

Includes:
- Cognition
- Emotion
- Motivation
- Action

Question 4

What is Health Psychology?

Answer 4

The scientific study of how health and psychology intersect.

Question 5

Quote by Joseph Matarazzo

“Health psychology is the aggregate of the educational, scientific, and professional contributions of the discipline of psychology to”: ??? (4)

Answer 5

• The promotion and maintenance of health
• The prevention and treatment of illness
• The identification of etiologic and diagnostic correlates of health, illness and related dysfunction
• The improvement of the health care system

Question 6

What is the Biopsychosocial Model?

Answer 6

Health (including disease and illness) us best understood from a combination of biological, psychological, and social perspectives.

Rather than a purely biological perspective.

Question 7

The Mind-Body Connection?

Answer 7

Inherent to the biopsychosocial model is an assumption of complex mind-body relationship.

Consider: Is “connection” the right word? Maybe we should say the mind-body system

Question 8

The Medical Renaissance (1400-1700)?

Answer 8

Attempts were made to break away from superstitions of past centuries: this paved the way for modern medicine.

Physicians healed the body. Physical evidence was the sole basis for diagnosis.

Question 9

Rene Descartes (1596-1650) and Cartesian Dualism?

Answer 9

The mind and the body are made of distinct substances and exist independently.

Had a lasting impact on medicine.

Question 10

Biomedical Reductionism?

Answer 10

Reductionism in medicine ensued that every disease process could be explained in terms of an underlying deviation from normal function.
-> pathogen, genetic or developmental abnormality, or injury.

The Biomedical Model.

Question 11

Changing patterns of illness?

Answer 11

With advances in technology and medicine, the development of antibiotics and vaccines, and improved sanitation, nutrition, and personal hygiene, the leading causes of death shifted from…

Acute Infectious Disease (influence virus pneumonia) to Chronic Conditions (heart disease, hypertension)

Question 12

Life expectancy in Canada 1921 to 2011?

Answer 12

Increased life expectancy at birth

Average life expectancy in 2022 81 years, vs. 55 years in 1921

And dropped in in fact mortality rates

Question 13

10 Leading causes of death in Canada, 2022?

Answer 13

• Cancer 24.7%
• Diseases of the Heart 17.2%
• Covid 5.9%
• Accidents 5.5%
• Stroke 4.2%
• Lower Respiratory 3.7%
• Diabetes 2.3%
• Influenza and Pneumonia 1.5%
• Alzheimer 1.6%
• Liver Disease 1.4%
• Everything else 31.7%

Question 14

What 4 variations are important to note for the 10 leading causes of death?

Answer 14

Age
- Variations occur by age group (young people get in more accidents, older more cancer)
Region
Class
Ethnicity

Question 15

The move from acute infectious diseases to chronic conditions created why a need for a new model?

Answer 15

• Lack of known cures and quick fixes.
• Can live with them, but quality of life is affected
• Require expensive healthcare

The biomedical model has had limited success in these regards.

Question 16

The need for a new model - Engel’s? (1977)

Answer 16

Engel’s biopsychosocial model proposed a more holistic approach to medicine and psychiatry. It underscored the importance of psychological and social factors in health and encouraged better dialogue between patients are care providers.

Question 17

Mention some biological aspects of the biopsychosocial model?

Answer 17

Genetics
anatomy
Physiology
Age
Immune Funcitoning
Nutrition
Medications
Disease
Disorder

Question 18

Mention some psychological aspects of the biopsychosocial model?

Answer 18

Personality
Self-Efficacy
Personal Control
Optimistic Bias
Stress Perception
Coping Skills
Dieat & Exercise
Risky Behaviours
Med. Adherence

Question 19

Mention some social aspects of the biopsychosocial model?

Answer 19

Gender
Status/Income
Ethnicity/Race
Culture
Discrimination
Health Disparities
Caregiving
Social Support
Soul Networks

Question 20

The BPS applied to COVID-19?

Answer 20

Ask for notes

Psychological, protective mesures related to empathy etc??

Question 21

3 common criticisms of the BPS model?

Answer 21

1. Unclear boundaries between biology, psychology, and society, which means that it may be difficult to define their relationships.
2. The model is too inclusive, offering an unscientific “fluffy” and pluralistic approach to health in which “anything goes”.
3. Adoption of the model in health care is limited by physicians’ knowledge/training (they can’t be experts in everything).

Question 22

What is this quote alluding to?

“Living systems have come to be seen as systems (of which mind and body are a unit) which are integral parts of larger systems, in permanent interaction with their environment…” (Mehta, 2011)

Answer 22

sociocultural factors

The World ->
- Social & Env. System

Psych. System ->
- Experience & Behaviours

Bio System ->
- Genes & Physiology

Question 23

Moving forwards keep in mind these important lessons from psychology (3)?

Answer 23

1. Person-situation interaction should always be considered.
   - Contextual factors always matter in behaviour/experience!
2. Causal density is high.
   - In human behaviour/experience, there are numerous causal variables at play (i.e., there’s rarely ever one simple explanation for a given outcome).
3. Human behaviour is complex!
   - There are no rules or laws; do not assume that a finding applies to everyone equally, or that a variable will always have the same effect.

Question 24

Key terms to know - Disease?

Answer 24

An abnormal condition affecting an organism or part of an organism; due to infection, injury/trauma, behaviour, etc.

e.g., heart disease, influenza

Question 25

Key terms to know - Illness?

Answer 25

Feelings that might come with having a disease. Feelings like pain, fatigue, weakness, etc. - the reasons people seek care.

Question 26

Key terms to know - Disorder?

Answer 26

An abnormality of function; due to genetic abnormalities, behaviours, stressors, etc. Similar to disease.

e.g., cystic fibrosis, deafness

Question 27

Key terms to know - Syndrome?

Answer 27

A set of symptoms or conditions that occur together and suggest the presence of a certain disease or increased risk.

e.g. metabolic syndrome, AIDS

Question 28

Key terms to know - Mortality?

Answer 28

Incidence of death in a population. In general or due to a specific cause (in a given period of time).

Question 29

Key terms to know - Morbidity?

Answer 29

Occurrence of ill health (generally) or a specific disease (e.g. asthma) in a population.

Question 30

Key terms to know - Incidence & Prevalence?

Answer 30

Incidence: Number of new cases (in a given period of time).
Prevalence: Total number of existing cases.