Case 6 - The Clinical Relevance of Health Compromising Behaviours Flashcards
(43 cards)
What are health-compromising behaviours?
Behaviours that undermine and/or
harm current or future health
Habitual in nature, leading to addiction in some cases
Contribute to global burden of disease
Even if intrenched can health habits be modified?
yes
Characteristics of Health Compromising
Behaviours
Producing pleasurable effects : Thrill seeking behaviour – positive reinforcement
Stress reduction, coping mechanisms: Avoidance – negative reinforcement
Acquired gradually over time: Engagement and experimentation
Adolescents are particularly vulnerable to health compromising behaviours as their _________ is seen as a window of vulnerability
developmental state
Crossing the line from use to misuse.
Difficulty in defining:
Quantification of substance abuse and/or dependence
Identification of possible risk factors
Assessment of associated consequences
Substance of all kinds is predicted by the same factors as people who are likely to do the health compromising behaviours, these factors are:
Impulsivity
Neuroticism
Genetic risk factors
Deviance-tolerant attitudes
Family conflict
Young drinkers tend to be ___1___drinkers
older drinkers tend to drink more ___2___
1 - heavier
2 - frequently
Drinkers who smoke are ___ as
likely as non-smokers to be heavy
drinkers
twice
Drinkers who smoke (25%) are twice as
likely as non-smokers (11%) to be heavy
drinkers
men are more at high risk or less at high risk to be drinkers than women?
Men are more at high risk of being drinkers than women
Alcohol consumption as a health
compromising behaviour
Alcohol is the leading cause of death in ___ aged 16-54
men
Alcohol consumption accounts for?
75% of liver cirrhosis deaths
7% of cancer deaths
25% of injury related deaths in adults 65+
Significant cardiovascular, respiratory, & gastrointestinal effects
Substance use and risk taking behaviour (infectious diseases,
e.g. hepatitis, HIV)
there is ____ of substance use and mental illness
comorbidity
Dependence, tolerance and
withdrawal.
Dependance - Body adjusts to the substance
Incorporated use into normal functioning of body’s tissues
Unpleasant symptoms when removing drug
Psychological dependence: compulsion to use drug results in anxiety if withheld
Dependence, tolerance and
withdrawal.
Tolerance
Increasing adaption to substance
Larger doses required to reach similar effects
Physical and psychological symptoms when substance use is discontinued
Dependence, tolerance and
withdrawal.
Withdrawal
Abstinence Syndrome following sudden reduction or cessation
Chronic alcoholism withdrawal can lead to delirium
what is Addiction
Chronic, relapsing disorder where compulsive drug seeking and/or drug taking behaviour is persistent despite harmful consequences.
Addiction can occur in the absence of physiological or chemical dependence
Stages of Addiction
Exposure
Compulsion
Loss of control
A new classification of ‘behavioural addiction’, these include:
Pathological gambling
Video game addiction
Internet exposure (social media)
Dependence Syndrome
ICD10: Diagnosis of dependence should usually be made only if ≥ 3 of the following have been present together at some time in the last year:
A strong desire or sense of compulsion to take the substance.
Difficulties in controlling substance taking behaviour.
Physiological withdrawal state when substance use has ceased or been reduced.
Evidence of tolerance, such that increased doses of the psychoactive substances are required to achieve effects originally produced by lower doses.
Progressive neglect of alternative pleasures or interests because of psychoactive substance use.
Persisting despite clear evidence of harmful consequences
what is Operant Conditioning
Originally proposed by B.F. Skinner
“A learning process where behaviors are influenced by consequences. Positive reinforcement encourages a behavior
by adding a reward, while negative reinforcement strengthens it by removing an unpleasant stimulus.” – Simply Psychology
Positive reinforcement in Operant Conditioning
Euphoria, feelings when intoxicated, enhanced social life, etc.
Negative reinforcement in Operant Conditioning
Stress reduction, coping mechanism, temporary relief from unpleasant sensations/experiences
punishment in Operant Conditioning
Removal of positive influence or introduction of a negative one
Reward (dopamingeric) pathway
Activation of the same circuits that are
involved in behaviours such as eating,
bonding and sex
Dopamine increases in response to
natural rewards
- The brain remembers pleasurable experiences
- Seeks to repeat the experience
Dopamine release enhanced when drugs
are taken (e.g. alcohol, nicotine)
Repeated use leads to structural, functional, biochemical changes
- Loss of control over voluntary act
