Lecture 4 Flashcards
(23 cards)
What is stress?
The inability to cope with a physical or emotional threat
What are the 3 stages of stress?
1) Alarm: fight or flight response (nervous and endocrine systems activated for defense against stressor)
2) Resistance: continued high alert (hormones helpful in
alarm stage now become counterproductive increasing
risk for disease)
3) Exhaustion: body no longer able to cope
What did Hans Selye prove?
That the brain could, literally, kill the body
What is the biopsychosocial model?
An inter-disciplinary model that looks at the interconnection between body, mind, and brain.
What is a sign?
‘Objective’ manifestation of a disease process
What are some examples of signs?
1) A rash
2) High blood pressure
What is a symptom?
‘Subjective’ experiences
What are some examples of symptoms?
1) Pain
2) Other forms of distress
Healthy individuals develop a new physical symptom every - days. How many are never brought to the
attention of a doctor?
5-7; 95%
Why do symptoms lead to medical visits?
1) Intensity
2) Duration
3) Change in presentation
4) Family history
5) Previous experience
6) Unfamiliarity
7) Perceived threat
8) Loss of control
What is a disease?
Refers to objective physiological or mental disorders at the organic level and is confined to the individual organism.
What is an illness?
A subjective state;
A psychological awareness of dysfunction at the personal level also confined to the individual
True or false;
Disease and illness always present together.
False; they present together, but not always.
Where did “Sick role” derive its meaning from?
Parson’s concept
What does sick role refer to?
A state of social dysfunction, a social role assumed by the individual that is variously specified according to the expectations of a given society.
Who does the sick role cover?
It extends beyond the person to include relation with others.
What is illness behavior?
The behavior of a person in the sick role.
Sick role involves:
1) Exemption from normal social responsibilities and other people are expected to take over duties.
2) Is not expected to get well without being taken care of.
3) Has an obligation to want to get well and seek appropriate medical help.
4) Other people are under obligation to be kind and sympathetic to.
Illness behavior involves:
1) Much of it is a result or associated with the recognized disease.
2) Some are generated by the fear of disease or the positive rewards and support provided for a person in the sick role.
3) Sometimes a person may adopt the sick role and illness behavior without having illness or may show illness behavior which is out of proportion to
the degree of illness.
4) Behaving normally in the presence of undiagnosed illness.
What is a basic principle in learning theory?
That patterns of behavior which are rewarded tend to increase in frequency.
True or false:
Not all who consult doctors with somatic symptoms have objective evidence of disease. Probably these have been trained to do so
under stress since childhood
True.
What could be adopted whenever its advantages outweigh those of health?
The sick role.
Why do some people adopt the sick role?
Different people adopt the sick role according to their coping ability, or to get a secondary gain.
