psyc Flashcards
(38 cards)
What is health psychology?
The field within psychology aimed at understanding the psychological influences on how people stay healthy, why they become ill, and how they respond when they do get ill.
Why do we need health psychology?
To address the changing pattern of illness from acute disorders to chronic illness, and to understand the role of psychological and social factors in health.
What were the leading causes of death in New Zealand in 1900?
- Influenza
- Pneumonia
- Tuberculosis
What are the leading causes of death in New Zealand in 2024?
- Cancer
- Heart disease
- Cerebrovascular disease (e.g., stroke)
What is the life expectancy at birth in New Zealand in 2024?
83.1 years
What is the significance of personal health habits?
They play a crucial role in the development of chronic illnesses such as coronary heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, and certain cancers.
List some health risks associated with dietary factors.
- Coronary heart disease
- Stroke
- Some cancers
- Type 2 diabetes
- Obesity
What is the biopsychosocial model?
Health and illness are consequences of the interplay between biological, psychological, and social factors.
What is the biomedical model?
Focuses on biological factors, considering psychological and social processes largely irrelevant to health and illness.
What does the World Health Organization define health as?
A complete state of physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.
What are the three stages of dealing with symptoms?
- Becoming aware of sensations
- Interpreting sensations
- Planning and taking action
What are two possible errors in dealing with symptoms?
- Failing to seek medical treatment when needed
- Seeking unnecessary treatment for symptoms that are not important
What factors influence becoming aware of sensations?
- Focus of attention
- Situational factors
- Internal vs External competition for attention
How does mood affect symptom perception?
Those in a positive mood report fewer symptoms, while those in a negative mood report more symptoms and perceive themselves as more vulnerable to future illness.
What is medical student’s disease?
A condition where medical students perceive themselves to be experiencing symptoms of diseases they are studying.
What is mass psychogenic illness?
Widespread symptom perception across individuals with no medical basis, often triggered by environmental factors.
What is an example of mass psychogenic illness?
A 1998 incident in Tennessee where students and staff reported symptoms after detecting a gasoline-like odour, with no toxins found.
Fill in the blank: Health psychology aims to understand how people stay healthy, why they become ill, and how they respond when they do get _______.
[ill]
True or False: The biopsychosocial model ignores psychological and social processes.
False
What is health psychology?
The study of psychological and behavioral processes in health, illness, and healthcare
Health psychology examines how biological, social, and psychological factors influence health and illness.
What model is commonly used in health psychology?
Biopsychosocial model of health and illness
This model integrates biological, psychological, and social factors in understanding health.
What are the three stages of symptom perception?
- Becoming aware of sensations
- Interpreting sensations
- Planning and taking action
What factors influence symptom perception?
- Nature of symptom/sensation
- Attentional differences
- Situational factors
- Individual differences
- Mood & emotions
- Stress
What is ‘medical student’s disease’?
A phenomenon where medical students experience symptoms of illnesses they study
This highlights the impact of knowledge on symptom perception.
