Health Psych Midterm 2

What is the definition of coping?

Coping refers to the thoughts and behaviors used to manage the internal and external demands of situations that are appraised as stressful.

What are the stages of the coping process?

Stressful event -> appraisal and interpretation -> coping responses and strategies -> coping tasks -> coping outcome.

Differentiate negative affectivity versus positive affectivity.

Negative affectivity is a pervasive negative mood marked by anxiety, depression, and hostility; whereas positive affectivity is a pervasive positive mood.

What are some examples of psychosocial resources?

Examples include positive affectivity, self-esteem, conscientiousness, self-confidence, being smart, and emotional stability.

What is the definition of resilience?

Resilience is the ability to bounce back and adapt to adverse conditions.

What resources promote resilience?

Resources include a sense of coherence and purpose in life, humor, trust in others, a sense that life is worth living, and religious beliefs.

How does religion relate to health?

Religion may prohibit unhealthy behaviors, increase social support, promote self-esteem, reduce anxiety about death, and increase a sense of control.

What is coping style?

Coping style is a propensity to deal with stressful events in a particular way.

Differentiate avoidant coping and approach coping.

Avoidant coping means avoiding the problem; approach coping means facing the problem head on.

Define problem-focused coping and emotion-focused coping.

Problem-focused coping involves attempts to do something constructive about stressful situations; emotion-focused coping involves efforts to regulate emotions.

What are external resources for coping?

Examples include time, money, education, job, friends, and family.

What are the main stages of collective coping with tragedy?

1. Emergency stage - discuss the event; 2. Inhibition stage - reduced discussion, continued thinking; 3. Adaptation stage - diminished talking and thinking.

What is John Henryism?

A coping mechanism where individuals, particularly African Americans, work harder and longer to prove their worth against perceived expectations.

What are some examples of successful coping outcomes?

Examples include reducing or eliminating stressors, adjusting to negative events, maintaining a positive self-image, and maintaining emotional equilibrium.

Describe mindfulness meditation.

A state of mind marked by heightened awareness of the present moment.

What is Acceptance and Commitment Therapy?

An intervention incorporating mindful awareness and acceptance of difficult experiences.

What is expressive writing?

Writing about your emotions to help improve stress.

What is self-affirmation?

A technique through which individuals affirm values that are important to them, reducing defensiveness and promoting receptiveness to risk information.

Describe progressive muscle relaxation.

A technique involving tightening and then relaxing each muscle one by one.

What is coping effectiveness training?

Training that teaches people to develop coping skills and stress management techniques.

How is social support defined?

Social support is information from others indicating one is loved, cared for, esteemed, valued, and part of a network of communication.

What is emotional support?

Providing care, empathy, and validation to someone in need.

What is the relationship between social support and mortality?

Social support reduces the risk of mortality.

How does social support affect cortisol responses?

Social support lowers cortisol responses to stress.

How do social networks affect immune function?

Social support improves immune response.

What are the behaviors linked to oxytocin release?

Behaviors include envy, xenophobia, mistrust, and gloating.

Differentiate direct effects hypothesis vs. buffering hypothesis.

Direct effects hypothesis states social support has direct effects on health; buffering hypothesis states social support buffers against stress-related health impacts.

What is the matching hypothesis in social support?

Support that matches the needs of a stressful event is the most effective.

What is the prevalence of chronic loneliness?

25% of Americans are chronically lonely.

What are effective interventions for chronic loneliness in adults?

Effective interventions include social engagement, social skills training, social support provision, and changing social-cognitive bias.

Define hypochondria.

Hypochondria is illness anxiety disorder, characterized by the belief that normal bodily symptoms are indicators of illness.

What is cyberchondria?

Cyberchondria refers to anxiety related to online diagnosis.

What role do attentional differences play in symptom perception?

Individuals focused on themselves are more likely to recognize symptoms compared to those not focused on themselves.

How does stress affect symptom perception?

People under stress may believe they are more vulnerable to illness.

What causes problems in patient-provider communication?

Providers may struggle with inattentiveness and jargon use; patients may struggle with poor health literacy and ineffective symptom reporting.

What strategies can improve patient-provider communication?

Providers should listen, use clear explanations, repeat instructions, and nurture supportive behaviors; patients should prepare symptom descriptions and ask clarifying questions.

What is the commonsense model of illness?

A set of beliefs about symptoms and illnesses resulting in organized representations of the illness.

What is a lay referral network?

A network of family and friends providing advice before formal treatment is sought.

What are the stages of delay in seeking treatment for symptoms?

Appraisal delay, illness delay, behavioral delay, and medical delay.

Define chronic disease.

A chronic disease lasts 3 or more months and has no complete prevention or cure.

What are examples of chronic diseases?

Examples include cancer, diabetes, arthritis, asthma, and fibromyalgia.

What are common emotional responses to chronic illness?

Denial, depression, and anxiety.

What is flexible coping?

Coping that adjusts to the situation.

What are some common positive emotional changes in response to chronic illness?

Optimism, inspiration to act, increased empathy, and feeling more self-assured.

What are some psychological interventions for chronic illness?

Examples include pharmacological interventions, individual therapy, relaxation and stress training, ACT, MBSR, and exercise.

What is coronary heart disease?

Illnesses caused by atherosclerosis.

What are the risk factors associated with coronary heart disease?

High cholesterol, high blood pressure, elevated inflammation, and diabetes.

What is metabolic syndrome?

A condition involving 3 or more metabolic problems, increasing risk for heart disease and diabetes.

What major factors contribute to a myocardial infarction?

Plaque buildup in arteries that ruptures and causes a blood clot, blocking flow.

What is the role of stress in coronary heart disease development?

Cumulative stress effects lead to damage of endothelial cells.

Differentiate between hypertension and its blood pressure readings.

Hypertension is high blood pressure; systolic is peak pressure in arteries, diastolic is pressure when heart relaxes.

What causes stroke?

A disturbance in blood flow to the brain.

What are common symptoms of stroke?

Warning signs include loss of balance, vision changes, uneven face, arm weakness, and speech difficulties.

What is type 2 diabetes?

Insulin resistance acquired over time.

What are the main psychological risk factors linked to immune dysfunction?

Stress, depression, chronic interpersonal stress, and loneliness.

What protective factors enhance immune functioning?

Social support, optimism, personal control, and prioritizing meaningful relationships.

What is cancer and what are some of its risk factors?

Cancer is over 100 diseases caused by genetic and environmental changes; risk factors include family history, lifestyle, and diet.

How is stress linked to cancer?

High stress hormone levels may allow cancer to flourish.

What are common interventions for cancer adjustment?

Stress reduction, social support promotion, and therapy.

Differentiate rheumatoid arthritis from osteoarthritis.

Rheumatoid affects small joints through an autoimmune process; osteoarthritis is due to wear and tear on weight-bearing joints.

What is the definition of type 1 diabetes?

An autoimmune disorder with abrupt symptom onset due to lack of insulin production.