health & psychology

week 11

describe health psychology

• field of psychology concerned with thoughts, beliefs & habitual behaviours that influence the maintenance of bodily health

modern humans live longer from

• decrease violence

• decrease infectious disease

• decrease starvation

describe health - compromising behaviours

• self managed behaviours that have a cumulative impact on any persons longevity & quality of life

• biggest challene= understand why ppl engage in behaviours they know have a - health consequence

reasons why ppl engage in health compromising behaviour

1. temporal discounting: benefits now vs consequence later

2. drive mismatch: ancestrally rare things are now common

   individual differences that influence some issues:

   • sanity: how long it takes to feel cessation f hunger from eating

   • attention: differential ability to ignore unwanted messaging

   • emotional regulation: differential tendencies to indulge as self soothing

2 psychology methods to approach modelling health compromising behaviours

1. protection- motivation theory

2. theory of planned behaviour

describe protection-motivation theory

threat of illness:

• perceived susceptibility

• perceived serverity

evaluation of counteraction:

• benefits & barriers

• cues to action

• self-efficacy

describe theory of planned behaviour

• individuals beliefs that the behaviour leads to certain outcomes & certain evaluations of the same outcome (attitude towards behaviour)

• persons beliefs that specific individuals/groups think he/she should not perform behaviour & motivations comply with specific references (subjective norms)

describe barriers to health promotion

1. individual

   • future- discounting, personality, gender roles

2. family

   • parental modelling, genetic vulnerability, care needs

3. health science

   • cast, availability, public reach & awareness

4. community, cultural & ethical

   • venerable minorities, isolation

describe transtheoretical model of change

1. preconteplation (not ready)

2. contemplation (getting ready)

3. preparation (ready)

4. action

5. maintenance

describe stress

• sensation we experience when NS responding to perceived challenge

• physiological activation of SANS

• appraisal of challenge: depends on individual context, personal abilities

what are the 2 parts on autonomic NS

1. sympathetic

   • increase BP, HR, respiration

   • adrenaline/noradrenaline released from adrenal glands

   • flight/fright

2. parasympathetic

   • decreases HR, BP. respiration rate

   • visceral responses typical of periods of rest

   • rest & digest

physiological affects from SNS

• pupils dilate'

• dry mouth

• sweat

• goosebumps

• passages dilated

• increase HR

what are the physiological costs of stress

• bc SNS & PNS work as opponent processes = chronic/ prolonged activation of former suppresses latter

  = crucial body maintaince: (suppressed while stressed)

• digest nutrients

• manage immunity

• prepare future responses

what are evolutionary mismatch

• maladaptive impact of prolonged stress

• typical challenges = spontaneous event demanding immediate bodily responses

• main challenge= long- anticipated/accumulated daily

what stress does to the body ST & LT

ST:

• nervous

• increase HR

• constipation

• senstive skin

LT:

• fertility issues

• mental issures

• risk diabeties type 2

• heart problems

LT chronic stress deaths from

• heart disease

• metabolic disease

• cancer

how to cope with stress

psychological & social processors to: reduce, manage and avoid stress

• coping mechanisms: specific actions that can mitigate stress

• coping strategies: planned combinations of multiple mechanims

main distinctions:

1. adaptive: effective, sustainable, harmless

2. maladaptive: poor trade-offs, diminishing returns

what are emotion focused coping

• decrease / avoid immediate discomfort & emotional sensations from stress

• indulge/consumption: boozing, stress eating, over hedonistic behaviours that discount future from present

• give up & blaming: decrease expectations, learned expectations

• aggression/lashing out: venting stress through carathorsis

• distraction: music, leisure activities

• reappraisal/reframing: + self talk

describe problem focused coping

• aimed to address underlying challenges causing stress

• increase planning: forecast future causes of stress

• routine self care: prioritise rest, healthy food, exercise

• asking for help

• establish boundaries hat

describe offering support

• family/ friends

• communities

• specialists & allied health

• rapport with clients by supporting emotional focused coping

what are individual differences in coping

balance of emotional & problem focused coping

• optimism: easier for people to expect good outcomes & come LT stratergies

• conscientiousness: increase level = easier time planning for future & maintain new habits

• neuroticism: increase levels = increase volatile responses to stress = greater cause core for emotional coping