PSY:1001 Chapter 10: Health Psychology

health psychology

studies how behavior, cognition, and physical health are interrelated

• finds causes and treatment of PHYSICAL illness

• encourages maintenance of health

biopsychosocial model

depicts how biological, psychological, and social factors affect physical health

• bio: physical health, genetics, neurochemistry

• social: relationships, socioeconomic status, education, culture

• psycho: personality, beliefs, mental health, behavior

stress

physical and psychological response to an environmental event that is taxing or exceeding one’s ability to adapt

• activates the sympathetic nervous system

stressors

specific events or chronic pressures that cause stress

perceived stress

a subjective evaluation of stress in response to events depending on appraisal

stress appraisal theory

appraisals of an event and our role in it shape our emotional experience of it

primary appraisal

interpretation of a stimulus as stressful or not

secondary appraisal

interpreting if a stressor can be handled or not

negative appraisal

threat

positive appraisal

challenge

general adaptation syndrome

how the body copes and resists stress over time → body’s resistance to stress can only last so long before exhaustion sets in

• phase 1: alarm reaction (mobilize resources)

• phase 2: resistance (coping with stressor)

• phase 3: exhaustion (reserves depleted)

eustress

“good stress”

• motivates individual to make changes

• helps achieve homeostasis

distress

“bad stress”

• uncontrollable

• creates imbalance (allostasis)

• cause disease/disability

• 3 types

  • distant

  • acute

  • chronic

distant distress

past stress or trauma continues to influence the individual after it has passed

• ex. child abuse

chronic distress

no clear end to the distress

• ex. unemployment

acute distress

known end to the distress

• ex. finals week

physiological reponses to stress

SAM and HPA axes

sympathetic-adreno-medullary (SAM) axis

physiological system that governs the body’s immediate response to a stressful event

• mobilizes the sympathetic nervous system

hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis

physiological system that governs the body’s prolonged reponse to a stressful event

• releases stress hormones

  • hypothalamus detects stress and releases CRF

  • causes excess release of cortisol

differential sensitivities hypothesis

idea that some people have a genetic predisposition to be more strongly affected by variation in their environment

telomeres

caps at the end of each chromosome that protect the ends of chromosomes and prevent them from sticking to each other

• short telomeres → increased risk of cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes depression

problem-focused coping

approaching stressful situations with a belief that one can proactively solve the problem

social support

degree to which people believe they can turn to other people for information, help, advice, or comfort

gene x environment interactions

interaction between environmental factors and a person’s genetic predispositions that determine the unique phenotypes expressed in personality

epigenetics

the study of how life events can effect how genes are expressed