psych notes before final

recognising symptoms

• some ppl more perceptive to their body

• most commonly noticed symptoms are physical

• personality traits like neuroticism can increase symptom awareness and reporting

• anxiety and depression influence how symptoms are experiences and noticed

• genetics also contribute to differences in symptom sensitivity

factors contribute to recognising symptoms

• stress and fatigue

• mood

• external and internal focus

• cultural differences

• prior experiences

stress and fatigue impact on recognising symptoms

• high stress levels leads to heightened awareness of body, ppl can often percieve stress related changes as illness symptom

• stress precipitates or aggravates symptom experience

• symptoms may be real but perception and interpretation may be exagerated

mood affect on symptom recognition

ppl in positive moods report fewer symptoms than ppl in negative moods

internal vs external factors effect on recognition of symptom

individuals can be highly focused on their health or have lots of time to think abt health vs individual who is too busy to notice symptom (miss warning signs)

cultural differences effect on symptom recognition

• taught to pay attention to different symptoms

• ppl will ignore symptoms if they don’t expect them to happen

• cultural variations in emotional response

prior experience related to symptom recognition

ppl who have experiences the symptom before or have family who have the symptom will recognise it faster

medical students disease

situational factors- learning abt disease may suddenly cause you to think you have it

interpreting symptoms

• psychological process

• shaped by cultural, social and psychological factors

• prior experiences with illness and healthcare influence who symptoms are understood

• socio demographic factors

• expectations of illness shap what ppl believe symptoms mean

• percieved seriousness influences whether ppl seek treatment or ignore symptoms

interpreting symptoms: sources of information

lay referral network- friends or family who offer symptom interpretation, can be helpful, may offer home remedies

the internet- online info seeking, tons of health related websites,

cyberchondria- excessive use of health sites, results in heightened anxiety

• ai

artificial intelligence and interpreting symptoms

cognitive representations of health

• individuals hold beliefs abt how diseases work, these schemas influence how quickly they attach meaning and label an abnormal physical or mental change, these schemas develop early in life

• 5 core dimensions

what predicts the use of health services?

biological factors, psychological actors, social factors

biological predictors of health service use

psychological predictors of health service use

sociological predictors of health service use

underuse and overuse of healthcare services

under use of health services- delay behavior

time btwn when person recognises symptom and when person obtains treatment

ex- in canada, wait times cause delay

delaying more common when symptoms do not hurt, do not change and aren’t incapacitating, often treatment is not sought when the symptoms do not provoke alarm

forms of delay behavior

who often delays behavior

overuse of health services

• many physician appointments are usually for psychological and not medical complaints

• somaticizers- those who experience distress and conflict through bodily symptoms, (anxiety can cause digestive issues, sleep issues and SOB, depression can cause lack of apetite and difficulty sleeping)

• sometimes individuals with ACTUAL health issues are often mis assumed that it is anxiety or depression

• shortage of medical healthcare specialists (physical visits are covered but medical care specialists are not)

• hypochondriac- pppl concerned about physical and mental health, they may consider minor symptoms as more serious and want to take care of their health- health anxiety

health anxiety types

health service provider burnout