Health Psychology Exam 2

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Definition of Coping is:

The thoughts and behaviors used to manage the internal and external demands of situations appraised as stressful.

What is Negative Affectivity in regards to Personality and Coping?

A personality trait characterized by the tendency to experience negative emotions such as anxiety, depression, and hostility. It can influence how individuals cope with stress by potentially leading to maladaptive coping strategies.

What is Positive Affectivity in regards to Personality and Coping?

A personality trait characterized by the tendency to experience positive emotions such as joy, enthusiasm, and optimism. It can enhance coping by promoting adaptive strategies and resilience in stressful situations.

Examples of Psychosocial Resources are:

Optimism, Psychological Control, Self-Esteem, Conscientiousness, Self-Confidence, Being smart, Emotional stability.

Definition of resilience is:

Ability to bounce back from negative experiences and adapt to stressful situations.

Resources that promote resilience:

Sense of coherence and purpose about life; Sense of humor and trust in others; Sense that life is worth living; Religious beliefs.

What is the relationship between religious beliefs and health?

Many religions prohibit unhealthy behaviors (tobacco, excessive alcohol use, risky sexual behavior) or teach that the body should be respected and cared for; Provides social support and community involvement; Can promote self-esteem and foster a sense of group identity; Reduces death anxiety; Can increase sense of control.

Definition of coping style is:

Propensity to deal with stressful events in a particular way.

Avoidant coping style is:

Coping by avoiding threat.

Approach coping style is:

Coping by gathering information or directly taking action against threat.

Problem-Focused Coping is:

Attempting to do something constructive about the stressful conditions.

Emotion-Focused coping is:

Regulating emotions experienced due to the stressful event.

Examples of external resources for coping are:

Time, Money, Education, Decent Job, Friends, Family, Standard of living, Presence of positive life events, Absence of other life stressors, SES.

What the main stages of collective coping with tragedy?

Emergency Stage

Inhibition Stage

Adaptation Stage

What is John Henryism?

Prolonged, high-effort active coping with psychosocial environmental stressors.

Examples of successful coping outcomes are:

Improved mental health, reduced stress, enhanced resilience.

Mindfulness Meditation is:

Having a higher awareness of the present; Focusing on the present and accepting it

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy:

Teaches individuals to: Accept the problem, be aware of its occurrence and conditions that cause it, & change behaviors.

Expressive writing is:

Writing to explore and understand emotions and experiences.

Self-Affirmation is:

Technique through which people affirm values that are important to them.

Progressive muscle relaxation is:

Relaxing muscles through tensing and releasing.

What is coping effectiveness training?

Focuses on the following skills: Identifying stressors; Monitoring stress; Identifying stress antecedents; Avoiding negative self-talk; Completing take-home assignments (eg start stress diary); Acquiring skills (learning new stress reduction methods); Setting new goals; Engaging in positive self-talk and self-instruction; Time management and planning; Identifying stress carriers and confronting them

Social support is:

Information from others that is: loved and cared for, valued and esteemed, part of a network of communication and mutual obligations; helps us reduce stress.

Types of social support include:

emotional, instrumental, material, informational

Relationship between social relationships/social support and mortality?

Recent meta-analysis by Hold-Lunstad and Smith suggests that social relationships are an important predictor of longevity and mortality.

How does social support affect cortisol responses:

Decreases cortisol responses to stress.

How do social networks affect immune function:

Improves immune response.

How does social support affect neural activity:

Can reduce pain and activate reward regions in the brain.

What types of behaviors have been linked to oxytocin release?

Involved in affiliation, social contact, proximity, generosity, reproductive behaviors, but also envy, xenophobia, mistrust, gloating.

Direct effects hypothesis is:

Having good social support leads to better health and well-being, regardless of stress levels.

Buffering Hypothesis is:

Social support can protect individuals from the negative effects of stressful events by acting as a buffer against stress.

Examples of ineffective kinds of social support?

Minimizes feelings, offers unsolicited advice, or ignores a person's struggles, leading to feelings of invalidation and isolation.

Examples of effective kinds of social support?

Makes them less stressed or something. (obviously)

The matching hypothesis is:

Individuals are more likely to form relationships with people they perceive as having a similar level of social desirability.

Beneficial support systems are:

The network of individuals, such as friends, family, or professionals, that provide emotional, practical, or informational support, which can significantly impact an individual's mental and physical well-being.

How prevalent is loneliness?

Affects 1 in 4 people and increases the chances of early death by 20%.

Which chronic loneliness interventions are most effective for adults?

Changing social-cognitive biases - Challenging and modifying thought patterns.

Hypochondria is:

Belief that normal bodily symptoms are indicators of illness (illness anxiety disorder)

Cyberchondria is:

Compulsive search for medical information online, often leading to heightened anxiety and worry about one's health.

Role of attentional differences in symptom perception?

People who are focused on themselves are quicker to notice symptoms; People with more distractions and who attend less to themselves experience fewer symptoms.

Role of stress in symptom perception?

Stress related physiological changes are interpreted as symptoms of illness.

Some causes of problems in patient –provider communication are:

Innattentiveness, Overuse of medical jargon, Depersonalization, Poor health literacy/education, Under-reporting symptoms (denial) or over-reporting symptoms (eg, due to neuroticism).

Recommended strategies for improving patient –provider communication are:

Listen, Use clear, jargon free explanations, Repeat instructions, Write down instructions, Single out and clarify unclear stuff.

Commonsense model of illness is defined as:

A set of beliefs held by people about their symptoms and illnesses. Results in organized illness representations.

Parts of the commonsense model of illness are:

Identity, Causes, Timeline, Consequences, Control/Cure

A lay referral network is:

A network of family and friends who offer their own interpretations of symptoms before the treatment is sought.

Stages of delay in seeking treatment for symptoms are:

Appraisal delay, Illness delay, Behavioral delay, Medical delay,

Appraisal delay:

Time taken to decide that a symptom is serious

Illness delay:

Time between the recognition that a symptom implies an illness and the decision to seek treatment.

Behavioral delay:

Time between deciding to seek treatment and actually doing so

Medical delay:

Time that elapses between the persons calling for an appointment and his or her receiving appropriate medical care.

Causes of delay in seeking treatment for symptoms include:

No regular contact with a physician, people who are phobic about medical services.

Criteria used to compare healthcare systems:

1. Costs

2. Health Outcomes

3. Quality of Care

4. Social Justice issues

5. Medical Performance

Chronic Illness is defined as:

a disease lasting 3 months or more.

Examples of Chronic Illnesses are:

heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, cancer, asthma, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, hearing loss, etc

The top two leading causes of death in the U.S. are:

Heart Disease & Cancer (Both are chronic illnesses)

Quality of life measures is defined as:

Assessments measure the extent to which a patients normal life activities have been compromised ny disease and treatment.

Components of quality of life measures are:

Physical functioning, Psychological status, Social Functioning, Disease - or treatment-related symptoms.

Physical functioning:

ability to walk, dress oneself

Psychological status:

symptoms of anxiety,, depression; effective coping.

Social Functioning:

quality of close relationships; social support.

Disease - or treatment-related symptoms

level of pain, symptom management

Common emotional responses to chronic illness:

denial, depression, anxiety

Denial:

Defense mechanism by which people avoid the implications of an illness; interferes with absorption of treatment information and compromises health.

Anxiety:

Patients become overwhelmed by potential changes in their lives and/or the prospect of death; interferes with treatment.

Depression:

Complicates treatment adherence and medical decision making.

Self-Concept:

Stable set of beliefs about one’s personal qualities.

Body image:

Perception and evaluation of one’s physical functioning and appearance.

Self-Esteem:

An individual's overall positive or negative evaluation of their own worth.

Strategies commonly used by cancer patients are:

Social support/direct problem-solving; Distancing; Positive focus; Cognitive escape/avoidance

Cognitive Escape:

Involves disengaging or staying away from a stressful situation and its behavioral and cognitive/emotional consequences.

Behavioral Escape:

Using specific actions or behaviors to avoid or escape situations, thoughts, or feelings that are distressing or uncomfortable.

Flexible Coping is:

Strategy that adjusts to the situation - ie., problem solving for controllable events, emotion-focused coping for uncontrollable events.

Common positive emotional changes in response to chronic illness are:

Experiencing positive reactions/optimism, inspiration to act now instead of postponing it, acquiring more empathy and compassion, feeling stronger and more self-assured.

Examples of psychological interventions for patients with chronic illness:

Relaxation, stress management, and exercise. Other examples include: Commitment therapy (ACT) and MBSR.

How does individual therapy for patients with chronic illness differs from therapy with clients who do not have chronic illness?

Therapy addresses chronic illness-specific challenges.

Coronary heart disease is defined as:

Illness caused by atherosclerosis, which is defined as the narrowing of coronary arteries.

Risk factors associated with CHD:

High LDL Cholesterol; High blood pressure; Elevated levels of inflammation; Diabetes; Cigarette smoking; Obesity; Lack of Exercise; All of these can contribute to CHD or other heart diseases.

Metabolic Syndrome is defined as:

A group of medical conditions that increases the risk of heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes.

Symptoms of Metabolic Syndrome is:

High blood pressure, high blood sugar, high triglycerides, low HDL cholesterol (“good” cholesterol), and central obesity (excess belly fat).

Metabolic Syndrome is a risk factor for:

Coronary heart disease (CHD).

How does a myocardial infarction (heart attack) happen?

Plaque builds up and narrows arteries

Plaque ruptures, blood clot forms

Blood flow is interrupted, heart attack or cardiac death follows.

Role of stress in the development of coronary heart disease:

Stress can damage endothelial cells, increase heart rate and blood pressure via the sympathetic nervous system, impair parasympathetic recovery, and link to CHD events.

Differences between men and women with respect to the development of coronary heart disease:

Women develop heart disease later than men; Estrogen prevents early onset of CHD

Why are depression and coronary heart disease linked?

Depression affects the development, progression of, and mortality from CHD.

What are some of the psychosocial aspects involved in the management of heart disease?

Social support and positive focus can help mitigate stress, anxiety, and depression, which contribute to making heart disease worse.

Hypertension is defined as:

high blood pressure

Systolic Blood Pressure is defined as:

pressure in the arteries during the contraction of the heart muscle (ideally less than 120)

Diastolic blood pressure is defined as:

pressure in the arteries when the heart is relaxed (ideally less than 80)

Primary risk factors for hypertension are:

90% of unknown origin, 5% by failure of the kidneys

A stroke is:

Results from a disturbance in blood flow to the brain.

Primary causes of a stroke are:

Blood flow to localized areas of the brain is interrupted leading to cerebral hemorrhage.

Risk factors for a stroke are:

High blood pressure

Heart disease

Cigarette smoking

High red blood cell count

Transient ischemic attacks

Negative emotions

Sudden change in posture to a startling event

Psychological distress

Warning signs of a stroke:

FAST Acronym. Face drooping, Arm weakness, Speech difficulties, and Time to call 911.

Type 2 Diabetes is defined as:

A metabolic disorder in which the body becomes incapable of manufacturing or properly using insulin. Disease of lifestyle.

Symptoms of Type 2 Diabetes:

Frequent urination, fatigue, frequent infection of the skin/gums/urinary system, pain or cramps in legs/feet/fingers, slow healing of cuts/bruises, intense itching/drowsiness, impotence.

Having Type 2 Diabetes increases the risk of:

CHD, Blindness, Kidney Failure, Foot ulcers, Eating disorders, Nervous system damage, Alzheimer’s disease, Vascular dementia, Difficulties in sexual functioning, Risk for depression, Cognitive dysfunction, risk of heart attack and stroke.

What is psychoneuroimmunology (PNI)?

The study of the interactions between psychological experiences, the activity of the brain and that of the immune system (nervous system, endocrine system, immune system); started in 1975 by Robert Ader and Nicholas Cohen in University of Rochester.

(Just remember it as psychology + neurology + immunology, 3 in 1; how all 3 affect each other)

What are the main functions of the immune system?

Distinguishes between what is self and what is foreign; Attacks and rids the body of foreign invaders.

Innate (nonspecific) immunity is:

Provides generalized defense against pathogens. Made up of Macrophages, Neutrophils, Natural killer (NK) cells.