Using Health Services

Dec 9, in class, online, everything from after midterm + all major models

Recognizing Symptoms: Individual Differences

Hypochondriacs: believe normal bodily symptoms are indicators of illness; neurortisim: people either exaggerate their symptoms or are more attentive to real symptoms

Recognizing Symptoms: Attentional Differences

People who are focused on themselves can notice symptoms quicker; people with more distractions experience fewer symptoms

Recognizing Symptoms: Situational Influences

Boring situations make people more attentive to their symtoms

Medical Students’ Disease

People believe they are ill with the same illness they are studying about

Recognizing Symptoms: Stress and Mood

Stress related changes are interpreted as symptoms of illness (difficulty breathing, sweaty); Negative emotions amplify symptoms

Interpretation of Symptoms: Prior Experience

Common disorders (anxiety) are regarded as less serious than rare disorders; lacks serious judgment

Interpretation of Symptoms: Expectations

Unexpected symptoms (hurt ankle while you have a cold) are ignored, and expected symptoms are amplified

Interpretation of Symptoms: Seriousness of the Symptoms

Treatment is sought only when the symptom affects a highly valued organ and/or limits mobility (back pain causing you to not walk/drive

Commonsense Model

People hold implicit commonsense beliefs about their symptoms and illnesses

Identity - name of illness

Causes - factors believed to have led to the illness

Consequences - symptoms, treatments, and their implications for quality of life (you know you will get better after a couple of days, so you don’t seek treatment from doctor)

Timeline - length of time the illness is expected to last

Control/cure - belief that the illness can be managed or cured

Coherence - how well these beliefs represent the disorder

Lay Referral Network

Family and friends who offer their own interpretations of symptoms before any treatment is sought

Who uses Health Services

Age - infants and the elderly

Gender - Women (pregnancy/childbirth, better homeostatic mechanisms, medical care is more fragmented, men are expected to ignore pain/not give into illness)

Socioeconomic resources - lower social classes use it LESS than higher classes

Parental Modeling - children learn how to use health services from their parents

Emotional Disturbance in Health Services Use

Physical symptoms mask psychological issues - person is complaining of tension headaches every evening (bad posture/dehydration)… but it is actually because of high stress and emotional burnout

Medical complaints are seen as more legitimate - people are more likely to believe complaints about a headache/stomach issues than complaints about anxiety/stress

Delay Behavior

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 person’s calling for an appointment and their receiving appropriate medical care

Delays common with ambiguous (unclear) symptoms, no regular provider (no primary doctor), fear (of bad news, costs, judgement)