Week 10: Health, Stress, & Coping

Defining Health and Illness

  • Health: Defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, not just the absence of disease.

  • Illness: The presence of a physical or mental disease or impairment, which affects a person's overall health.

  • Reflection: It's important to consider how you rate your own health, taking personal experiences into account.

Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQOL)

  • Functioning Aspects:

    • Self-care capabilities: The ability to perform basic personal care and maintain independence.

    • Role performance in society: How well an individual can engage in activities like work, school, or caregiving.

    • Social interactions and engagement: The extent of social involvement and quality of relationships with others.

  • Well-Being Aspects:

    • Emotional well-being: The overall state of emotional health including happiness and mental stability.

    • Experience of pain and discomfort: Recognizing how pain affects daily life and overall quality of life.

    • Levels of energy and fatigue: Evaluating one's energy levels and how fatigue influences daily functioning.

Health Psychology

  • Focus:

    • Examines how human behavior and decision-making influence health and overall well-being.

  • Significance:

    • A crucial and expanding field responding to premature deaths linked to lifestyle choices, gaining importance in the 20th and 21st centuries.

  • Key Lifestyle Factors:

    • Tobacco use: Linked to respiratory diseases and cancers.

    • Alcohol consumption: Alcohol-related health issues and addiction.

    • Obesity: Increasing prevalence leading to health complications like diabetes and heart disease.

    • Inactivity: Sedentary lifestyles impacting physical health.

To What Degree Does Behavior Affect Health?

  • Daily choices impact physical and mental health (diet, exercise, relaxation).

  • Some individuals smoke, while others avoid smoking environments.

  • Career choices also influence health; different professions have varying stress levels.

  • The concept of "choice" can be limited for some due to lack of resources, negatively affecting health.

  • Health psychologists study the relationship between behavior, health, and well-being, including the effects of gut bacteria on mental health.

Approaches to Health and Illness

  • Biomedical Model:

    • Focuses primarily on biological factors as the main causes of disease and illness, often neglecting psychological and social components.

  • Biopsychosocial Model:

    • Integrates biological, psychological, and social factors into a comprehensive understanding of health, used by health professionals for better patient care.

Health Issues – Cancer

  • Cancer Statistics:

    • Leading cause of death in Canada with increasing incidence rates.

  • Risk Factors:

    • Unhealthy diets, smoking, excessive alcohol use, and risky sexual behavior contribute to higher cancer risks.

  • Coping Strategies:

    • Managing cancer involves integrating medical treatments with strategies aimed at preserving or improving quality of life.

Health Issues – AIDS

  • Disease Overview:

    • Acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) is caused by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

  • HIV Impact:

    • HIV attacks the immune system, increasing vulnerability to infections and other diseases.

  • Treatment:

    • Includes Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART), education for prevention, psychotherapy, and supportive medications.

Lifestyle and Health - Smoking

  • Nicotine:

    • A highly addictive substance significantly impacting public health.

  • Health Effects:

    • Strongly linked to diseases such as lung cancer and heart disease.

  • Statistics:

    • Smokers often experience a reduced life expectancy of 7-14 years compared to non-smokers.

  • Trends:

    • While traditional cigarette smoking has declined, vaping has become more prevalent, especially among youth.

  • Health Consequences:

    • Smoking causes serious health issues, including lung, mouth, and throat cancer, heart disease, and pulmonary diseases.

    • 21% of deaths in Canada attributed to smoking-related illnesses.

    • Life expectancy for smokers is 7-14 years shorter than non-smokers.

    • Quitting by age 30 significantly reduces the risk of smoking-related cancers, critical for young adults.

  • Prevention Efforts:

    • Laws banning smoking in public places.

    • High taxes on tobacco products.

    • Graphic warning labels on cigarette packages were found more effective than text-only warnings.

  • Cues and Behavior: Nicotine addiction leads many to smoke despite awareness of its dangers. External cues can trigger cravings even in individuals wishing to quit.

Lifestyle and Health – Obesity

  • Current Statistics:

    • Approximately 27% of Canadians are classified as obese, indicating a growing public health concern.

  • Health Consequences:

    • Obesity is linked to increased risks for cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and other chronic health conditions.

  • Weight Management Factors:

    • Influenced by Body Mass Index (BMI), genetic predispositions, and energy balance (caloric intake vs. expenditure).

  • Many college students experience the "freshman 15," gaining an average of 2.7 kg (6 lbs) due to poor dietary choices, decreased physical activity, and increased alcohol intake.

  • Defining Healthy Weight: Body Mass Index (BMI) is a useful tool to categorize weight based on height; 18.5-24.9 is considered healthy.

  • Genetics Influence: Genetics account for a significant portion of body weight variation, interacting with environmental factors and lifestyle choices.

Sedentary Lifestyle

  • Television watching correlates with obesity; increased viewing hours lead to higher obesity rates.

Social Factors

  • Family and sociocultural influences significantly affect eating habits; advertisements can lead to poor food choices.

Psychology and Weight Loss

  • Psychological strategies can aid weight loss; positive self-image and mindfulness relate to healthier eating habits and stress reduction.

Psychosocial Influences on Health

  • Social Contagion: This is when people in a social group influence each other's behaviors and feelings, causing certain health habits to spread. For example, if friends eat healthily, others in the group are likely to eat well too.

  • Stress from poverty and discrimination is linked with higher rates of mental health issues.

  • Social Connectivity: Strong interpersonal relationships promote resilience and better health; chronic social isolation poses significant health risks.

  • Social Resilience: The ability of individuals or communities to adapt and cope with challenges and adversity through their social networks. It emphasizes how relationships can help in recovering from difficulties and maintaining well-being.

  • Marriage has shown positive long-term health benefits; recognized same-sex marriages also provide similar benefits.

Stress and Performance

  • Stress Responses: Stress can both help and hinder performance; moderate stress can enhance motivation.

  • Physiological Effects: The body reacts to stress through the sympathetic nervous system and HPA axis, releasing hormones like cortisol.

  • Coping with Stress: People use problem-focused or emotion-focused coping strategies depending on the stressor.

Positive Psychology and Resilience

  • Positive emotions can improve coping abilities and creativity.

  • Optimism fosters constructive views on challenges, while pessimism can lead to a negative outlook.

  • Resilience is the capacity to recover from adversity; individuals with supportive resources tend to be more resilient.

Meditation and Relaxation Techniques

  • Meditation helps manage stress; mindfulness practices have shown benefits for anxiety reduction and overall health.

  • Exercise Benefits: Physical activity boosts cognitive performance and supports emotional well-being through the release of beneficial neurotransmitters.

Perceived Control

  • Lack of control over events can lead to health issues; those with a sense of control experience better health outcomes.

  • Understanding events and having clear information can alleviate anxiety, exemplified in medical contexts.


Negative Affectivity:

  • Definition: A personality trait where individuals often experience negative emotions like anxiety, depression, and hostility.

  • Impact on Health: Those with high negative affectivity may have a greater risk for stress-related health issues and mental disorders, affecting their overall health and quality of life.

  • Social Interactions: High negative affectivity can lead to more conflict in relationships and reduce social support, which can worsen health outcomes.