Definition Health Psychology The study of psychological process in health, illness and health care

Alemeda Health Practices 7 or 8 hours sleep eating breakfast never smoker no snacking near correct weight moderate or no use of alcohol regular physical activity

Basic Reading This course is not organised around a textbook. I shall refer primarily to material in journals. Also consult basic health psychology texts such as EP Sarafino 2002 Health Psychology: biopsychosocial interactions (4 th Edition) S Taylor (2003) Health Psychology (5 th Edition) The is also an excellent by old book on the topic A Steptoe (1981) Psychological factors in cardiovascular disorders. Steptoe has also written a very good chapter on “Psychophysiological bases of disease” in Johnston & Johnston, Health Psychology, volume 8 of Bellack & Hersen Comprehensive Clinical Psychology

Cardiovascular measures Heart Rate (HR): Number of cardiac cycles per minute Systolic Blood Pressure (SBP): Maximum blood pressure in a cardiac cycle Diasystolic Blood Pressure (DBP): Minimum blood pressure in a cardiac cycle Mean Arterial Pressure (MAP): Average blood pressure over a cardiac cycle

Cardiovascular measures (cont.) Stroke Volume (SV): Amount of blood pumped in a cardiac cycle Cardiac Output (CO): Amount of blood pumped in unit of time CO = SV x HR Total Peripheral Resistance (TPR): The total resistance in circulatory system to the flow of blood. MAP= CO x TPR

Autonomic Nervous System- seriously simplified Sympathetic Nervous System - quite diffuse Neurotransmitter Noradrenaline ReceptorsAdrenoreceptors Beta - Heart - Increase HR & Contractility Alpha - Smooth Muscle (e.g, vasculature) - contract small blood vessels Parasympathetic Nervous System- quite specific Neurotransmitter acetylcholine Receptorscholinergic Heart- slows heart rate, minor effect on Contractility

Effects of Cortisol Neuron Enhanced catecholamine synthesis Hippocampus Enhanced memory function Thalamus Increased sensitivity to incoming stimuli Adrenoreceptors Enhanced receptor sensitivity Adrenulla Medulla Enhanced catecholamine synthesis Immune system Enhanced & inhibited Glucose Enhanced production Fatty acid Enhanced liberation Kidney Water diuresis & sodium retention