Copyright © 1999 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. 15 Health Psychology: Stress, Coping, and Health

Copyright © 1999 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. 2 Health Psychology: Stress, Coping, and Health n Health psychology –the branch of psychology that investigates the psychological factors related to wellness and illness, including the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of medical problems

Copyright © 1999 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. 3 Stress and Coping n What is stress, how does it affect us, and how can we best cope with it? n Stress –the response to events that are threatening or challenging

Copyright © 1999 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. 4 Stress and Coping n Psychoneuroimmunology (PNI) –the study of the relationship among psychological factors, the immune system, and the brain n Psychophysiological disorders –medical problems caused by an interaction of psychological, emotional, and physical difficulties

Copyright © 1999 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. 5 The General Adaptation Syndrome Model n General adaptation syndrome (GAS) –Alarm and mobilization stage become aware of the stressor –Resistance stage preparation to fight the stressor –Exhaustion stage negative consequences of stress appear

Copyright © 1999 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. 6 Categorizing Stressors n Cataclysmic events –strong stressors that occur suddenly, affecting many people at once n Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) –a phenomenon in which victims of major catastrophes re-experience the original stress event and associated feelings in vivid flashbacks or dreams

Copyright © 1999 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. 7 Categorizing Stressors n Personal Stressors –major life events that have immediate negative consequences that generally fade with time n Background stressors –everyday annoyances that cause minor irritations but have no long-term ill effects n Uplifts –minor positive events that make one feel good

Copyright © 1999 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. 8 Learned Helplessness n Learned helplessness –a state in which people conclude that unpleasant or aversive stimuli cannot be controlled –a view of the world that becomes so ingrained that they cease trying to remedy the aversive circumstances, even if they actually can exert some influence

Copyright © 1999 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. 9 Coping with Stress n Coping –the efforts to control, reduce, or learn to tolerate the threats that lead to stress n Defense mechanisms –emotional insulation person stops experiencing any emotions at all

Copyright © 1999 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. 10 Coping with Stress n Emotion-focused coping –characterized by the conscious regulation of emotion in which people seek to change the way they feel or perceive the problem n Problem-focused coping –attempts to change the stressful problem or source of the stress

Copyright © 1999 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. 11 Coping with Stress n Hardiness –a personality characteristic associated with a lower rate of stress-related illness commitment challenge control n Social support –a mutual network of caring, interested others

Copyright © 1999 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. 12 Psychological Aspects of Major Health Problems n How do psychological factors affect such health-related problems as coronary heart disease, cancer, and smoking?

Copyright © 1999 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. 13 The A’s and B’s of Coronary Heart Disease n Type A behavior pattern –characterized by competitiveness, impatience, tendency toward frustration, and hostility n Type B behavior pattern –characterized by noncompetitiveness, nonaggression, and patience in times of potential stress

Copyright © 1999 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. 14 Psychological Aspects of Cancer

Copyright © 1999 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. 15 Smoking n Preparation a relatively positive attitude about the habit n Initiation adolescent “right of passage” n Becoming a smoker people consider themselves smokers n Maintaining the smoking habit smoking becomes routine

Copyright © 1999 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. 16

Copyright © 1999 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. 17 Psychological Factors Related to Physical Illness n Physician-patient communication –patients’ reluctance to describe their symptoms to their physicians social prestige of physicians material may be too technical for patients patients construct their own theories cultural values and expectations contribute

Copyright © 1999 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. 18 Complying with Physician’s Orders n Forms of patient noncompliance –Creative noncompliance patients adjust a treatment prescribed by a physician –reactance a disagreeable emotional and cognitive reaction that results from the restriction of one’s freedom and that can be associated with medical regimens