1. Promoting Health Promoting health is generally defined as the absence of disease. We only think of health when we are diseased. However, health psychologists say that promoting health begins by preventing illness and enhancing well-being, which is a constant endeavor.

2. Coping with Stress Alleviating stress using emotional, cognitive, or behavioral methods

3. Coping Coping refers to active efforts to master, reduce, or tolerate the demands created by stress. These may involve: Giving up and blaming oneself (learned helplessness – passive behavior produced by exposure to unavoidable aversive events) Striking out at others aggressively (usually the result of frustration…Dollard’s frustration- aggression hypothesis) Self-indulgement (eating, drinking, smoking, shopping) Defensive coping (erecting defense mechanisms), Constructive coping (realistically appraising situations and confronting problems directly).

4. The Two Main Coping Methods Problem-Focused Coping: Reducing stress directly by changing the events that cause stress reactions or by changing the way we react to those events. Emotion-Focused Coping: We put distance between ourselves and the stressor. We respond by attending to our own emotional needs. We do this when we believe (rightly or wrongly) that we cannot change a stressful situation.

5. Perceived Control Perceived Control: A perceived lack of control over stressors leads to elevated stress hormones This elevation in stress hormones is a predictor of health problems like bacterial infections, cardiovascular disease, and a shorter life span. Figure 14.11 Health consequences of a loss of control Myers: Psychology, Eighth Edition Copyright © 2007 by Worth Publishers

6. Explanatory Style Explanatory Style: Refers to a pessimistic or optimistic “explanatory style” about the future Optimists tend to feel that they have more control over stressors, cope better w/ stressful events, enjoy better moods, have stronger immune systems, and live longer than pessimists Laughter (not sarcasm) may reduce stress and strengthen the immune system

7. Perceived Control and Optimism at Work in The Shawshank Redemption Brooks, the prison librarian, is paroled after 50 years at Shawshank. Instead of welcoming this news, Brooks is distraught and threatens to slit a fellow inmate’s throat just so he can stay. Finally released, he experiences total loss of control over his environment. Unsuccessful even as a grocery bagger, he commits suicide. The scene immediately shifts to Andy, who back at Shawshank has been writing the state legislature each week for support of a new prison library. His years of letter-writing have paid off with a check and new books. Even in this dehumanizing setting he still has control of his fate. Relishing his success he violates prison rules when he plays a classic recording, one of his new acquisitions, over the prison loudspeakers. After two weeks in solitary, his sense of personal control and optimism remain undimmed. Over the dinner table with his fellow inmates, he gushes hope, claiming that “We need it so we don’t forget... that there are places in the world that aren’t made out of stone, that there’s something inside that they can’t get to, that they can’t touch. It’s yours.” As the text indicates, those who perceive control over their environment experience much less stress and experience a greater sense of wellbeing. Brooks and Andy show very different responses to their environments.

8. Social Support Supportive family members, marriage partners, close friends, and pets help people cope with stressful events Fosters stronger immune functioning, calms the cardiovascular system, lowers blood pressure Happily married people live longer Good marriage at age 50 predicts healthy aging better than low cholesterol Talking about traumatic events may at first be arousing, but in the long run is calming

9. Lashing out at others with verbal aggression tends to be an ineffective coping tactic that often backfires, creating additional stress.

10. Managing Stress Aerobic Exercise Biofeedback, Relaxation, and Meditation Spirituality and Faith Communities

11. Aerobic Exercise Can aerobic exercise boost spirits? Many studies suggest that aerobic exercise can elevate mood and well-being because it raises energy levels, increases self- confidence, lowers tension, and may alleviate depression and anxiety It has been linked to lowering blood pressure, increasing arousal, increasing levels of neurotransmitters that boost moods, enhanced cognitive abilities, even growth of new brain cells (in mice)

12. Biofeedback, Relaxation, and Meditation Biofeedback is a system for electronically recording, amplifying and feeding back information regarding a subtle physiological state, such as blood pressure or muscle tension. Biofeedback can allow a person to take control over how their body responds to stress. Relaxation and meditation have similar effects in reducing tension and anxiety.

13. Spirituality and Faith Communities Regular religious attendance has been a reliable predictor of a longer life span with a reduced risk of dying. Religiously active people have healthier life styles (smoking and drinking less) Faith communities often function as social support networks and often encourage marriage Religious attendance may enhance feelings of positive emotions (hope and optimism) and decrease feelings of stress and anxiety Investigators suggest there are three factors that connect religious involvement and better health.

14. Spirituality & Faith Communities Regular religious attendance has been a reliable predictor of a longer life span with a reduced risk of dying.

15. Modifying Illness Related Behaviors Type A Personality Smoking Obesity and Weight Control

16. Life-Style Modification Modifying a Type-A lifestyle may reduce the recurrence of heart attacks. Ghislain and Marie David De Lossy/ Getty Images Figure 12.33 Recurrent heart attacks and life-style modification Myers: Psychology, Ninth Edition Copyright © 2010 by Worth Publishers

17. Smoking 1.3 billion smokers  5 million a year die of smoking related illnesses 50% of life long smokers will die from it, and death is usually painful and premature A smoker’s life is shortened by about 12 mins. per cigarette Philip Morris has argued that increase health care costs are off-set by early mortality (pensions, elderly housing, etc.) Figure 14.20 Premature deaths per 100,000 Canadians who were smoking by age 15 Myers: Psychology, Eighth Edition Copyright © 2007 by Worth Publishers

18. Why Do Smokers Start, and Why Don’t They Stop? Why do smokers start? Almost all smokers started in adolescence Social rewards Cigarette companies target adolescents w/ advertising Most have friends that smoke Why do smokers not stop? Nicotine is as addictive as heroine and cocaine Withdrawal symptoms: craving, insomnia, anxiety, and irritability Nicotine is reinforcing: takes 7 seconds to reach the bloodstream Triggers the release of epinephrine and norepinephrine Calms anxiety, reduces sensitivity to pain

19. Modifying Illness Related Behaviors How to help smokers quit Set a quit date Inform family and friends Remove all cigs. Review successful strategies from previous attempts Patch or gum Avoid places others are likely to smoke Exercise

20. Modifying Illness Related Behaviors How to help young people not start Provide info about the effects Educate young people about the influence of peers, parents, and the media Use modeling and role-playing to train young people in refusal skills Raising taxes on cigarettes also effectively cuts consumption

21. Figure 13.12: The prevalence of smoking in the United States. This graph shows how the percentage of U.S. adults who smoke has declined steadily since the mid-1960s. Although considerable progress has been made, smoking still accounts for a huge number of premature deaths each year. (Based on data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

22. Figure 13.13: Quitting smoking and health risk. Research suggests that various types of health risks associated with smoking decline gradually after people give up tobacco. The data shown here, from the U.S. Surgeon General’s (1990) report on smoking, illustrate the overall effects on mortality rates. (Based on data from U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 1990)

23. Figure 14.23 Biopsychosocial approach to studying smoking behavior Myers: Psychology, Eighth Edition Copyright © 2007 by Worth Publishers

24. Obesity (A Review) Obesity and Weight Control Having a body that can store fat and use it during times of famine was an adaptive trait for our ancestors Today it is maladaptive Lack of exercise and the abundance of high calorie food has led to high rates of obesity (BMI 30) Variety of health risks Social effects of obesity Weight discrimination in employment (especially women), romantic relationships, and family interaction Bias sometimes extends to those seen w/ an obese person

25. Obesity (A Review) Heredity vs. Environment in determining body weight Studies of twins and adopted children indicate that being overweight is at least in part an inherited trait Genes influence body weight, they do not determine it (some people are genetically pre- disposed to have more and larger fat cells) Individuals also differ in resting metabolic rates Environmental factors also matter (diet, exercise) Genes determine why one man is heavier than another, environment determines why one man is heavier than his grandfather

26. Modifying Illness Related Behaviors Losing Weight Participants in structured weight loss programs experience a high failure rate (misleading: may not have been unable to help themselves before the program) Surveys indicate 25-60% who were once overweight were able to lose weight and keep it off for at least a year and some longer Some realize that obesity is not a matter of willpower and accept their weight

27. Modifying Illness Related Behaviors Ways to improve chances of losing weight Begin a weight loss program only when feeling motivated and self-disciplined Minimize exposure to tempting food cues Boost energy expenditure through exercise Set realistic and moderate goals Eat healthy foods Space small meals throughout the day Forgive yourself (rather than give up) if you have a lapse Remember that occasional lapses will occur when you are making changes to life-long eating patterns

28. Review

29. Figure 14.19 Managing stress Myers: Psychology, Eighth Edition Copyright © 2007 by Worth Publishers

30. Figure 14.33 A biopsychosocial approach to health Myers: Psychology, Eighth Edition Copyright © 2007 by Worth Publishers

31. Fig. 13-16, p. 541