The Healthy Life
Authors
- Emily Hooker and Sarah Pressman
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, University of California, Irvine
Introduction
- Emotions, thoughts, and behaviors significantly impact health.
- Health psychology: Study of psychological and health connections.
- Topics include stress, psychosocial factors, improving health through psychology, and psychology's role in medicine.
Learning Objectives
- Describe basic health psychology terminology.
- Explain health theoretical models and psychological stress's role in disease.
- Identify psychological factors contributing to resilience and health.
- Highlight psychology's importance in medicine.
What Is Health Psychology?
- Chronic diseases like coronary heart disease (CHD) are major health threats.
- Psychological factors play a role in disease progression, patient behavior, and symptoms.
- Health psychology is an interdisciplinary field focused on maintaining health and preventing/treating illness.
- Biopsychosocial Model of Health: Biology, psychology, and social factors are crucial in disease development.
Stress and Health
- Stress significantly influences physical health and disease likelihood.
- Studies show stress levels predict disease susceptibility (e.g., common cold).
- Both major stressors and daily hassles can impact health by altering physiological responses.
- Stress origins and concepts: Hans Selye's stressor and General Adaptation Syndrome.
Protecting Our Health
Factors:
- Coping
- Problem-focused vs. Emotion-focused coping.
- Appropriateness of coping style depends on the situation.
- Control and Self-Efficacy
- Control belief and self-efficacy improve health outcomes.
- Studies show perceived control benefits health and longevity.
- Social Relationships
- Social integration and support are crucial for health and longevity.
- Dispositions and Emotions
- Negative traits like hostility linked to health risks.
- Positive emotions and optimism linked to better health outcomes.
Stress Management
- Stress management techniques: relaxation activities, meditation, biofeedback.
- Exercise as an effective stress reduction method.
The Importance of Good Health Practices
- College students face challenges in balancing health, grades, and social life.
- Positive health practices improve stress coping and immune function.
- Health behaviors significantly affect academic performance and future health.
Psychology and Medicine
- Psychological factors influence medical outcomes.
- Internet use for health information is growing, with mixed impacts on healthcare decisions.
- Adherence to medical recommendations is crucial for treatment success.
- New technologies aid in monitoring and improving treatment adherence.
Being a Health Psychologist
- Clinical health psychologists work in various settings and collaborate with other professionals.
- They focus on evaluating and creating comprehensive treatment strategies.
- Health psychologists conduct research and develop health interventions.
The Future of Health Psychology
- Emphasis on prevention and resilience alongside traditional healthcare.
- Positive Health: Study of factors promoting above-average health.
- Advances in technology and mobile apps for health monitoring and interventions.
- Health psychologists play a vital role in developing public health strategies.
Additional Resources
- Links to apps, quizzes, assessments, and professional organizations related to health psychology.
Discussion Questions
- Psychological factors contributing to health.
- Psychosocial constructs protecting against stress.
- Interventions to improve resilience.
- Doctors' use of health psychology research.
- Role of clinical health psychologists in public health.
Vocabulary
- Definitions of key terms used throughout the module (e.g., adherence, control, stress, resilience, etc.).
This summary captures the main themes and insights from the module on health psychology, highlighting the complex relationship between psychological factors and health outcomes.