What is Health and What is Health Psychology
- Slides: 16
What is Health and What is Health Psychology Chapter 1
Current Western Conception • Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity
What is Health Psychology? • The study of individual behaviors and lifestyles affecting a person’s physical health. – Disease prevention and Treatment – Identification of risks – System improvement – Shaping opinion
Why Do This? • Changing Patterns of Disease and Death • Escalating Costs of Health Care • Evolving View of Health
Leading causes of death, United States, 1900.
Leading causes of death, United States, 2000
Per capita health expenditures, U. S. , 1960 to 1998.
Estimated Contributions of Different Factors to Health Status
Evolving view of Health/Disease • Past Conceptualizations of Health • Medical Model • Biopsychosocial Approach • Public Health Model
Health Through History
Medical Model • Disease is organic – Began with ancient Greeks • Humoral Theory – Solidified w/Germ Theory (Pasteur, 1860 s) • Single cause • Health is the absence of disease • Physical treatments are optimal
Biopsychosocial Model
Public Health Model AGENT HOST AGENT – Viruses, Germs, Drugs, Alcohol, Toxins HOST – The Individual. Genetic and Developmental Factors ENVIRONMENT – The Context. Access, exposure, norms, laws
Example – HIV/AIDS • AGENT – HIV Virus • HOST – Homosexual males. Injection Drug User • ENVIRONMENT – Norms supporting unprotected sex. Type of sex. Lack of access to clean needles.
Example - Cancer • AGENT – Environmental toxins. Cigarette smoke • HOST – Genetic make-up. Suppression of emotion. Dietary practice. Smoker. • ENVIRONMENT – Regulations. Taxes. Norms about smoking.
Disciplines within Health Psychology • Psychosomatic Medicine – Organized as a field in 1930’s • Medicine – Examines the relationship between emotions and illness • Behavioral Medicine – 1970’s • Interdisciplinary – Rooted in learning theory – Focus is on behavior contributions to medical illness • Behavioral Health – Prevention focused – Behavioral contribution to health and illness prevention