Health Psychology

21 830 424

Spring, 2014

Professor Kent Harber

Readings and Materials

Text: Health Psychology, 7th Ed., Taylor, S.E.

NJ Books, 167 University Ave.

Reader: Affordable Copies, 55 Halsey St.

PowerPoint Slides:

nwkpsych.rutgers.edu/~kharber/healthpsychology/

Health Psychology Defined

“Health psychology is devoted to understanding psychological influences on how people stay healthy, why they become ill, and how they respond when they get ill”. Taylor, p. 3

What are “Psychological Influences”?

What is “Health”?

Emotions Social RelationsThoughts StressControl over thoughts and feelings Personality/TemperamentHabits of action Communication

Disease free

Symptom free

Injury free

Physical well-being

Mental well-being

World Health Organization (WHO) Definition of Health

“A complete state of physical, mental, and social well being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”.

Mind-Body Problem

Are mind and body separate things?

Are they one united thing?

History of Health

Era World View Knowledge Methods

Theories Mind/Body Beliefs

Tools and Treatments

Pre historic(up to 2000 BCE)

Nature is mysterious, dangerous, shaped by the supernatural.

ObservationOral traditionFaith-based

Spirit world Mind and body are inter-connected

herbs, poultices,trephination

Greeks & Romans600 BCE to 300 CE

World is ordered and rational

ObservationLogicAssociation

Categories and elementsHumoral theory

Mind and body are interconnected:

Potions, herbs, diet

Dark/Middle Ages400 CE to 1500 CE

World a battle between good and evil.

Bible God's will, satanic influence

Mind and body are interconnected

Torture, prayer

Modern Era1700 to present

World ordered, knowable; separation of rational / spiritual.Dualism

Empiricism Cellular,mechanistic

Mind and body are separate

Modern medicines;microscopes, scanners, X-Ray

Bodies are Beautiful, Sexy, Lovely, Scary, Creepy, Ugly Nasty Things!!!

Pre-Science World: Wonders and Terrors

We Are So Beyond Superstition

Limitations on Pre-Science Understanding of Health

Pre-science medicine lacked basic tools for seeing, recording, measuring.

Trephination

International Trephination Advocacy Group (ITAG)

The hypothesis here at ITAG has been that making a opening in the skull favorably alters movement of blood through the brain and improves brain functions which are more important than ever before in history to adapt to an ever more rapidly changing world.

Stone Age Migraine

Primitive patient: Doc, I get these horrendous headaches. First I see flashing lights, then I hear this pounding, then it feels like a mastodon is standing on my skull.

Primitive MD: Hmmm. Let’s see. Yep, that sounds like a classic case of acute evil spirits.

Primitive Patient: Is this serious?

Primitive MD: Very serious. Fortunately, we have just the remedy for this condition. We’ll poke a small hole in the back of your head, and release the evil spirits. You’ll be your old self. This is called “trephining”

Primitive Patient: And is this covered by my insurance?

Humoral System

Body contains four circulating fluids:

Blood Yellow Bile

Black Bile Phlegm

Illness: Humors are out of balance. TX: Return balance of humors; bleeding

Personality linked to humors.

Phlegmatic

Sanguine (blood)

Bilious (bile)

Mild, calm, thoughtfulWarm, passionate, cheerfulIll-tempered, crabby

Med. Procedures Based on Humoral System: Leeches, Bleeding, and Blistering

Placebos have:

a. Lowered blood sugar in diabeticsb. Shrunken tumors in cancer patientsc. Relieved post-operative paind. Reduced cholesterol and mortality among

cardiac patients.e. Leads to withdrawal symptoms of

chemical dependence.

Power of the Placebo

Age of Enlightenment and Tools for Seeing

Separation of Powers and the Power of Separations

Separate Domains of Learning: Sciences, philosophy, theology

Separation of Church and State

Separation of Powers (US Constitution): Executive, Legislative, Judiciary

Separations of Mind and Body

De Carte: Dualism, mind and body are separate

Spinoza: Emotions are irrational, keep separate from reason

0102030405060708090

100

"No-Throb" Placebo No Meds

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Placebo in Drug Trials

Placebo can account for more than 30% of analgesic efficacy

Biomedical Model Vs. Biopsychosocial Model

Biomedical Model Biopsychosocial Model

Reductionist Macro-level as well as mirco-levelSingle factor Multiple factorsAssumes mind-body dualism Mind and body inseparableEmphasizes illness over health Emphasizes both health and illness

Topics Covered in This Class1. Introduction

2. Physiological Systems (two classes)

3. Symptoms

4. Pain (two classes)

5. Stress (two classes)

6. Psychoneuroimmunology

7. Denial, optimism, pessimism, and coping

8. Hostility, negative affect, and depression

9. Adjustment to negative events

10. Coping through personal disclosure

Topics Covered in This Class (cont.)11. Collective coping

12. Social relations and health

13. Negative social support

14. Stigma and illness

15. Being a patient

16. The patient/provider relationship

17. Management of chronic illness

18. Hypertension, heart disease, stroke, and diabetes

19. AIDS and cancer

20. Mortality and body attitudes

21. Health-enhancing behaviors (two classes)

a. Mid-term 40%b. Final 45%c. Project 15%

Grading

NOTE: Syllabus error—no extra credit for “participation”. Sorry!

House Rules

1. Show up on time—15 + min late = absent

2. Cell phones, electronics off at start of class

3. No texting during class—ever

4. Texting during test—automatic F

5. Drinks OK, food not OK.

Tips on Succeeding in This Class

1. Take notes. Don’t be a passive listener.

2. Read with your pen. Don’t just highlight, make margin notes for main points.

3. Attend class

4. Download Powerpoint slides

5. I’m a nice guy, but a tough grader. Study for exams!