Chapter 9 – Physical Disorders and Health Psychology

A. Introduction to Health Psychology

1. Type of physical problems: Psychophysiological disorders

a. objective organic damage, caused/worsened by psychological factors

b. are NOT somatoform d/o, physical responses w/ no objective damage

c. coded as “psychological factors affecting physical condition” on axis 1

i. physical condition itself coded on axis 3

2. Health psych as subfield of behavioral medicine

B. The role of stress

1. General Adaptation Syndrome (Selye)

Alarm Reaction à Resistance à Exhaustion

2. What is a stressor?

a. daily hassles vs major life events

b. positive AND negative

3. How does stress lead to health problems?

a. direct vs. indirect effects

b. physiological factors

i. impact of stress hormones (e.g., on hippocampus)

c. psychological factors

i. controllability/predictability

ii. interactions with mood states

d. role of immune system

e. role of gender, SES, ethnicity, etc

4. How do we COPE with stress?

a. problem-focused vs. emotion-focused coping (vs avoidance coping)

i. is avoidance-coping, or denial, helpful at times?

b. social support

i. perceived vs. enacted

ii. emotional vs. tangible vs. practical, etc.

c. dealing with information (monitor vs. blunter)

C. Interventions and other applications of health psychology

1. Stress-reduction methods

e.g. biofeedback, relaxation training, meditation, stress management, cognitive therapy

2. Coping with medical problems

e.g. support groups, psychoeducation, using CBT methods to address side effects and psychological responses

3. Consultation-liaison psychiatry/psychology

4. Increasing medical compliance

5. Prevention of disease transmission and injuries

6. Prevention of medical panic