The Biopsychosocial Model, Methodology, and Systems of the Body 1

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The Biopsychosocial Model, Methodology, and
Systems of the Body 1

• September 2, 2004

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Overview

• The Emergence of Health Psychology
• The Biopsychosocial Model
• Methodology
• Systems of the Body
• Nervous System
• Endocrine System
• Cardiovascular System
• Respiratory System

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The Emergence of Health Psychology

• Foundations for Contemporary Health Psychology
• In ancient times and the middle ages there was a
  belief that spiritual disturbances caused
  disease.
• The development of early Greek Medicine and the
  advent of the Renaissance brought about a focus
  on physical causes for disease.
• Scientific advances in microscopy and human
  anatomy further advanced medicine.

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The Emergence of Health Psychology

• Foundations for Contemporary Health Psychology
• Psychoanalytic case studies revealed how anxiety
  and unconscious personality conflicts can
  manifest as physical symptoms.
• The study of psychosomatic medicine focused on
  disease- prone personality types.
• The contemporary view focuses on the balance
  between physical and mental well-being in the
  context of the social environment.

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U.S. Ten Leading Causes of Death(NVSR,
50(16),2002)
Cause of Death Deaths Percent of Total Deaths
Diseases of the heart 710,760 29.6
Malignant Neoplasms 553,091 23.0
Cerebrovascular Diseases 167,661 7.0
CLRD 122,009 5.1
Accidents (unintentional injuries) 97,900 4.1
Diabetes 69,301 2.9
Influenza Pneumonia 65,313 2.7
Alzheimers Disease 49,558 2.1
Kidney Disease 37,251 1.5
Septicemia 31,224 1.3
Total 2,403,351 100.0
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The Emergence of Health Psychology

• The Modern Problem
• Patterns of illness are changing.
• People are less likely to die from acute
  disorders and communicable disease (with the
  exception of AIDS).
• People are living longer with chronic diseases
• Chronic diseases
• Generally can be managed, not cured
• Related to health behaviors and compliance with
  medical regimen
• Living with chronic diseases has social and
  psychological consequences

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The Emergence of Health Psychology

• Technological Advances
• Genetic counseling
• Coping with potential health risks
• Patient counseling regarding life-sustaining
  measures
• Research in health psychology identifies
  risk-factors

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The Emergence of Health Psychology

• Health Care Services
• Health care is the largest service industry in
  the United States.
• Prevention can reduce health care costs.
• Most people in the U.S. are recipients of health
  care services.
• Research on satisfaction with health care
• Health psychologists are becoming more integrated
  into the medical context.

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The Biopsychosocial Model

• Health and illness are consequences of the
  interplay of biological, psychological, and
  social factors.
• Systems Theory
• All levels of organization in any entity are
  linked hierarchically.
• Change at one level influences change in other
  levels
• Changes on the microlevel can have macrolevel
  effects and vice versa.

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The Biomedical Model

• Dominant model for the past 300 years
• All illness can be explained on the basis of
  aberrant somatic processes.
• Liabilities of the Biomedical Model
• Reductionism Illness is reduced to microlevel
  processes i.e. chemical imbalances.
• Single-factor model Illness is due to one
  factor a biological malfunction.
• Mind-body dualism The mind and the body are
  separate entities.
• Emphasis on illness over health

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Advantages of the Biopsychosocial Model

• Health is determined by both microlevel and
  macrolevel processes (psychological and social
  factors).
• Multiple factors a variety of factors are
  involved in health and illness.
• The mind and body are not separated when
  considering matters of health and illness.
• Emphasis on both health and illness.

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Clinical Applications of the Biopsychosocial Model

• The process of diagnosis must consider the
  interaction of biological, psychological, and
  social factors.
• Treatment recommendations must take these factors
  into account.
• The relationship between the patient and the
  health care practitioner has an impact on the
  effectiveness of care.

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Areas of Focus In Health Psychology

• Health Promotion and Maintenance
• Prevention and Treatment of Illness
• Etiology (causes) and Correlates of Health and
  Illness
• Health Policy and Health Care Service Delivery

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Contributions of Health Psychology

• Short-term behavioral interventions have been
  effective in helping patients to
• Manage pain
• Modify bad health habits (such as smoking)
• Manage side effects and treatment effects when
  coping with chronic
• illness.
• Psychologists help ease the adjustment process
  for patients.

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Methodology
Experiments Randomized Clinical Trials
Correlational Studies Comparing changes in variables
Prospective Designs Looking forward, longitudinal research
Retrospective Research Looking backward
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Methodology

• Experiment
• A study where there is random assignment to
  treatment groups in an intervention focused on
  exercise and weight loss
• Correlation
• A study of the relationship between cultural
  identity and physical symptoms
• Prospective
• A study following the physical and mental health
  indicators outcomes of cancer patients 6 months,
  1 year, and 2 years after chemotherapy
• Retrospective
• A study examining the past coping strategies of
  cardiac patients

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Methodology

• Epidemiology
• The study of the frequency, distribution, and
  causes of infectious and noninfectious disease in
  a population based on an investigation of the
  physical and social environment

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Methodology

• Morbidity refers to the number of cases of a
  disease that exist at some given point in time.
• Incidence the number of new cases
• Prevalence the total number of existing cases
• Mortality refers to the number of deaths due to a
  particular cause.

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The Nervous System

• Central Nervous System
• Brain and Spinal Cord
• The brain is the command center
• Peripheral Nervous System
• Somatic Nervous System
• Autonomic Nervous System
• Sympathetic Nervous System
• Prepares the body to respond to emergencies
• Plays an important role in reactions to stress
• Is concerned with the mobilization of energy. A
  catabolic system
• Parasympathetic Nervous System
• Acts antagonistically with the sympathetic
  nervous system.
• Restores the body to a normal state.

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The Nervous System

• Neurotransmitters
• Chemicals that regulate nervous system
  functioning.
• Catecholamines - the neurotransmitters,
  epinephrine and norepinephrine, that promote
  sympathetic nervous system activity.
• The catecholamines are released in substantial
  quantities during stressful times.

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The Nervous System

• Disorders of the Nervous System
• Affect 25 million Americans
• 12 of deaths are from nervous system disorders.
• Epilepsy
• Cerebral Palsy
• Parkinson's Disease
• Multiple Sclerosis
• Huntingtons disease
• Polio
• Paraplegia, quadriplegia

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The Endocrine System

• Complements the nervous system in controlling
  bodily activities.
• Make up of ductless glands which secrete hormones
  into the blood.
• Governs slow-acting responses of long duration
• Regulated by the hypothalamus and the pituitary
  gland

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The Endocrine System

• Disorders
• Diabetes
• Third most common chronic disorder in the U.S.
• Body cannot manufacture and properly use insulin.
• Primary forms of diabetes
• Type I (juvenile diabetes) insulin dependent,
  partly genetic
• Type II lifestyle, especially obesity and
  stress, plays a major role, onset after age 40.

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The Endocrine System

• Diabetes is associated with
• Thickening of the arteries, leading to high rates
  of coronary heart disease.
• Blindness, and is the leading cause of blindness
  in adults.
• Kidney failure
• Nervous system damage leading to pain and loss of
  sensation.

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The Cardiovascular System

• System consists of the heart, blood vessels and
  blood.
• Arteries carry blood from the heart to other
  organs and tissues.
• Veins return the blood to the heart after the
  oxygen has been used up.

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The Cardiovascular System

• The Heart
• Cardiac Cycle - Rhythmic phases of contraction
  and relaxation.
• Systole Cycle - Blood is pumped out of the heart
  and so blood pressure inside the vessels
  increases.
• Diastole Cycle - Blood pressure drops as the
  heart muscle relaxes and blood is taken into the
  heart.

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The Cardiovascular System

• Disorders
• Congenital Defects (present at birth)
• Disorders Due to Infections
• Lifestyle
• Diet
• Exercise
• Smoking
• Stress Exposure

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The Cardiovascular System

• Disorders
• Atherosclerosis deposits of plaque in the
  arteries
• Angina Pectoris (chest pain)
• Myocardial infarction (heart attack)
• Hypertension chronically high blood pressure

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The Cardiovascular System

• Disorders Related to White Cell Production
• Leukemia, leukopenia, leukocytosis
• Disorders Related to Red Cell Production
• Anemia, erythrocytosis, sickle-cell anemia
• Clotting Disorders
• Hemophilia, Clots (Thromboses) in blood vessels
• Coronary thromboses, cerebral thromboses
• Embolus (A clot that becomes detached)

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The Respiratory System

• Functions of Respiration
• To take in oxygen
• To excrete carbon dioxide
• To regulate the composition of the blood
• Organs Involved
• Nose, mouth, pharynx, trachea, diaphragm,
  abdominal muscles, and lungs.
• Inspiration is active expiration is passive.

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The Respiratory System

• Disorders
• Asphyxia lack of O2, excess of CO2
• Anoxia lack of O2
• Hyperventilation excess of O2 , lack of excess
  of CO2
• Hay Fever seasonal allergic reaction in which
  irritants enter the lungs prompting the body to
  produce histamines.
• Asthma more severe allergic reaction that may
  produce bronchial spasms and hyperventilation.

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The Respiratory System

• Disorders
• Viral Infections Common cold, influenza
• Bacterial Infections Strep throat, whooping
  cough, diphtheria.
• Pneumonia and Emphysema
• Tuberculosis and Pleurisy
• Lung Cancer