Health Psychology

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Health Psychology

• Division 38 (Health Psychology)
• Education Training Committee
• Regan A. R. Gurung (Chair)
• Created 2008

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Sample Research Findings in Health Psychology

• One of the strongest predictors of who is likely
  to have a heart attack among American adults is a
  hostile personality trait and a tendency towards
  hostile interactions with others.
• After surgery, patients in a hospital room with a
  pleasant view go home sooner and with fewer
  complications that those looking at a blank wall.
• Premature infants in the hospital given 15
  minutes of light massage per day gain weight
  faster and go home sooner
• Keeping a diary where one writes about important
  thoughts and events boosts the bodys immune
  system and improves physical health.
• Hostile and conflictual interactions with ones
  spouse or partner can suppress the immune system
  and increase the risk of developing colds.
• Laughter is a powerful painkiller.

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Sample Research Findings in Health Psychology
(cont.)

• Some people with asthma can suffer full-blown
  attacks after looking at artificial flowers.
• People with few friends and who lead isolated
  lives are twice as likely to die during a given
  time period.
• After a heart attack, patients who owned pets
  were significantly less likely to die in the
  following year.
• Blood pressure decreases when pet owners talk to
  their pets or are in the presence of their pets
  during stressful events.
• Men who performed volunteer work once a week
  lived longer and were healthier than men who
  volunteered less than once a week.
• Depression is a stronger predictor of heart
  attacks and poor recovery from a heart attack
  than high cholesterol or cigarette smoking.
• When people watch tropical fish in an aquarium
  with their full attention, they lower their blood
  pressure and heart rate significantly.
• People taught relaxation and meditation
  techniques showed lower blood pressure and less
  complications during surgery.

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The Area

• Psychologists who strive to understand how
  biological, behavioral, and social factors
  influence health and illness are called health
  psychologists.
• The term "health psychology" is often
  interchanged with the terms "behavioral medicine"
  or "medical psychology".

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• Illnesses related to Psychological/Behavioral
  factors
• Heart disease and stroke
• Cancer
• HIV/AIDS
• COPD
• Type II diabetes
• Poor birth outcomes
• Chronic pain conditions
• Infectious illnesses

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• Actual causes of death in the US
• Smoking / tobacco
• Sedentary lifestyle and poor diet
• Alcohol
• Microbial agents
• Toxic agents
• Motor vehicle accidents
• Firearms
• Sexual behavior
• Drug abuse

Half of all deaths that occurred in the United
States in 2000 can be attributed to a limited
number of largely preventable behaviors and
exposures (Mokdad et al., 2000). This is where
Health Psychologists are particularly effective.
Mokdad et al. Actual causes of death in the US
2000. JAMA 20042911238-46
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Health over Time

• 3000 years ago
• Spirits, Mind, and body seen as one
• Greeks onward (e.g., Descartes)
• Mind and body separate
• Age of Scientific Discovery (17-19th century)
• Rise of the biomedical model of disease
• Inventions drive health care (e.g., 1668
  Microscope)
• Beginnings of Health Psychology as we know it
• 1930s Society for Psychosomatic Medicine formed
• 1970s Society for Behavioral Medicine formed
• 1970s Health Psychology formed
• Mind and body are seen as one again

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• Historical moments in health psychology
• Walter Cannon (1932) - stomach movements affected
  by emotional state. Stress increases blood sugar,
  epinephrine, BP, respiration rate (Fight or
  flight)
• Framingham study (1948 - ) - lifestyle factors
  are significant risk factors for cardiovascular
  disease
• Hans Selye (1956) physiological arousal from
  stress leads to disease if prolonged or chronic
• Lazarus (1960s) appraisals of events are
  critical for understanding health outcomes
• Neal Miller (1970s) can learn to control
  bodily functions like BP, intestinal
  contractions, muscle tension
• Robert Ader (1970s) classical conditioning of
  immune system responses to immune-suppressant
  drugs

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Health Psychologys Main Goals

• Understanding psychological influences-
• - on how we stay healthy,
• - why we become sick, and
• - how we respond when we do.

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GOALS of Field

• 1. Promote and maintain health (e.g., stop
  smoking, buckle belts).
• 2. Prevent and treat illness (e.g. reduce High
  Blood pressure).
•  
• 3. Focus on cause and detection of illness
  influence of personality, cognitive processes.
• 4. Improve the health care system/health policy.

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The Main Approach Used

• The Biopsychosocial Model
• views health and illness as the product of a
  combination of factors including
• Biological factors (e.g., genetic
  predisposition),
• Psychological factors (e.g., personality,
  lifestyle, stress, health beliefs), and
• Social factors (e.g., cultural influences, family
  relationships, social support).

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• Biopsychosocial Approach to Health and Illness
• Traditional biomedical model has limited
  usefulness with current patterns of illness and
  the health challenges of the 21st century.
• ? Integrates biological, psychological, and
  social influences in order to understand health
  and vulnerability to illness and successfully
  treat disorders.
• Addresses limitations of a traditional medical
  model that attempts to cure disease. We are not
  healthy until we become sick. Mental problems are
  not clearly distinguishable from physical
  problems.

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Sample Major Theories

• BEHAVIOR CHANGE
• Health Belief Model
• Theory of Planned Behavior
• Transtheoretical Model
• STRESS
• Fight and Flight response
• General Adaptation Syndrome
• Cognitive Appraisal Model

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Current Issues

• Interactions between health psychologists and
  medical doctors.
• Cultural differences in health.
• Technology and health.
• Reducing Obesity.

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Where Do Health Psychologists Work?

• Health psychologists participate in health care
  in a multitude of settings including
• primary care programs,
• inpatient medical units, and
• specialized health care programs such as
• pain management,
• rehabilitation,
• women's health,
• oncology,
• smoking cessation, and
• headache management
• They also work in colleges and universities,
  corporations, and for governmental agencies.

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Clinical Activities

• Health Psychologists
• Help measure/assess for mental and behavioral
  problems,
• Conduct clinical interviews
• Administer surveys and personality tests.
• Design interventions to help
• With stress management,
• Educate about disease and illness,
• Ways to cope with disease,
• Perform more health behaviors such as physical
  activity.

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Research Activities

• Health psychologists are on the leading edge of
  research focusing on the biopsychosocial model in
  areas such as
• HIV,
• Cancer
• Compliance with medical regimens,
• Health promotion, and
• the effect of psychological, social, and cultural
  factors on numerous specific diseases
• diabetes,
• cancer,
• hypertension and coronary artery disease,
• chronic pain, and
• sleep disorders.

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Health psychology research examines

• The causes and development of illness,
• Methods to help individuals develop healthy
  lifestyles to promote good health and prevent
  illness,
• The treatment people get for their medical
  problems,
• The effectiveness with which people cope with and
  reduce stress and pain,
• Biopsychosocial connections with immune
  functioning, and
• Factors in the recovery, rehabilitation, and
  psychosocial adjustment of patients with serious
  health problems.

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Careers

• Elaborate on career opportunities in this area
• Describe potential intrinsic and extrinsic
  benefits
• Describe working conditions
• Describe training required
• Potential for upward career movement
• Other professional opportunities

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Training for Health Psychology Careers

• Health psychologists typically hold a doctoral
  degree (Ph.D. or Psy.D.) in psychology.
• Applied health psychologists are licensed for the
  independent practice of psychology in areas such
  as clinical and counseling psychology
• Board certification is available in health
  psychology through the American Board of
  Professional Psychology.

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Preparing for a career in health psychology

• Obtain general psychology training at the
  undergraduate and doctoral levels,
• Receive specialty training at the postdoctoral or
  internship level.
• Predoctoral Internships Clinical and counseling
  psychologists are required to complete a one-year
  internship/residency before obtaining their
  doctorates.
• Postdoctoral Fellowships Many university medical
  centers, universities, health centers, and health
  psychology programs offer specialized research
  and/or clinical training in different areas of
  health psychology.

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Resources

• APA Division 38 (Health Psychology) Webpage
  www.health-psych.org/
• Major Journal in Field
• Health Psychology www.apa.org/journals/hea/
• Careers Page
• www.sbm.org/careers/