What is Health and What is Health Psychology

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What is Health and What is Health Psychology

• Chapter 1

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Current Western Conception

• Health is a state of complete physical, mental
  and social well-being, and not merely the absence
  of disease or infirmity

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What is Health Psychology?

• The study of individual behaviors and lifestyles
  affecting a persons physical health.
• Disease prevention and Treatment
• Identification of risks
• System improvement
• Shaping opinion

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Why Do This?

• Changing Patterns of Disease and Death
• Escalating Costs of Health Care
• Evolving View of Health

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Leading causes of death, United States, 1900.
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Leading causes of death, United States, 2000
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Per capita health expenditures, U.S., 1960 to
1998.
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Estimated Contributions of Different Factors to
Health Status
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Evolving view of Health/Disease

• Past Conceptualizations of Health
• Medical Model
• Biopsychosocial Approach
• Public Health Model

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Health Through History
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Medical Model

• Disease is organic
• Began with ancient Greeks
• Humoral Theory
• Solidified w/Germ Theory (Pasteur, 1860s)
• Single cause
• Health is the absence of disease
• Physical treatments are optimal

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Biopsychosocial Model
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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
ENVIRONMENT
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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.

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Example - Cancer

• AGENT Environmental toxins. Cigarette smoke
• HOST Genetic make-up. Suppression of emotion.
  Dietary practice. Smoker.
• ENVIRONMENT Regulations. Taxes. Norms about
  smoking.

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Disciplines within Health Psychology

• Psychosomatic Medicine
• Organized as a field in 1930s
• Medicine
• Examines the relationship between emotions and
  illness
• Behavioral Medicine
• 1970s
• Interdisciplinary
• Rooted in learning theory
• Focus is on behavior contributions to medical
  illness
• Behavioral Health
• Prevention focused
• Behavioral contribution to health and illness
  prevention