Health psychology
31/8 Introduction lecture
What is health psychology?
Study of social, behavioural, cognitive and social factors that contribute to:
♣ Promote and maintain health;
♣ Prevent and manage illness;
♣ Identify psychological factors that add to physical illness;
♣ Improve the health care system.
In other words... Psychological processes that contribute to health and illness
Lecture 2: Thu 3 Sept - Seminar Hospitalization and stressful medical procedures
Disease: biomedically defined pathology within the human system which may or may not be apparent to the
individual
Illness: A person’s subjective experience of their symptoms
‘’alleen’’ Ilness: bijv. Iemand die chronisch vermoeid is
‘’alleen’’ disease: iemand die zich niet bewust is dat hij een ziekte heeft
EXAMPLE WRONG INTERPRETATION (STEREOTYPE):
Joyce noticed too late that she had a heart attack: “I thought I was going to die”
Illness cognitions
,A patients own common sense beliefs about their illness’ (Leventhal & Nerenz, 1985)
ILLNESS COGNITIONS
Five dimensions:
1. Identity
> Diagnosis (a cold) and symptoms (runny nose, fever)
2. Perceived cause of illness
> Stress, a virus, unhealthy lifestyle
3. Time line
> Acute or chronic
4. Consequences
> Physical (pain, mobility problems) and emotional (lack of social contact, anxiety)
5. Cure & control
> E.g. by taking medication or getting plenty of rest
--> Tiffany van filmpje
, ILLNESS (AND HOSPITALIZATION) AS A CRISIS
Illness is a crisis because it is a turning point in an individual’s life
Disruption to established patterns of personal and social functioning produces a state of psychological, social, and
physical disequilibrium
ILLNESS AS CRISIS
Changes in identity, location, role, social support, future
Sara is 20 years old and diagnosed with leukemia. How does this change the above mentioned factors?
SARA
- Identity: she suddenly sees herself as a patient instead of student and co-worker
- Role: from being an independent adult she is now a dependent daughter
- Social support: she needs support from her parents, they might go with her to the hospital
- Location: she might be hospitalized or experience fatigue after treatment and stay at home a lot more than before
-Future: she is not sure about the future. Will she be cured, what are long term effects of cancer and its treatment?
Adaptive tasks
Must adjust to:
- Symptoms of the disease
- Stress of treatment
- Feelings of vulnerability
- Loss of Control
- Threat to self-esteem
- Financial Concerns
- Changes in family structure
HOSPITALIZATION IN THE NETHERLANDS
Reversed trend: number of hospitalizations decreased for the first time
31/8 Introduction lecture
What is health psychology?
Study of social, behavioural, cognitive and social factors that contribute to:
♣ Promote and maintain health;
♣ Prevent and manage illness;
♣ Identify psychological factors that add to physical illness;
♣ Improve the health care system.
In other words... Psychological processes that contribute to health and illness
Lecture 2: Thu 3 Sept - Seminar Hospitalization and stressful medical procedures
Disease: biomedically defined pathology within the human system which may or may not be apparent to the
individual
Illness: A person’s subjective experience of their symptoms
‘’alleen’’ Ilness: bijv. Iemand die chronisch vermoeid is
‘’alleen’’ disease: iemand die zich niet bewust is dat hij een ziekte heeft
EXAMPLE WRONG INTERPRETATION (STEREOTYPE):
Joyce noticed too late that she had a heart attack: “I thought I was going to die”
Illness cognitions
,A patients own common sense beliefs about their illness’ (Leventhal & Nerenz, 1985)
ILLNESS COGNITIONS
Five dimensions:
1. Identity
> Diagnosis (a cold) and symptoms (runny nose, fever)
2. Perceived cause of illness
> Stress, a virus, unhealthy lifestyle
3. Time line
> Acute or chronic
4. Consequences
> Physical (pain, mobility problems) and emotional (lack of social contact, anxiety)
5. Cure & control
> E.g. by taking medication or getting plenty of rest
--> Tiffany van filmpje
, ILLNESS (AND HOSPITALIZATION) AS A CRISIS
Illness is a crisis because it is a turning point in an individual’s life
Disruption to established patterns of personal and social functioning produces a state of psychological, social, and
physical disequilibrium
ILLNESS AS CRISIS
Changes in identity, location, role, social support, future
Sara is 20 years old and diagnosed with leukemia. How does this change the above mentioned factors?
SARA
- Identity: she suddenly sees herself as a patient instead of student and co-worker
- Role: from being an independent adult she is now a dependent daughter
- Social support: she needs support from her parents, they might go with her to the hospital
- Location: she might be hospitalized or experience fatigue after treatment and stay at home a lot more than before
-Future: she is not sure about the future. Will she be cured, what are long term effects of cancer and its treatment?
Adaptive tasks
Must adjust to:
- Symptoms of the disease
- Stress of treatment
- Feelings of vulnerability
- Loss of Control
- Threat to self-esteem
- Financial Concerns
- Changes in family structure
HOSPITALIZATION IN THE NETHERLANDS
Reversed trend: number of hospitalizations decreased for the first time
