Community Health Psych Lecture 1

Summary

This lecture introduces the course on Community Health Psychology, focusing on the interplay of psychological, behavioral, and cultural factors in health and illness. It contrasts health psychology with clinical psychology, emphasizing the importance of personal accountability and responsibility in maintaining health. The course also covers topics like health behaviors, stress, chronic illnesses, and cultural influences on health. Notably, it highlights how health psychology differs across societies, emphasizing the bio-psycho-social model, which integrates biological, psychological, and social factors in understanding health outcomes. The lecture aims to provoke thought about how these factors shape our health decisions.

Takeaways

• 😀 Health psychology is a subdiscipline of social psychology that combines community psychology and health psychology, focusing on psychological and behavioral processes in health, illness, and healthcare.
• 😀 The key goal of health psychology is to understand how psychological, behavioral, and cultural factors contribute to physical health, illness, and overall well-being.
• 😀 Unlike clinical psychology, which focuses on mental health, health psychology addresses physical health behaviors like diet, exercise, sleep, and medication adherence.
• 😀 Health psychology emphasizes the role of personal accountability and responsibility in maintaining health through choices like smoking, diet, and exercise.
• 😀 The primary goals of health psychology include illness prevention, promoting good health, helping with illness treatment, improving healthcare systems, and studying the psychological correlates of illness.
• 😀 The biopsychosocial model is central to health psychology, integrating biological, psychological, and social factors to explain health outcomes.
• 😀 Social support plays a significant role in healing and coping with illness, as illustrated by the example of twins, one healthy and the other ill, where the healthy twin's support led to a miraculous recovery.
• 😀 Health psychology challenges the linear view of illness by considering the multiple factors that influence a person's health, including cognitive, emotional, and social influences.
• 😀 Lifestyle diseases, such as heart disease, cancer, and diabetes, are leading causes of death in the Philippines, underlining the importance of health behavior changes and education.
• 😀 Cultural beliefs and indigenous health models, such as the Maori people's approach to health in New Zealand, highlight the holistic and interconnected view of health that incorporates physical, mental, and spiritual dimensions.

Q & A

What is the primary focus of Community Health Psychology?

Community Health Psychology combines Community Psychology and Health Psychology, focusing mainly on understanding how psychological, behavioral, and cultural factors contribute to health, illness, and health care.

How does Health Psychology differ from Clinical Psychology?

Health Psychology focuses on physical health, health behaviors, and chronic conditions like obesity, diabetes, and heart disease, while Clinical Psychology primarily addresses mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, and personality disorders.

What are the key goals of Health Psychology?

The key goals of Health Psychology are to prevent illness, promote good health, help with the treatment of illness, investigate the psychological correlates of illness, and improve health care systems and policies.

What role does culture play in Health Psychology?

Culture plays a significant role in how people perceive health, illness, and coping mechanisms. For example, indigenous models of health emphasize the interconnectedness of physical, mental, spiritual, and social well-being.

What is the biopsychosocial model in Health Psychology?

The biopsychosocial model combines psychological, biological, and sociological factors to explain health outcomes. It includes factors like genetics, personality, social support, and stress, all of which interact to influence an individual’s health.

Why is accountability and responsibility emphasized in Health Psychology?

Accountability and responsibility are key in Health Psychology because individuals are seen as active agents who influence their own health through choices like diet, exercise, smoking, and alcohol consumption.

What is the importance of social support in Health Psychology?

Social support is crucial in Health Psychology because it can significantly affect an individual's ability to cope with illness. For example, research shows that people with strong social support networks tend to heal better and cope with illnesses more effectively.

How does stress impact health according to Health Psychology?

Stress is a critical factor in Health Psychology as it can weaken the immune system, contribute to chronic conditions, and influence how individuals react to illness. Chronic stress can increase susceptibility to diseases like heart disease and diabetes.

What are some common lifestyle diseases in the Philippines?

Common lifestyle diseases in the Philippines include heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and pneumonia. These diseases are often linked to lifestyle factors such as poor diet, lack of exercise, and smoking.

How do indigenous health models influence modern Health Psychology?

Indigenous health models, such as the Tī and Octopus shape of the Māori people, emphasize the interconnectedness of physical, mental, and spiritual health. These models highlight a holistic approach that modern Health Psychology is beginning to incorporate more into its practices.