Provide a summary of key themes and concepts touched on in the readings
2. Discuss any preconceived ideas or notions on the readings and how the readings may have strengthened or changed your understanding or opinions about this topic.
1. Provide a summary of key themes and concepts touched on in the readings.
• Health Psychology examines how the workings of the mind impacts physical disease and illness, considering health behaviors, illness beliefs, behavior change and health outcomes.
• Biomedical model – more traditional approach to illness and treatment. (a) Illness occurs when bacteria for example invade the body from the external, (b) or when there are internal changes like a chemical imbalance, (c) or may start as a condition – genetics.
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(1) the biopsychosocial model of health introduces psychological aspects into the biomedical model of health; health is to be considered from all 3 angles, bio = germs, genetics etc, psycho = emotions, behavior etc and social = peer pressure, environment, ethnicity etc. (2) health and illness as a continuum looks at effect of psychological aspects on health at the different stages. Illness can be caused by behavior; beliefs etc. managing the illness can involve changing behavior, getting help and support, imbibing a new regime. The outcome could be changed behavior and sticking with new regimes that extends and creates a better quality of life. (3) psychology can affect health, directly or indirectly e.g going on a diet will impact health, so will adding consistent exercise to that decision. (4) Variability – health and illness cannot be resolved just by the knowledge or nature of either one because no two people are the same or have the same psychology, who people are, those components that make up each individual make a difference in the condition of their …show more content…
Better health outcomes result from understanding which behaviors add to and which take away from health, which means in addition to curative treatment, preventive treatment is possible.
• If good or bad health is determined by genetics and or the environment, and these two are affected by social and economic factors; lifestyles, culture, ethnicity, poverty, then it makes sense that medical science (of the physical body and of the mind), must be worked into the practice of medicine and healing.
Mr. A, The example of Lung Cancer, in Jane Ogden’s The Psychology of Health and Illness was a real eye opener for me. We take many decisions in the course of living; big and small ones, all are coming from a place deep within us and all have an impact, good or bad. Whether made quickly or over time, I see that they are made out of the fabric of who we are, where we are coming from and not necessarily from our current experience. His father smoked, so naturally, he did also and when the cough began, he didn’t question it because of his acceptance of smoking as a thing over which you could bond with your father, and something that was a part of his