Psychology applied to modern life adjustment in the 21st century, 11e chapter 5

Chapter Psychology and Physical Health Stress, Personality, and Illness, continued • • Health psychology is “concerned with how psychological factors relate to the promotion and maintenance of health, and with the causation, prevention, and treatment of illness” The biopsychosocial model “holds that illness is caused by a complex interaction of biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors” Stress, Personality, and Illness, continued • Personality, emotions, and heart disease – Coronary heart disease – “results from a reduction in blood flow through the coronary arteries, which supply the heart with blood” – Atherosclerosis – “is a gradual narrowing of the coronary arteries” (see Figure 5.3) Figure 5.3 Atherosclerosis Atherosclerosis, a narrowing of the coronary arteries, is the principal cause of coronary disease (a) A normal artery (b) Fatty deposits, cholesterol, and cellular debris on the walls of the artery have narrowed the path for blood flow (c) Advanced atherosclerosis In this situation, a blood clot might suddenly block the flow of blood through the artery Stress, Personality, and Illness, continued • Hostility and coronary risk – Research suggests a link between coronary risk and a behavior pattern termed the Type A personality – Type A personality has three components: A competitive orientation Impatience and a sense of time urgency Anger and hostility Stress, Personality, and Illness, continued Hostility and coronary risk, continued – The “anger – hostility” component of Type A behavior has the strongest link to coronary disease • Research shows that individuals with above-average hostility scores were twice as likely to have atherosclerosis than were those with below-average hostility scores (see Figure 5.5) Figure 5.5 Anger and coronary risk Working with a large sample of healthy men and women who were followed for a median of 4.5 years, Williams et al (2000) found an association between trait anger and the likelihood of a coronary event Among subjects who manifested normal blood pressure at the beginning of the study, a moderate anger level was associated with a 36% increase in coronary attacks, and a high level of anger nearly tripled participants’ risk for coronary disease (Based on data in William et al., 2000) Stress, Personality, and Illness, continued • Emotional reactions and heart disease – Stress, and its resulting strong emotions, seems to tax the heart – Even brief periods of stress can trigger acute cardiac symptoms such as angina (chest pain) – When interviewed after surviving a heart attack, many patients say that an episode of anger triggered the symptoms Stress, Personality, and Illness, continued • Depression and heart disease – Recent studies suggest that the emotional dysfunction of depression may cause heart disease (Goldston & Baillie, 2008) – Overall, it seems that depression doubles one’s chances of developing heart disease – Depression also seems to affect how heart disease progresses and is associated with worse outcomes in cardiology patients Stress, Personality, and Illness, continued • Stress and cancer – Cancer – refers “to malignant cell growth, which may occur in many organ systems in the body” – There is no direct evidence that stress causes the onset of cancer • However, stress and personality can affect the course of the disease Figure 5.25 Specific risks for various categories of drugs This chart shows estimates of the risk potential for tolerance, dependence, and overdose for the five major categories of drugs discussed in this Application The Effects of Drugs, continued Drug-related concepts, continued – Physical dependence “exists when a person must continue to take a drug to avoid withdrawal illness (which occurs when the drug use is terminated)” • Most severe with heroin and barbiturates – Psychological dependence “exists when a person must continue to take a drug to satisfy intense mental and emotional craving for it.” – An overdose is “an excessive dose of a drug that can seriously threaten one’s life” The Effects of Drugs, continued • Narcotics – Narcotics (or opiates), “drugs derived from opium that are capable of relieving pain” – Effects • The main effect of the drug is an intense state of euphoria or sense of well-being • Side effects include nausea, drowsiness, constipation, and slowed respiration The Effects of Drugs, continued Narcotics, continued – Risks • High risk of physical and psychological dependence • Withdrawal from narcotics is so unpleasant that addicts often adopt a drug-centered lifestyle that revolves around obtaining heroin • High risk for overdose • Contracting diseases if you share needles The Effects of Drugs, continued • Sedatives – Sedatives “sleep-inducing drugs that tend to decrease central nervous system and behavioral activity” (e.g., Valium) – Effects • Mild euphoria, pleasant relaxed state of intoxication (similar to effects of alcohol) • Side effects include slurred speech and impaired judgment The Effects of Drugs, continued Sedatives, continued – Risks • Potential for physical and psychological dependence • High risk for lethal overdose (especially when combined with alcohol) • Elevated risk for accidental injuries due to impaired motor coordination The Effects of Drugs, continued • Stimulants – Stimulants – “drugs that tend to increase central nervous system and behavioral activity” (e.g., “speed”) – Effects • “High energy” euphoria, or enthusiastic, optimistic, energetic state • Side effects include increased blood pressure, muscle tension, sweating, and restlessness • Some users also experience irritability, anxiety, and paranoia The Effects of Drugs, continued Stimulants, continued – Risks • Stimulants can cause physical dependence, but the potential for a powerful psychological dependence is much greater • Appetite suppression • Sleep disruption • Increased risk for stroke and heart attack • High risk for overdose with cocaine The Effects of Drugs, continued • Hallucinogens – Hallucinogens are “a diverse group of drugs that have powerful effects on mental and emotional functioning, marked most prominently by distortions in sensory and perceptual experience” – Effects • Distorted perception, intellectual function • Euphoria, intense experience of emotions • Side effects can include intense negative emotional states causing great fear The Effects of Drugs, continued Hallucinogens, continued – Risks • Acute panic • Accidental injuries, or even unintended suicide, due to disorientation • Flashbacks, or “vivid hallucinogenic experiences occurring months after initial drug ingestion” • However, there is no potential for physical dependence, and psychological dependence is rare The Effects of Drugs, continued • Marijuana – Marijuana is “the hemp plant from which marijuana, hashish, and THC are derived” – Effects • Mild, relaxed state of euphoria • Subtle, and highly individualized, effects on cognition, emotion, and perception • Side effects include a slight impairment in mental functioning and decreased perceptual-motor coordination The Effects of Drugs, continued Marijuana, continued – Risks • Potential for psychological dependence • Transient anxiety and depression in some people • Impaired ability to drive • Increased risk for lung disease • Impairments in attention and memory in heavy users that can be reversed if the drug use is terminated (see Figure 5.26) Figure 5.26 Chronic cannabis use and cognitive performance Solowij and associates (2002) administered a battery of neuropsychological tests to 51 long-term cannabis users, who had smoked marijuana regularly for an average of 24 years; 51 short-term cannabis users, who had smoked marijuana regularly for an average of 10 years; and 33 control subjects who had little or no history of cannabis use The cannabis users were required to abstain from smoking marijuana for a minimum of 12 hours prior to their testing The study found evidence suggestive of subtle cognitive impairments among the long-term cannabis users on many of the tests The graph shown here depicts the results observed for overall performance on the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test, which measures several aspects of memory functioning The Effects of Drugs, continued • Ecstasy (MDMA) – Ecstasy (MDMA) is a synthetic compound related to amphetamines and hallucinogens – Effects • Euphoria; a “warm, friendly” feeling toward others • Feelings of sensuality, insight, and empathy • Increased energy • Side effects include increased blood pressure, muscle tension, sweating, blurred vision, insomnia, and transient anxiety The Effects of Drugs, continued Ecstasy (MDMA), continued – Risks • Potential for psychological dependence in some users • Heavy use associated with sleep disorders, depression, increased anxiety, and hostility • Possibility of long-term effects on cognitive functioning • Contamination with harmful impurities in the drug [...]... see, tobacco elevates one’s vulnerability to a remarkably diverse array of diseases, including the three leading causes of death in the modern world – heart attack, cancer, and stroke Habits, Lifestyle, and Health, continued Smoking, continued – Giving up smoking • If people give up smoking, studies show that their health risks decline reasonably quickly, reaching normal levels after about 15 years... reduced intellectual functioning • Poor motor coordination • Increased anger Habits, Lifestyle, and Health, continued Drinking, continued – Long-term risks and social costs • Alcohol dependence, or alcoholism, is “a chronic, progressive disorder marked by a growing compulsion to drink and impaired control over drinking that will eventually interfere with health and social behavior” • See Figure 5. 16... desirable social ritual • Drinking dulls negative emotions such as tension, worry, anxiety and depression • Alcohol makes people feel more relaxed in social settings • To keep friends and company Habits, Lifestyle, and Health, continued Drinking, continued – Short-term risks and problems • The “hangover”, which includes headache, dizziness, nausea and vomiting • Life- threatening overdoses This is especially... Health, continued • • As shown in Figure 5. 9, unhealthy habits account for the most premature deaths Other leading behavioral causes of death include – Alcohol consumption – Unsafe driving – Risky sexual behavior – Illicit drug use Figure 5. 9 Mortality due to health-impairing behaviors Synthesizing data from many sources, Mokdad and colleagues (2004) estimated the number of annual deaths in the United... Overeating, continued – Determinants of obesity: What causes it? • Genetic factors (heredity) account for the majority of cases • However, environmental factors also contribute: – Excessive eating – Lack of exercise – Overabundance of high-calorie food Habits, Lifestyle, and Health, continued Determinants of obesity, continued • Set point theory “proposes that the body monitors fat-cell levels to keep them (and... Figure 5. 12) • Quitting smoking is difficult, however, and many people fail several times before succeeding Figure 5. 12 Quitting smoking and mortality Research suggests that various types of health risks associated with smoking decline gradually after people give up tobacco The data shown here, from the 1990 U.S Surgeon General’s report on smoking, illustrate the overall effects on mortality rates The. .. United States attributable to various health-impairing behaviors in an interesting article published in The Journal of the American Medical Association As you can see, smoking and obesity are the leading causes of preventable mortality However, their mortality estimate for obesity has proven controversial and is the subject of some debate (some experts argue that their estimate is too high) (Data from Mokdad... stable” • When fat stores get low, we have increased hunger and decreased metabolism, making it difficult to lose weight • Settling point is an alternative theory that makes more room for long-term benefits of lifestyle changes Habits, Lifestyle, and Health, continued Overeating, continued • Losing weight – Losing even small amounts of excessive weight can significantly reduce many of the health risks... evidence on the association between cholesterol levels and the prevalence of cardiovascular disease This graph is based on a sample of over 11,000 men who were 18 to 39 at the beginning of the study (1967-1973) when their serum cholesterol level was measured The data shown here depict participants’ relative risk for coronary heart disease during the ensuing 25 years as a function of their initial cholesterol... Habits, Lifestyle, and Health, continued • Smoking – Health effects associated with smoking include • Greater risk of premature death (13-14 years shorter life expectancy) • Lung cancer, as well as higher risk for many other cancers in the body • Hypertension, stroke, and other cardiac diseases (see Figure 5. 11) Figure 5. 11 Health risks associated with smoking This figure provides an overview of the various ... vulnerability to a remarkably diverse array of diseases, including the three leading causes of death in the modern world – heart attack, cancer, and stroke Habits, Lifestyle, and Health, continued Smoking,... in social settings • To keep friends and company Habits, Lifestyle, and Health, continued Drinking, continued – Short-term risks and problems • The “hangover”, which includes headache, dizziness,... Habits, Lifestyle, and Health, continued Determinants of obesity, continued • Set point theory “proposes that the body monitors fat-cell levels to keep them (and weight) fairly stable” • When fat stores