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Chapter 12: Health Psychology
Paul J. Wellman
Texas A&M University
Psychology in Action, Fifth Edition
by
Karen Huffman, Mark Vernoy, and
Judith Vernoy
© 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Huffman/Vernoy/Vernoy: Psychology in Action 5e
Lecture Overview
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Overview of Health Psychology
Stress and Health
Stress and Serious Illness
Coping with Stress
© 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Huffman/Vernoy/Vernoy: Psychology in Action 5e
Health Psychology
• Health psychology examines the
relationship between psychological
behavior and physical health/illness
• Focus of health psychology is on
– Wellness
– Prevention of illness
• Major causes of death are not infectious
but are related to behavior and lifestyle
© 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Huffman/Vernoy/Vernoy: Psychology in Action 5e
Chronic Pain
• Pain is the most common symptom reported
in visits to physicians
• Chronic pain produces irritation, depression,
anxiety, and dependence on others
• Treatment of chronic pain can involve
– Diet and exercise programs
– Operant conditioning techniques
– Biofeedback (electromyograph)
– Relaxation training
© 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Huffman/Vernoy/Vernoy: Psychology in Action 5e
Smoking
• Cigarette smoking is the single most
preventable cause of death and disease
in the US
– Coronary heart disease
– Cancer
– Low birth weight, prenatal death
– Fire deaths
• Secondhand smoke is a significant
health risk
© 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Huffman/Vernoy/Vernoy: Psychology in Action 5e
Smoking Prevention
• Different factors may initiate and maintain
smoking
– Start smoking as a means of rebellion or
because of peer pressure
– Keep smoking because nicotine is addictive
• Nicotine releases transmitters and relieves
withdrawal symptoms
• Most smoking prevention programs focus
on psychosocial factors
– Minimize peer pressure to smoke
© 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Huffman/Vernoy/Vernoy: Psychology in Action 5e
Binge Drinking
• Binge drinking refers to the consumption
of some number of alcoholic drinks in a
single session
– Male: 5 or more drinks
– Female: 4 or more drinks
• Binge drinking is a major problem on
college campuses
– 43% of college students are binge drinkers
– 20% of college student binge frequently
© 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Huffman/Vernoy/Vernoy: Psychology in Action 5e
Issues of Binge Drinking
Binge drinkers think their drinking levels
are normal
 Many students believe binge drinking is
harmless
 Some students infer binge drinking is ok
because the college does not tell them
otherwise
 Binge drinking is a key aspect of Greek life

© 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Huffman/Vernoy/Vernoy: Psychology in Action 5e
Stress
• Stress is a nonspecific response of the
body to any demand made on it
– Eustress: pleasant, desirable stress as in the
stress associated with exercise
– Distress: is unpleasant stress as in illness
• Stressors are stimuli that cause stress
– Stressors can be major (loss of a parent) or
can be very minor (as in the daily hassle of
parking on campus)
© 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Huffman/Vernoy/Vernoy: Psychology in Action 5e
Life Changes as Stressors
• Life events function as stressors
• When many life events occur in a short
period of time, enough stress can be
induced to alter health
• Holmes and Rahe developed the Social
Readjustment Rating scale
– Assesses the number of life changes in a
period of time and predicts the likelihood of
developing illness
© 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Huffman/Vernoy/Vernoy: Psychology in Action 5e
Daily Stress
• Some stressors are chronic:
– Job-related (shift work, co-workers)
– Environmental stressors (aircraft noise)
• Hassles are small problems that
accumulate to induce major stress
• Frustration is a negative emotional state
associated with a blocked goal
• Conflicts arise over choosing between 2
incompatible alternatives
© 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Huffman/Vernoy/Vernoy: Psychology in Action 5e
Effects of Stress
• The sympathetic portion of the autonomic
nervous system is activated during stress
– Increased heart rate and blood pressure
– Release of adrenaline and cortisol
– These physiological changes use up energy
and can be sustained for only a period of time
– Prolonged stressor exposure leads to
exhaustion and death
© 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Huffman/Vernoy/Vernoy: Psychology in Action 5e
Stress and the Immune System
• Immune system functioning is reduced by
exposure to stress
– This leaves a person susceptible to disease
• Psychological events such as caring for a
loved one who has Alzheimer’s disease
activates the sympathetic system
– Hormone release during stress suppresses
the immune system and this increases the
likelihood of becoming ill
© 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Huffman/Vernoy/Vernoy: Psychology in Action 5e
Stress and Serious Illness
• Cancer is affected by psychological factors
– Exposure to chemicals that cause cancer can
be modified by behavior
– Sleep deprivation can reduce immune function
– Personality traits can alter stress response
• Heart disease is associated with buildup of
fats in blood vessels, stress increases this
effect
– Type A personalities (ambitious, time urgent)
are more likely to suffer heart disease
© 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Huffman/Vernoy/Vernoy: Psychology in Action 5e
Coping with Stress
• Stressors are pervasive in our lives
• Reducing stress can be accomplished by
either avoiding stressors or by reducing
our response to stressors
• Coping: managing stress in some
effective way
– Emotion-focused forms of coping change
how we view a situation (our reaction)
– Problem-focused forms of coping deal
directly with the stressor to eliminate it
© 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Huffman/Vernoy/Vernoy: Psychology in Action 5e
Resources to Manage Stress
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Health and energy
Positive beliefs
Internal locus of control
Social skills
Social support (network of friends, family)
Material resources
© 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Huffman/Vernoy/Vernoy: Psychology in Action 5e
Specific Coping Strategies
• Relaxation
• Exercise
• Self-care
© 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Huffman/Vernoy/Vernoy: Psychology in Action 5e
Copyright
Copyright 2000 by John Wiley and Sons, New York, NY.
All rights reserved. No part of the material protected by
this copyright may be reproduced or utilized in any form
or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including
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and retrieval system, without written permission of the
copyright owner.
© 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Huffman/Vernoy/Vernoy: Psychology in Action 5e