Why Have Chronic Illnesses Helped Spawn the Field of Health Psychology?

Firstly, according to researcher Stempniak (2013) these are diseases in which psychological and social factors are implicated as causes. For example, personal health habits, such as diet and smoking, are implicated in the development of heart diseases and cancer, and sexual activity is critical to the likelihood of developing AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome). Health psychology has evolved in part, to explore these causes and to develop ways to modify them (Stempniak, 2013).

Second, Stempniak (2013) identified that people who live with chronic illnesses are more likely to develop psychological issues in connection with their illnesses. Health psychologists help the chronically ill adjust psychologically and socially to their changing health state by helping those with chronic illnesses develop treatment regimens, many of which involve self-care (Stempniak, 2013).

References:

Stempniak, M. (2013). Meeting patients where they are. H&HN: Hospitals & Health Networks, 87, 32-33.
http://healthland.time.com/category/mental-health/psychology/
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/16972600
http://allpsych.com/journal/



The Next Decade of Research in Health Psychology

The Language of Love, as told by your heart.

What Factors Led to the Development of Health Psychology?

Changing patterns of illnesses

The most important factors giving rise to health psychology has been the change in illness patterns that has occurred in the United States. Until the 20th century, Segerstrom (2004) listed the major causes of illness and death in the United States were acute disorders - especially tuberculosis, pneumonia, and other infectious diseases. 

Acute disorders, described by Segerstrom (2004) are short- term illnesses, often the result of a viral or bacterial invader. Now, however, chronic illnesses - especially heart disease, cancer, and diabetes - are the main contributors to disability and death, particularly in industrialized countries (Segerstrom, 2004). 

Chronic illnesses as Segerstrom (2004) explained are slowly developing diseases with which people live for a long time. Often, chronic illnesses cannot be cured but rather only managed by patient and health care provider. 

Reference:

Segerstrom, S. C. (2004). Psychological stress and the human immune system. Psychological Bulletin, 130, 601-630. 

Psychological Risks in Heart Diseases.. Dr. A Rao 

Biopsychosocial Model

Clinical Implications of the Biopsychosocial Model..

There are several implications of the biopsychosocial model for clinical practice with patients. Oken (2000) clearly explained that the biopsychosocial model implies that the practitioner must understand the social and psychological factors that contribute to an illness in order to treat it appropriately. 

In the case of a healthy individual, Oken (2000) conveyed that the biopsychosocial model helps to understand health habits only in their psychological and social contexts. These contexts according to Suls and Rothman (2004) may contain a poor health habit, or with appropriate modifications, facilitate the development of a healthy one. In the case of the ill individual, biological, psychological, and social factors all contribute to recover (Oken, 2000). 

Reference: Oken (2000). Introduction to Health Psychology. 
highered.mheducation.com/sites/dl/free/.../Taylor7e_Sample_Ch01.pdf

What Are the Worldwide Causes of Death? 

The causes of death and disability are expected to change dramatically by the year 2020. 

Disease or Injury 1990	Disease or Injury 2020
1. Lower respiratory infection	1. Heart disease.
2. Diarrheal diseases	2. Unipolar major depression
3. Prenatal period	3. Road traffic accidents
4. Unipolar major depression	4. Cerebrovascular disease
5. Heart disease	5. Pulmonary disease
6. Cerebrovascular disease	6. Lower respiratory infections
7. Tuberculosis	7. Tuberculosis
8. Measles	8. War
9. Road traffic accidents	9. Diarrheal diseases
10. Congential anomalies	10. HIV

Reference: World Health Organization, 1996. 

Health This Week!

Mind-Body-Relationship!

The Mind-Body Relationship: A Brief History....

The ancient Greeks were among the earliest to identify the role of bodily factors in health and illness. Rather than ascribing illnesses to evil spirits, they developed the humoral theory of illness (Sarafino, 2011).  According to their viewpoint, Sarafino (2011) explained that disease resulted when the four humors of circulating fluids of the body - blood, black bile, yellow bile, and phlegm - were out of balance. The goal of treatment was to restore the balance among the humors. 

By the Middle Ages, however, the pendulum had swung back toward supernatural explanations for illnesses. Sarafino (2011) described diseases was regarded as God's punishment for evil doing, and cure often consisted of driving out the evil forces by torturing the body. Later, this form of "therapy" was replaced by penance through prayer (Sarafino, 2011).

Beginning in the Renaissance and continuing into the present day, great strides have been made in understanding the bases of medicine. These advances noted by Caltabiano (2008) included the invention of the microscope in the 1600s and the development of the science of autopsy, which allowed medical practitioners to see the organs that were implicated in different diseases. 

As the science of cellular pathology progressed, the humoral theory of illness was finally put to rest. As a result of scientific advances, Caltabiano (2008) reported medical practices drew increasingly on laboratory findings and looked to bodily factors rather than to the mind as the bases for health and illness. 

In an effort to break with the superstitions of the past, Caltabiano (2008) conveyed that practitioners resisted acknowledging any role of the mind in disease processes. Instead, they focused primarily on organic and cellular pathology as a basis for the diagnoses and treatment recommendations (Caltabiano, 2008).

 

 This woodcut from the 1570s depicts a sophisticated, though not always successful, techniques for the treatment of illness

surgeon drilling a hole in a patient’s skull, with the patient’s family and pets looking on..

References: 

Caltabiano, M. L. (2008). Health psychology: Biopsychosocial Interactions, 2nd edition. 

Sarafino, E. P. (2011). Health psychology, International Student Version, 7th edition.