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What is Health Psychology?

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Health Psychology

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Uses psychological principles and research to enhance well-being,

treat and prevent illness.

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Health Psychology

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Health Psychology

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Health Psychology

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Health Psychology

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Health Psychology

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Health Psychology

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Health Psychology

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It is a marriage between medicine and psychology.

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Health Psychology

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It’s basic premise: reciprocal relationship between mind & body

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Examples of the Mind-Body Relationship?

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Placebo effects….

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The mind influences the body

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Examples of the Mind-Body Relationship?

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Vitamin B deficiency….

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The body influences the mind

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Gut microbes….

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The body influences the mind

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The MOST Important take home lessons from Health Psychology

The mind influences the body and the body influences the mind

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Negative emotions are toxic

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Take control of your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors

It’s all about perception

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Well-being depends on the relative �health of 6 interrelated dimensions:

physical, emotional, intellectual,

spiritual, social, environmental

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“Modern” Medicine

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Biomedical Model

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Health Psych’s Biopsychosocial Perspective

Health & illness are determined not just by biological factors

1. Biological factors

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Health Psych’s Biopsychosocial Perspective

Health & illness are determined not just by biological factors

2. Psychological factors

personality

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Health Psych’s Biopsychosocial Perspective

Health & illness are determined not just by biological factors

3. Sociological factors

Social economic status

Social support network

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Goals of Health Psychology

To scientifically study the etiology of disease

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causes & origins

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Goals of Health Psychology

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To promote health

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Goals of Health Psychology

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Treat and prevent illness

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Goals of Health Psychology

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To promote public health policy and improve the health care system

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Reciprocal Relationship between Health & Culture

What is Culture?

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What is Culture?

Culture refers to shared knowledge, experience, beliefs, values, attitudes, meanings, hierarchies, religion, roles, concepts of the universe, and material objects and possessions acquired by a group of people and passed on from one generation to the next. http://www.tamu.edu/faculty/choudhury/culture.html

Culture writes a prescription

for behavior

What makes up our culture?

Parents Ethnicity

Peers Race

Age Politics

Sex hairstyles

SES clothing

Religion work ethics

Geography personalities

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Edward T. Hall 1976

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Examples of Cultural Influences on Health

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Examples of Health-related influences on Culture

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Examples of Health-related influences on Culture