PSYC 318 Lecture Notes - Lecture 10: Coronary Artery Disease, Cardiovascular Disease, Behavioral Medicine
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Psychological and social factors play a major role in developing and maintaining a number of
physical disorders
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Behavioral medicine involves the application of behavioral science techniques to prevent,
diagnose, and treat medical problems
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Health psychology is a subfield that focuses on psychological factors involved in the
promotion of health and well-being
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Two fields of study have emerged as a result of a growing interest in psychological factors
contributing to illness
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Psychological and social factors may contribute directly to illness and disease through the
psychological effects of stress on the immune system and other physical functioning
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If the immune system is compromised, it may no longer be able to attack and eliminate antigens
from the body effectively, or it may even begin to attack the body's normal tissue instead, a
process known as autoimmune disease
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Growing awareness of the many connections between the nervous system and the immune
system has resulted in a field of study called psychoneuroimmunology
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Disease that may be partly related to the effects of stress on the immune system include AIDS,
cardiovascular disease, and cancer
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Psychological and Social Factors that Influence Health
Stress and the Immune Response
Long-standing patterns of behavior or lifestyle may put people at risk for developing certain
physical disorders
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For example, unhealthy sexual practices can lead to AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases,
and unhealthy behavioral patterns, such as poor eating habits, lack of exercise, or type A behavior
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Psychosocial Effects on Physical Disorders
(NOT ON EXAM) Physical Disorders and Health Psychology
Thursday, March 23, 2017
4:11 PM
Abnormal Psychology Page 1