Documenti di Didattica
Documenti di Professioni
Documenti di Cultura
Disorders
Stress and health
Psychological Factors Affecting Medical
Condition (V coded on Axis I)
Behavioral medicine and health psychology
Psychosomatic or
somatopsychic?
• Western cultures have tended to
offer psychosomatic explanations of
certain illnesses.
• Asian cultures have often offered
somatopsychic explanations.
• Perhaps as a result, Americans may
be more reluctant to report
physical symptoms than are
Japanese or Koreans.
Psychophysiological
Disorders and DSM-IV
• Listed in “Other conditions” on Axis I:
Not a mental disorder
• Diagnosis is Psychological Factors
Affecting Medical Condition
• Remember that Axis III, General Medical
Conditions, may impinge on any DSM-IV
diagnosis.
• Medical conditions have psychological
consequences
Psychological Factors
Affecting Physical
Condition
• Mental disorder
• Psychological symptoms
• Personality traits or coping style
• Maladaptive health behaviors
• Stress-related physiological response
• Which is it? The Hmong sudden-death
syndrome (Sudden Unexplained Nocturnal
Death Syndrome, or SUNDS)
The culprit: Stress
• Stressor : An upcoming
Abnormal Psychology exam
• Follow a careful study plan
• Complain about the teacher
expecting too much work
• Escape/avoid studying by going
for pizza
• Focus attention on another
course
Coping scales on COPE
• Pharmacology
• Biofeedback
• Behavior change, eg diet
• Relaxation training
• Cognitive restructuring
• Stress management
– Relaxation training, cognitive
restructuring, plus behavior skills
training and environmental
changes: Social support.