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PSY 320 Using Health Services Study Notes Exam III

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PSY 320 Exam 3 Notes
3/14/2018
Chapter 8: Using Health Services
‱ Recognition and interpretation of symptoms
‱ Who uses health services?
‱ Misusing health services
Recognition of Symptoms
‱ Individual Differences
o Hypochondriacs believe normal bodily symptoms are indicators of illness
o Neurotic people either exaggerate symptoms or are more attentive to real
symptoms
‱ Attentional Differences
o People who are focused on themselves are quicker to notice symptoms
o People with more distractions and who attend less to themselves experience
fewer symptoms
‱ Situational Factors
o Boring situations make people more attentive to symptoms
o Medical Students’ disease: Students believing they are ill with the same illness
about which they are studying
‱ Stress
o Stress-related physiological changes are interpreted as symptoms of illness
‱ Mood
o Affects perception about symptoms and perceived vulnerability to illness
Interpretation of Symptoms
‱ Prior experience- Common disorders are regarded as less serious than rare disorders
‱ Expectations- Unexpected symptoms are ignored and expected symptoms are amplified
‱ Seriousness of the symptoms- Treatment is sought only when the symptom:
o Affects a highly valued body part
o Causes pain
Commonsense Model of Illness
‱ Commonsense beliefs- Held by people about their symptoms and illnesses
o Result in organized illness representations
‱ Includes basic information about an illness
o Identity- Name of the illness
o Causes- Factors believed to have led to the illness
‱ Consequences- Symptoms, treatments, and their implications for quality of life
‱ Time line- Length of time the illness is expected to last
‱ Control/cure- Whether the person believes the illness can be managed or cured
‱ Coherence- How well these beliefs represent the disorder
‱ Acute Illness

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o Believed to be caused by viral or bacterial agents
o Short in duration, with no long-term consequences
‱ Chronic Illness
o Believed to be caused by multiple factors
o Long in duration, with severe consequences
‱ Cyclic Illness
o Alternating periods of either no symptoms or many symptoms
Lay Referral Network
‱ Family and friends who offer their own interpretations of symptoms way before the
treatment is sought
‱ Advice is offered regarding:
o What the symptom means
o Advisability of seeking medical treatment
o Various home remedies
The Internet
‱ 2/3 of internet users have used it to find health information
‱ Many physicians depend on it for the most up-to-date information on illnesses and
treatments
In-Depth Interviewing
‱ Video
Who Uses Health Services?
‱ Age- Infants and the elderly use it most frequently
‱ Gender
o Women use it more than men
â–Ș Pregnancy and childbirth account for it
â–Ș Women have better homeostatic mechanisms
â–Ș Women’s medical care is more fragmented
o Men are expected to ignore pain and not give in to illness
‱ Social class and culture- Lower social classes use it less than affluent ones
‱ Social psychological factors
o Individual’s attitudes and beliefs toward health services and symptoms
o Children learn how to use health services from their parents
Using Health Services for Emotional Disturbances
‱ Psychological complaints- Nonmedical complaints that stem from anxiety and
depression
‱ People use health services for psychological complaints as:
o They are accompanied by physical symptoms
o Medical disorders are perceived to be more legitimate than psychological ones

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PSY 320 Exam 3 Notes 3/14/2018 ‱ ‱ ‱ Chapter 8: Using Health Services Recognition and interpretation of symptoms Who uses health services? Misusing health services Recognition of Symptoms ‱ Individual Differences o Hypochondriacs believe normal bodily symptoms are indicators of illness o Neurotic people either exaggerate symptoms or are more attentive to real symptoms ‱ Attentional Differences o People who are focused on themselves are quicker to notice symptoms o People with more distractions and who attend less to themselves experience fewer symptoms ‱ Situational Factors o Boring situations make people more attentive to symptoms o Medical Students’ disease: Students believing they are ill with the same illness about which they are studying ‱ Stress o Stress-related physiological changes are interpreted as symptoms of illness ‱ Mood o Affects perception about symptoms and perceived vulnerability to illness Interpretation of Symptoms ‱ Prior experience- Common disorders are regarded as less serious than rare disorders ‱ Expectations- Unexpected symptoms are ignored and expected symptoms are amplified ‱ Seriousness of the symptoms- Treatment is sought only when the symptom: o Affects a highly valued body part o Causes pain Commonsense Model of Illness ‱ Commonsense beliefs- Held by people about their symptoms and illnesses o Result in organized illness representations ‱ Includes basic information about an illness o Identity- Name of the illness o ...
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