Health psychology
- Created by: rebeccahankinson
- Created on: 27-05-15 11:41
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- Health psychology
- What is health psychology
- Health psychology aims to study how and why people behave in an unhealthy manner and the methods that can be employed to persuade people to pursue a healthier action
- It is a combines the study of the biological bases of behaviour, the way cognition affects the way we behave and the social aspects of behaviour
- A key aspect of behaviour which can damage health is the taking of recreational drugs
- Health psychology seeks to understand that behaviour
- Substance misuse
- Substance misuse is the intake of drugs in quantities that are potentially damaging to physical or mental health
- Recreational drugs means that chemicals affect the mind
- Biological aspects of drug use
- A synaps is the junction between two neurons
- Neurotransmitters are released by the neuron on one side of the gap and then taking up by the neuron on the other side
- This is how the messages are passed within the brain.
- Psychoactive drugs produce their effect by changing how this operates
- If that effect is pleasant, the drug taker is likely to take the drug again
- However repeatedly taking the drug may cause physical dependence
- At this point, not taking the drug produces unpleasant symptoms because the body can no longer function normally without the drug being present
- Psychological aspects of drug use
- People taking drugs for the psychological effects they experience- drugs alter feeling, reactions and behaviour.
- Repeated use of a drug can lead to psychological dependence on it because the individual believes they cannot manage without the drug
- Social aspects of drug use
- People often start using drugs for social reasons
- Pressure from friends or peer group can be a powerful influence, as the drug- taking behaviour can be seen as normal in that situation and the individual doesn't want to feel left out
- If drug taking always takes place in a particular social setting, it can also make breaking the habit much harder unless that social setting can be avoided
- What is health psychology
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