Two Definitions of Health and Illness - Essay Example

? Health Psychology Introduction Health is a crucial component of human life; in this regard, it is crucial tohave an understanding of the various concepts that relate to human health. This paper will discuss the two definitions of health and illness, as well as explain the bio-psychosocial model of health. Moreover, the paper will explain the theories of self-efficacy and Locus of control. The paper will also discuss the gate-control theory, pattern theory, as well as specificity theory of pain. The paper will also discuss the factors influencing stress levels; in this section, the paper will define and explain two definitions of stress. The paper will also discuss the short term and the long term effects of stress on an individual; this will encompass an explanation of the psychological, emotional, and physical ways of responding to stress. 1.1 Two definitions of health and illness Various actors have come up with definitions of health and illness, which have helped explain the aspects in relation to various factors. During the 1940s, the World Health Organization came up with the definition of health that can be regarded as all-encompassing. According to WHO, health can be defined as "a state of complete mental, physical, and social-well being and cannot be considered as a lack of infirmity or disease" (Boruchovitch & Mednick 2002, p. 176). The World Health Organisation did not restrict the definition of health to the lack of illness. Instead, it brought a perception of health with regard to both the positive and absolute qualities that relate to illness (Boruchovitch & Mednick 2002, p. 176). As documented by Lau (1995), illness can be regarded as a concept that is complex just like the concept of health. In his explanations of complexity, Lau came up with six dimensions that define illness. One of the dimensions includes the presence of certain symptoms; based on his research, the symptoms that accompany illness can either be psychological or physiological. Lau also argued that illness can be accompanied by feelings of abnormalities; this is the case when individuals say that they are not feeling right. Illness can also take the form of having illnesses such as depression, cold, as well as cancer (Harding 2002, p. 527). Lau also noted that illness could be defined with regard to the consequences that it has on an individual. The definition of illness can also be argued with regard to the duration the symptoms last. The sixth dimension is that illness can be defined as the absence of health, whereby persons who do not have normal health can be considered as ill (Lau, 1995). 1.2 Bio-psychosocial model of health This model of health gives an explanation of diseases as conditions that emanate from external disorders or pathogens, which have an impact on the functioning of body systems, as well as organs of the body. The bio-psychosocial model has been dominant for many years and it has acted as an effective model in controlling infectious diseases. The model integrates the social, psychological, as well as biological factors in assessing, evaluating, treating, and preventing disease and illness. According to this model, the biological aspects relate to components such as toxins and germs, which play a role in causing illness. The psychological aspect of the model takes into account the psychological causes of disease, which may include negative thoughts and perception, emotions, as well as the failure to have self-control. The social aspect of the model explains the impact of various social factors on disease and illness. Such social factors may include poverty, culture, religion, as well as the social status and technology (Havelka et. al. 2009, p. 303). 2.1 Developed by Julian Rotter in 1954, the Locus of Control theory refers to an approach, which states that people tend to believe that control is within the situation, as well as within other people and themselves. The theory further argues that every person has a place that can be regarded as the locus. Such as locus is what is regarded as the locus of control and it has an impact on a person’s perception of control. According to this theory, persons having external locus tend to view their lives as being controlled by their circumstances. On the contrary, persons having an internal locus believe that they have the capacity to control circumstances in their lives. The views of people with regard to external and internal locus have a large impact on the status of their health (Conner and Norman, 2005). The self-efficacy model was developed by Albert Bandura; this theory focuses on the development of a person’s personality with regard to social learning, as well as observational learning. Bandura argued that the abilities, attitudes, and cognitive skills of an individual formed the self-system. The self-system has a remarkable impact on how people view situations related to health and how people respond in various situations. Later on, other scholars developed the theory of self-efficacy, and they argued that it affects behaviours relating to human health. Based on this, a person’s level of self-efficacy has an impact on behaviour such as dental hygiene, physical exercise, as well as dieting among others. As a result, self-efficacy has an impact on the health behaviour of individuals since it affects the goals of human health (Conner and Norman, 2005). 2.2 The gate control theory emanated from the works of Patrick Wall and Ron Melzack in 1962. The theory is based on the idea that physical pain cannot be regarded to result from the activation of receptor neurons that control pain. According to this theory, the perception of pain emanates from the ways in which various neurons interact. The theory also postulates that the stimulation of pain is carried by slow fibres, which tend to be small in size and enter the spinal cord through the dorsal horn. There are also other cells, which perform the function of transmitting impulses to the brain from the spinal cord (Moayedi & Davis 2012, p. 6). The pattern theory was proposed in 1920 by Goldshneider who argued that there is no system, which plays the role of pain perception. According to this theory, the receptors that perceive pain tend to be tied with such senses like the sense of touch. This approach details that people experience pain as a result of certain neural activity patterns. Such patterns can only be experienced when stimulation is intense (Moayedi & Davis 2012, p. 7). The specificity theory, proposed by Von Frey in 1895, states that the human body comprises of a separate sensory system that plays the role of pain perception. In addition, the system has its receptors, which help in pain perception and the detection of stimuli that emanate from pain (Moayedi & Davis 2012, p. 9). 3.1 There are various definitions of stress that have been advanced by several authors. One of the most remarkable authors who have defined stress includes Hans Selye who came up with the word stress in 1936. Hans argued that stress can be regarded as the body’s demand for change; this change can be regarded as non-specific. Hans concludes that human beings respond to when they suffer from illnesses that may induce stress; some of these illnesses include ulcers, strokes, hypertension, as well as heart attacks (Pomfrey, 2012). Lazarus also defined stress as demands that both the external and internal environments make; these demands upset the normal balance. As a result, the psychological and physical health of a person is affected (Walker 2012, p. 153). Stress has both long term and short term effects on an individual; these effects lead to the emotional, physical, and psychological responses to stress. Some of the long term effects of stress include the probability of a person to contract diseases like high blood pressure. In the long term, people who have the tendency to react to stress may suffer from cardiovascular diseases. This may affect persons who may be hostile, lack patience, as well as those people who have the tendency to be competitive (Carlson, 2004). One of the short-term effects of stress includes susceptibility to infections. This mainly happens because stress inhibits the immune system. Another short term effect of stress includes changes in the texture of the skin; stress may cause rashes (Boyd 2000, p. 10). Emotionally, stress leads to change in feelings, as well as changes in a person’s mood. Stress may also lead to physical effects such as pain being felt by the person undergoing stress. In terms of psychological impacts, stress may lead to self esteem and feelings of low self worth in individuals. Stress can either be good or bad; both good and bad stress has some effects on an individual. Good stress entails the form of stress in which people feel that have control over the events in their life. Good stress refers to stress that helps people perform tasks effectively. The effect of this form of stress is that can help in improving people’s memory. Bad stress can also be regarded as distress, and it entails the negative reaction to stimulus. The effect of bad stress is that it makes people dysfunctional and affects a person’s coping mechanism (Boyd, 2000).   Conclusion In conclusion, health can be defined as a state of complete mental, physical, and social-well being and cannot be considered as a lack of infirmity or disease. Illness can be regarded as a concept that is complex just like the concept of health. The bio-psychosocial model of health gives an explanation of diseases as conditions that emanate from external disorders or pathogens. According to the locus control theory, persons having external locus tend to view their lives as being controlled by circumstances in their lives. The gate control theory is based on the idea that physical paint cannot be regarded to result from the activation of receptor neurons that control pain. References List Boyd, K. M. (2000). Disease, illness, sickness, health, healing and wholeness: exploring some elusive concepts, Med Humanities 26 (1), pp.9-17. Boruchovitch, E. & Mednick, B. R. (2002). The meaning of health and illness: some considerations for health psychology, Psico-USF 7(2), pp. 175-183. Conner, M. and Norman, P. (2005). Predicting health behaviour (2nd ed.), Buckingham, England, Open University Press. Carlson N. R. (2004). Physiology of behavior, 8th ed, New York, Allyn & Bacon. Harding, G. Taylor, K. (2002). Health, illness and seeking health care, The Pharmaceutical Journal 269 (3), 526-528. Havelka, M, Lucanin J. D. & Lucanin, D. (2009). Biopsychosocial model-the integrated approach to health and disease, Coll Antropol 33(1), pp.303-10. Lau, R. R. (1995). Cognitive representations of health and illness. In; Gochman, D (ed.) Handbook of Health Behaviour Research, Vol. 1 New York, Plenum. Moayedi, M. & Davis, K. D. (2012). Theories of pain: from specificity to gate control, Journal of Neurophysiology 109 (1), pp. 5-12. Pomfrey, E. (2012). What is Stress? [Online] Accessed 13 April 2013. Available at: http://www.tm.org/resource-pages/60-what-is-stress Walker, J. (2012). Psychology for nurses and the caring professions, Maidenhead, Open University Press. p. 153. Read More