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Unit 26 Health Psychology - Task 1 - Distinction
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Unit 26 Health Psychology Task 1, Distinction achieved. Use a guide to help you out.
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Task 1P1. Explain how concepts of health psychology, health and ill health influence
health-related beliefs and behaviours.
M1. Assess the extent to which concepts of health psychology, health and ill
health influence health related beliefs and behaviours.
WHO describes health as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being
and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity (Organization, 2022). Although it
could be argued that this definition of health does not take into account that ill health
can be a disease without any symptoms, leading the individual to believe they are
perfectly healthy (Boyd, 2020), Additionally, those who are aware of their condition
may feel perfectly fine and healthy in their own way, particularly if they take
medication to maintain their health, demonstrating that the definition of being healthy
should not exclude having a disease (Fallon & Karlawish, 2019). Further on, labelling
health as ‘state of complete physical, menta and social well-being’ would mean that
most of the earth’s population does not have good health, especially when it comes
to mental health as it is more looked at and talked about than before and it is
recognised that a lot of people are affected by it. Ill health could be defined as being
unable to function normally due to the presence of something negative such as a
disease or the absence of something positive like adequate nutrition (Cate, N/A).
It is based on the idea that someone who is ill cannot meet the demands of normal
society, so they are not required to perform any work and their most important
responsibility is to recover as quickly
as possible so they can once again
meet those demands. This concept
is known as the "sick role," and it
states that someone who is ill has
their own set of rights and
responsibilities. The sick person has
certain rights, including the right to be cared for by another person, the right to be
excused from social obligations, the right to not be blamed for being ill, and the right
to seek medical attention. However, the sick also have duties to uphold that
guarantee they are indeed ill, such as being honest about their illness, being in
charge of arranging for medical attention, complying to any medical advice given,
and only engaging in activities appropriate to the severity of their illness (Study.com,
2022). Today, however, being ill does not excuse us from our regular responsibilities;
in fact, many people who are ill are able to carry on with their jobs and social lives as
normally as they can. People today are making every effort to stay away from the
sick role (Mitchell, 2019). The benefit of a sick role is that a person is not judged if
they are unable to meet society's demands, such as being unable to work effectively
because of illness. Instead, they are more likely to be expected to rest and refrain
from engaging in any activities that could potentially harm their health and recover
, sufficiently to return to their job (Wade & Halligan, N/A). This theory has been
criticised because not everyone is given the role of the sick person; instead, some
groups of people are judged by society for contracting certain illnesses, such as
AIDS; as a result, they do not receive the same sympathy from society and are
instead held responsible for getting sick in the first place. Further, this theory could
only be applied to conditions that would quickly improve with medical care or rest; it
excludes long-term conditions and people who desire to be healthy but are unable to
achieve it (Disability, N/A).
A theoretical model that can be used to guide efforts to promote health and prevent
disease is the health belief model. It is used to
anticipate and better understand individual
changes in health behaviours. It focuses on how
people view and perceive health conditions,
which aids in predicting how people will act in
relation to their health (RHIhub, 2018). The
Health Belief Model is composed of five
essential elements. Perceived Severity, the
likelihood that a person will alter their health
behaviours to avoid a consequence depends on
how serious they perceive the consequence to
be. Perceived susceptibility, People won't alter their health habits unless they
perceive a risk to their health and well-being. Perceived benefits, even if it puts their
lives in danger, people won't give up something they enjoy if they don't also receive
something in exchange. Perceived barriers, some people refuse to alter their health-
related behaviours because they believe it will be difficult, such as investing effort,
time, or money into it. Cues to Action, Cue to Action is a strategy to encourage
desire to make the health change because sometimes just being interested in
altering a behaviour isn't enough to make it happen. Self-Efficacy examines people's
beliefs in light of their capacity to make dietary and lifestyle changes (Boskey, 2023).
The Health Belief Model is an effective tool for improving both individual and societal
health because it recognises the factors that could impact people's health-related
behaviours and can address these variables to increase people's motivation to take
action. However, it ignores the influence of habitual behaviour on people's health
behaviours or the fact that people hold a variety of opinions and views. Does not
mention the fact that occasionally people make unhealthy decisions for other
reasons, like social approval (Boskey, 2023).
According to previous studies, 60% of men are less likely to visit their doctor if
something is wrong, especially if it's just for a
routine check-up. Instead, they'll only go if their
condition gets worse or they get very sick. Men
avoid going to the doctor for a variety of reasons,
including fear of hearing bad news about their
health and the possibility that they won't be happy
or comfortable making the necessary changes to
their lifestyle because it may be overwhelming.
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