My notes are very detailed and contain all the necessary information for you to do well in this module. I received an A in both the predicate test and the exam and i only studied these notes. I have included graphs and tables to make the concepts, definitions and examples more understandable.
Psychology 348 Stellenbosch University
Exam notes Stelliespsychnotes@gmail.com
Week 1
Introduction:
• Health: “is a complete state of well-being that includes physical, mental and social well-being.
Health is not merely the absence of infirmity.” à World Health Organization (1948)
• Implications of definition:
o Provides a holistic view of health as a state of well-being.
o Holistic à physical, mental and social well-being.
o There are certain prerequisites to well-being that include access to resources to satisfy
needs.
o Provides goals regarding health and well-being that include disease prevention and
health promotion.
o Illustrates that risk/protective factors influence health of person, group & community.
o Multiple-levels of risk factors that lead to poor health (micro-, exo-, macro-system).
• Mental health: defined as a state of well-being in which every individual realises their own
potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is
able to contribute to their community.
• “Well-being” is defined as
o Not simply a matter of individual health and involves transactions between individuals,
supportive relationships and environments. (Stokols, 2003)
o A state of personal, relational and collective well-being (Nelson&Prilleltensky)ßNB
• Goal: to understand factors that impact well-being so that we can move individuals, groups and
communities along the continuum between death and optimal wellness.
o To challenge conditions of oppression and inequality that cause poor well-being.
• How do psychologists contribute to well-being?
o Psychological interventions!
- Work together with an affected target group and take action to enhance/
maintain their functioning and well-being (Schillig)
• Community psychology is underpinned by the principle of ecology and the value of holism.
Risk and protective factors
• Multiple risk and protective factors influence the health and well-being of the individual, group
and community à dynamic interaction between risk and protective factors.
• Risk factors
o Increase vulnerability for negative health outcomes (i.e. depression; PTSD; anxiety)
o Threaten well-being
o Individual/ interpersonal/ social; contextual
• Protective factors
o Moderate the impact of risk factors on health
o Decrease the susceptibility for negative health outcomes
o Protect well-being
o Individual/ interpersonal/ social; contextual
• Factors that threaten health and well-being?
o Violence, drug abuse, chronic disease, economic factors, historical factors, social
factors related to resources and their distribution.
o Poverty is the most important risk factor for good health and well-being.
- i.e. most salient social factor to cause ill health.
1
, Psychology 348 Stellenbosch University
Exam notes Stelliespsychnotes@gmail.com
Challenges facing SA
• Unemployment
• A high disease burden
• Divisions within society
• Failure of public services, especially in delivering to the poor
• Parts of the country where people are “locked into poverty”
• Failure to exploit natural resources well
• Crumbling infrastructure
• Corruption
• Persistent high levels of inequality
• Violence against women and femicide continue
• Persistent discrimination
• Securing a just transition to a low carbon economy while a high degree of dependence on fossil
fuels prevail
How do we account for differences in well-being between individuals, groups and communities?
• Privilege (access to more resources).
• Context of each individual.
o i.e. the differences in social circumstances of individuals, groups and communities.
o The context is decisive.
à it will determine our health and well-being.
Social factors that influence well-being
• Transaction between individual and social context.
• Poor health and well-being affected by the social context (of the individual/group/community).
• Factors that create inequalities in well-being include differences in:
o Income
o Levels of education
o Social class
o Gender
o Ethnicity or race
• Poverty is the most salient social factor to cause ill-health.
o Especially oppression and inequalities in access to resources.
• Prerequisites to support well-being of a population:
1. Basic physiological needs
- E.g. food, shelter, clothing
2. Social resources
- E.g. peace, income, education
3. Physical resources
- E.g. housing, access to clean water and sanitation
The SA population
• 55 million in 2017
• Life expectancy:
o 62.8 for men
o 69.7 for women
2
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller stelliespsychnotes. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for $8.53. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
