The Causes of Psychological Diseases - Essay Example

The Causes of Psychological Diseases People often contemplate about the causes of diseases. There are different perspectives and theories about human health. Some people believe that we are what we eat, others think that the environment influences, while others belief in the hereditary nature of disease. The field of psychology developed a model called the multifactorial model. “The multifactorial model proposes that most health problems have an interconnecting set of causes rather than one distinct cause” (Scarlett, 2010). Based on this model there is no one single cause for a disease since multiple factors caused it. The six factors included in the multifactorial model are: Behavior Stressors Personality Environmental factors Biological Sociocultural When we drink contaminated water our bodies get sick. The environment deeply affects the health of human beings. Natural disasters can affect the health of a population. On March 2011 Japan was hit with the 4th largest earthquake on earth’s history. The earthquake damaged the infrastructure of one of the four nuclear energy plants in the island. This led to a release of radiation. Radiation is an external pollutant that is extremely damaging to the health of human beings. Due to the small leakage of radiation it is estimated that 5% of the population living within 100 square kilometers of the plant will develop cancer in the long run as a consequence to the exposure of radiation. Natural disasters such as hurricanes can cause floods that damage crops and the sewage systems of major cities. In the United States the majority of the population has access to an abundance of water, but a lack of water in Africa is causing major health problems for the population. American citizens use six times more water than the average African every year. Some biological factors that influence the chances of getting certain diseases include the medical history, genetics, family history of illnesses, congenital disabilities, age, gender, ethnicity, and physiological conditions. Sociocultural factors can affect a person’s health status. In Canada everyone has accesses to universal health insurance. The free market and capitalism system utilized in the US has made the United States the most expense place in the world for medical services. The average family health insurance plan in the United States costs $13,300 a year. Due to the high cost of medical expenses over 50 million people or approximately 16% of the population is uninsured. The social class of a family will affect a person’s access to health coverage. Health is influenced by religious beliefs and other cultural factors. In the Brazilian jungle there are still Indian tribes living the tribal life similarly to Indian lifestyle in America during the middle ages. The personality of a person affects their predisposition to diseases. Small things such as been an optimistic or pessimistic person can affect the human body. Four personality factors that can affect human health are depression, anxiety, hostility, and suspiciousness. A person’s personality can influence a person’s information seeking or avoidance about health risk and stressors. The behavior of a person such as diet, alcohol consumption, smoking habits, consumption of controlled substances, sleeping patterns, level of physical activity and interpersonal or social skills affect human health. Some potential stressors that can affect human health are daily hassle, frustration, and pain or discomfort. A disease that people in the United States have to start taking more seriously is coronary heart disease (CHD). The end results of coronary heart disease are heart attacks. In the United States the biggest cause of death is as a result of heart attacks. The risk factors for CHD are: family history, physiological conditions, patterns of consumption, type A behavior, hostility and anger, job strain, chronic fatigue and chronic emotional strain, sudden stressors, and having a physically inactive lifestyle. People that suffer from CHD have to make lifestyle changes to lower the changes of a heart attack. Some of the healthy habits that can lower the probability of a heart attack are: stop smoking, reducing hypertension, lowering cholesterol consumption, lowering hostile behavior, and exercising. The intervention of a psychologist can help coronary heart disease patients cope with the stress associated with making lifestyle changes. A smoker will have troubles eliminating the cigarettes from his or her routine. Visiting and hiring a nutritionist is a way to evaluate one’s eating habits in order to make the proper changes to improve the patient’s diet to incorporate healthy meals. Patients that are experiencing elevated levels of stress due to job strains can benefit a lot by talking to a psychologist about the problems he is facing. Therapy with a psychologist can help people relieve stress. Another disease that requires the immediate attention of the U.S. population is cancer. Cancer is the number one killer of U.S. women and the second leading cause of death among men. The cancer disease occurs due to the development of abnormal or mutant cells. These cells can take rook anywhere in the body including blood, lungs, digestive tracks, genital organs, and bones. The best diagnostic for any cancer patient is to catch the disease early. When cancer cells are not caught early they then to metastasize; which implies that the cells formulate a colony that spread across the entire human body. One of the worst outcomes for a cancer patient is the presence of a tumor. Tumors are large cancerous masses. Once tumors are identified they must be surgically removed. Cancerous cells are frequently produced by the body, but they are typically destroyed by the body’s immune system. People that have deficient immune systems are more likely to develop cancerous tumors. Psychologists can provide a valuable service to cancer patients. These patients often get depressed and they worry about death. A psychologist can help these patients take life each day at a time to enjoy their time on earth to the fullest. The use of the multifactorial framework can help doctors better determine the root of a disease by analyzing a series of elements that influenced a person’s body. The six elements of the multifactorial framework are behavior, stressors, personality, environmental factors, biological, and sociocultural factors. The two most deadly diseases in the United States are coronary heart disease and cancer. Both these diseases can be prevented by a wellness health program that includes a healthy diet, exercising, and eliminating stressful situations. References Scarlett, A. (2010). Psychology: What is the multi-factorial model. Retrieved October 29, 2011 from http://www.helium.com/items/1960574-multi-factorial-model Read More