Running Head: Psychological Factors Influencing Physical Health

The Psychological Factors Affecting Physical Health

Part of health psychology is understanding how psychological factors (such as attitudes,

beliefs, thoughts, moods, and emotions) and overall quality of life impact a person's health.

Health is the state of complete physical, mental and social well-being not merely absence of

disease and infirmity. Individuals health is determined and affected by his/her physical

(biological factors), mental (psychological) and social (surrounding ambient). Psychological

factors can influence physical health either indirectly, by changing behaviors that affect your

health, such as eating, sleeping and socializing, or directly, by producing changes in your

hormones and/or heart rate.

Personality Types influencing physical health

Extroversion Personality Influencing Physical Health

Extroversion is defined as the quality of being outgoing and directing attention to things

other than yourself.

Spiro et al. (1990) found that self-reported extraverts had fewer physiological and

physical symptoms. The results of a study conducted shows that those who identified more as an

extrovert had better white cells, or immune system. People who are extroverted tend to be more

exposed to infections because of their higher involvement in social activities. Their bodies

compensate by producing more immune-boosting white blood cells that can fight off infections.

Introversion Personality Influencing Physical Health

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People who are introverted tend to be inward turning, or focused more on internal

thoughts, feelings and moods rather than seeking out external stimulation.

Social relationships appear to be closely related to CVD risks. Lack of social support may

act on the autonomic nervous system causing adverse cardiac events, or indirectly though

behaviors such as lowered adherence, smoking and physical inactivity.

Type A Personality Influencing Physical Health

This personality type is characterized by:

Time urgency impatience, anxiety, little time for relaxation, and poor sleep patterns.

Competition strenuous workers, and compulsive/neurotic tendencies.

Anger aggressiveness and hostility.

Earlier studies suggest individuals with Type A personalities have much greater risk for

cardiovascular disease (Ragland & Brand, 1988). Although Type A personalities can be highly

organized and high achievers, researchers find that these people also have higher levels of stress

hormones that can affect their overall health and well-being. Living in overdrive can take its toll

on a number of physical systems and lead to adverse health conditions and even early death.

Research suggests that Type A personalities appear to have higher rates of obesity, high blood

pressure, heart disease and stroke. Type A personalities have been found to have higher levels or

norepinephrine, a brain chemical associated with the fight or flight reaction. The high levels of

stress and high blood pressure often experienced by Type A personalities can become severe
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enough to lead to a stroke. The combination of high stress, poor eating habits, obesity, lack of

exercise and high blood pressure can put Type A personalities at higher risk for heart disease.

Hormones associated with stress can cause inflammation in blood vessels that can lead to

blockages and poor circulation.

Type B Personality Influencing Physical Health

Type Bs are the anti-Type Ascalm, cheery, cooperative, patient, easy-going folks who

arent hostile and driven. This may make you a more pleasant person.

If a person is Type B hes relaxed, take life a day a time, and handle stress without

cracking. That translates to a higher quality of life and lower likelihood of heart diseaseless

anxiety strengthens the immune system.

Type C Personality Influencing Physical Health

The Type C person has a calm, outwardly rational, and unemotional demeanor, but also a

tendency to conform to the wishes of others, a lack of assertiveness, and an inclination toward

feelings of helplessness or hopelessness. People-pleasersType Csare conforming, passive,

and want to accommodate. That can be a good thing when it comes to patient compliance.

These people are at heightened risk for colds, asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus and

multiple sclerosis. These are all anti-immune disorders. When an individual engages in a long-

term practice of ignoring or suppressing feelings, the immune system can become compromised

and confused, learning to attack the self rather than defend it.

Type D Personality Influencing Physical Health

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Type D personality is defined as having the tendency towards negative feelings such as

pessimism, worrying, irritability and social inhibition. Type D is the distressed personality.

New research suggests having a distressed personality may jeopardize your health. A

study published today in the journal Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes finds

that those with this personality type, known as Type D, are at three times the risk for future

heart problems, including peripheral artery disease, heart failure, and death, compared to more

optimistic sorts. Several studies have implicated Type D in an array of cardiovascular risk

factors and poor overall health.

Effect of Locus of Control On Physical Health

Locus of control refers to the extent to which people feel that they have control over the

events that influence their lives. "A locus of control orientation is a belief about whether the

outcomes of our actions are contingent on what we do (internal control orientation) or on events

outside our personal control (external control orientation),"

There are two types of locus of control:

1. Internal locus of control

2. External locus of control

Internal Locus of Control Influencing Physical Health

The belief that events in ones life, whether good or bad, are caused by controllable

factors such as ones attitude, preparation, and effort. The perception of ones control plays a

significant role in mood and healthy behavior. Individuals with an internal locus of control

perceive an internalized and self-borne and causes control mechanism (Helgeson, 1992).
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Those with an internal locus of control Feel confident in the face of challenges and Tend to

be physically healthier. Internals are more likely to investigate methods to improve their health,

however, some may decide to self-treat themselves without consulting medical professionals.

External Locus of Control Influencing Physical Health

The belief that events in ones life, whether good or bad, are caused by uncontrollable

factors such as the environment, other people, or a higher power. Individuals who feel external

sources control their actions, rather than being internal-borne, vision success as a matter of

chance.

Those with an external locus of control Frequently feel hopeless or powerless in the face of

difficult situations and Are more prone to experiencing learned helplessness. They are more

receptive to supervision. Given the lack of manipulating their control internally, externals often

fail to exercise, diet, and seek medical treatment. Being overweight is a significant risk factor for

the development of hypertension and coronary heart disease in people with external locus of

control.

Effect of Social Support On Physical Health

Social relationships have as much impact on physical health as blood pressure,

smoking, physical activity, and obesity, as demonstrated in 1988 by House, Landis, and

Umberson. Social support is the physical and emotional comfort given to an individual by his

family, friends, co-workers and others. We all need people we can depend on during both the

good times and the bad. Maintaining a healthy social support network is hard work and

something that requires ongoing effort over time.

How Can Social Support Influences Health?

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If an individual want to be healthier; he cannot avoid other people; the human body is

built to be part of a society; and putting time and effort into positively interacting with others,

will inevitably bring many health benefits, if nothing else. People who fit into society are likely

to be more content and as a result healthier; both physically and mentally.

Stressful circumstances, making people feel worried, anxious and unable to cope, are

damaging to health and may lead to premature death. Social and psychological circumstances

can cause long-term stress. Continuing anxiety, insecurity, low self-esteem, social isolation and

lack of control over work and home life, have powerful effects on health. Such psychosocial

risks accumulate during life and increase the chances of poor mental health and premature death.

Effect of High Social Support on Physical Health

There is a significant relation between emotions and health. Anyone who has positive

emotion and beliefs is likely to enhance their physical health. As expected, being in a good mood

will cause refreshed mind to relieve some of the stresses. Laughing is said to have a good deal of

influence on reducing or forgetting about the hassles of daily life. Strong social support is

necessary to help succeed in achieving these traits of overall physical well-being (Salovey,

Detweiler, Steward, & Rothman, 2000).

Effect of Low Social Support on Physical Health

Unhappy or poor quality relationships with other people have been shown to have a

negative impact on mental health and well-being. Conflictual, distressing relationships may do us

more psychological harm than positive social relationships can do us good. People who have less

social support are more likely to have cardiovascular risk (CVR) factors, including

hypertension, diabetes, and depression, and to smoke or abuse alcohol.

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Social relationshipsboth quantity and qualityaffect mental health, health behavior,

physical health, and mortality risk. Studies show that social relationships have short- and long-

term effects on health, for better and for worse, and that these effects emerge in childhood and

cascade throughout life to foster cumulative advantage or disadvantage in health.

Health Belief Influencing Physical Health

Health Beliefs are persons Ideas, convictions, attitudes about health and illness. The

Health Belief Model (HBM) is a psychological model that attempts to explain and predict health

behaviors. This is done by focusing on the attitudes and beliefs of individuals.

Positive health belief effect on physical health

According to a landmark review published earlier this year, positive expectations are

associated with better health. People with healthy beliefs system about their health have less risk

factors regarding health and chronic diseases. And if they are encountered with any disease they

are more prone to cure from that disease with high encouragement.

Negative health belief effect on physical health

People with negative belief systems such as these are unlikely to be effective in self-

management of risk-factors and chronic conditions. They may have low frustration tolerance and

motivation, become easily discouraged, bury their heads in the sand and deny the problem,

become hopelessly depressed and give up, angrily lash out at others trying to help them, and

some may actually want to die.

Effect of Self-Efficacy On Physical Health

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The term self-efficacy refers to beliefs about the ability to effectively perform the tasks

needed to attain a valued goal. Self-efficacy is not a unitary construct or trait; rather, people have

self-efficacy beliefs in different domains, such as academic self-efficacy, problem-solving self-

efficacy, and self-regulatory self-efficacy.

Stronger self-efficacy beliefs are associated with positive outcomes, such as better grades,

greater athletic performance, happier romantic relationships, and a healthier lifestyle. Self-

efficacy is positively correlated with a range of health status outcomes including physical

functioning and psychological well-being.

Impact of High Self- Efficacy On Physical Health

Dieting and weight control are health-related behaviors that can also be governed by self-

efficacy beliefs (Bernier & Avard, 1986). Chambliss and Murray (1979) found that overweight

individuals were most responsive to behavioral treatment where they had a high sense of efficacy

and an internal locus of control.

Many researchers agree that people with stronger self-efficacies for doing healthy things

(e.g., exercise self-efficacy, dieting self-efficacy) engage in more behaviors that prevent health

problems and improve overall health (Rosenstock, 1986). People who have strong self-efficacy

beliefs about being able to reduce their alcohol consumption are more successful when treated

for drinking problems (Maisto, 2000). People who have stronger self-efficacy beliefs about their

ability to recover from heart attacks do so more quickly than those who do not have such beliefs

(Ewart, 1983). Self-efficacy is especially important when it comes to safe sex. People with

greater self-efficacies about condom usage are more likely to engage in safe sex (Kaneko, 2007),

making them more likely to avoid sexually transmitted diseases, such as HIV.
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Impact of Low Self-Efficacy On Physical Health

People experience sensations from their body and how they perceive this emotional

arousal influences their beliefs of efficacy (Bandura, 1977). Some examples of physiological

feedback of low self-efficacy are: giving a speech in front of a large group of people, making a

presentation to an important client, taking an exam, etc. All of these tasks can cause agitation,

anxiety, sweaty palms, and/or a racing heart (Redmond, 2010). It is important to note that if one

is more at ease with the task at hand they will feel more capable and have higher beliefs of self-

efficacy.

Conclusion

Psychological factors can influence physical health either indirectly, by changing

behaviors that affect your health, such as eating, sleeping and socializing, or directly, by

producing changes in your hormones and/or heart rate. Additionally, the mind can interact with

the benefits of a medicine, reducing the effectiveness of a certain drug or worsening the negative

symptoms associated with certain medical conditions. Therefore, one should monitor his

thoughts towards his health and psychological well-being when coping with any medical

condition.

In sum, social environments and ones responses to them can have powerful detrimental

effects. It is likely that these physical health symptoms are primarily mediated through ones

appraisals of social conditions, health belief, self-efficacy and internal locus of control as

stressful and the consequential changes in health behaviors, endocrine, immune, and

cardiovascular response.
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Buhagiar, K., Parsonage, L., & Osborn, D. P. (2011). Physical health behaviours and health locus

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Keedy, N. H. (2009). Health locus of control, self-efficacy, and multidisciplinary intervention for

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Paukert, A. L., Pettit, J. W., Kunik, M. E., Wilson, N., Novy, D. M., Rhoades, H. M., ... &

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Attitude and Health. Boundless Psychology. Boundless, 08 Aug. 2016. Retrieved 01 Dec. 2016

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