UNIT- 9 Application of Social Psychology

to Health and Well-Being *

Structure
9.0 Objectives

9.1 Introduction

9.2 Biopsychosocial Model

9.2.1 Factors of health and well being

9.2.1.1 Social Variables

9.2.1.2 Health Promotion

9.2.1.3 Prevention of Illness

9.3 Health-Belief Model

9.3.1 Stress

9.3.2 Coping

9.3.3 Social Support

9.4 Stress

9.4.1 Coping

9.4.2 Social Support

9.5 Let Us Sum Up

9.6 Unit End Questions

9.7 Glossary

9.8 Answers to Self Assessment Questions

9.9 Suggested ReadingsandReferences

9.0 Objectives

After reading this unit, you will be able to:

● Describe the biopsychosocial model;

● Explain the concept of health promotion and prevention of illness;

● Discuss the health belief model; and

● Elucidate the ways to cope with stress.

* Ms Preeti Sehrawat, Psychologist, Delhi

98
9.1 Introduction Application of Social
Psychology to Health
and Well-Being
Health is a state of physical fitness but well-being is a state of living a life which includes
physical, mental and social states. Well-being is also as important as health. Psychological
well-being is a feeling of happiness, high life satisfaction, self-realisation and positive mental
health. Consequently, feelings of satisfaction and physical fitness emphasise on the good
quality of life. The positive influence of good quality of life includes happiness and to complete
life’s challenges in a positive direction while the negative effect involves mood swings, fear,
anxiety, nervousness, anger, stress, awful and not able to sustain healthier lifestyle and
unable to maintain good social relationships. Health psychology is the study of psychological
knowledge, and the management of physical as well as mental illness and disorders. Human
welfare is considered to address the physical conditions rather than emotional and psychological
situations. Researchers emphasized on health and illness to optimize effectiveness; health
psychology is the central concept of human behaviour knowledge and is influenced by settings
like institution, schools, hospital. The health professionals analyse the level of health and its
measurement; how a person can think, behave and influence on their health; comorbidity of
physical distress; and how can physical illness be prevented by motivation and counselling
and other implications. The following topics may find useful to introduce the interest of health
psychology: stress; physical health is also influenced by the chronic stress or anxiety; indulge
the psychological responses to acute stress. Frequently, it is argued that behavioural process is
the important outcomes of the assessment of the psychological and behavioural consequences
because it is one the major influence on the effectiveness of health. For each person, quality of
life is the concept of good life, physical therapists that plays an important role to decrease the
physiological stress, safe maintenance of patient and family, take the step towards the better
health performance evaluated through physical therapy intervention. The present unit will
discuss the applications of social psychology to health and well-being.

9.2 Biopsychosocial Model

The Biopsychosocial Model (BPS) comprises of three words, ‘Bio’ means physiology,
‘Psycho’ means psychological distress, ‘Social’ means sociology. The model was derived
by George L. Engel in 1977 on the multifaceted thinking. The Biopsychosocial Model
proposes that interactions in the area, social-environmental, biological and psychological
factors lead to mental health. The Biopsychosocial model can be seen at the figure of 9.1.

Box 9.1: Biopsychosocial Model

• According to biological, the model specifies the physical health, genetic
vulnerabilities, and disability that involves human’s behaviour, drug effects,
temperament, IQ.
• According to Social-environmental, the model specifies the drug effects, family
relationships, trauma, peers, family circumstances and school.
• According to psychological, the model specifies the temperament, IQ, self-
esteem, family relationships, trauma, coping skills and social skills.

Fig. 9.1 : Biopsychosocial Model

The biopsychosocial model argues that no one element is sufficient; rather, it is the interaction
of people's genetic makeup, mental health and behaviour, as well as social and cultural context
that determines their health-related results:

99
Areas of Application of Biological influences on health: The genetic makeup of an individual, as well as history of
Social Psychology physical trauma or infection, are biological impacts on health. Many diseases are caused by
a hereditary vulnerability. As per the recent research, there is a risk factor for the offsprings
also suffer from schizophrrenia, if their parents have it. If one parent is affected, the risk
is approximately 13%; if both parents are suffering from it then, the risk is nearly 50%. It
is undeniable that genetics play a part in the development of schizophrenia, but it is also
undeniable that other influencing variables must be at play. In people with a pre-existing
genetic risk and some environmental factors influence the disorder's expression.
Psychological Influences on Health
The biopsychosocial model’s psychological component explains the psychological
foundation for a specific symptom or set of symptoms (e.g., impulsivity, irritability,
overwhelming sadness, etc.). Individuals with a genetic vulnerability may be more inclined
to engage in negative thinking, placing them at risk for depression; on the other hand,
psychological variables may compound a biological tendency by exposing a genetically
sensitive individual to other risk behaviours. For instance, Depression may not cause liver
damage on its own, but a person with depression is more likely to abuse alcohol and, as a
result, develop liver damage. Increased risk-taking is linked to a higher risk of disease.
Social Influences on Health
Socioeconomic status, culture, technology, and religion are all social variables. Losing
a job or quitting a romantic engagement, for example, might result in stress. Such life
circumstances may predispose a person to depression, which can lead to physical health
issues. In psychological disorders such as anorexia nervosa, the impact of social variables
is well understood (a disorder characterised by excessive and purposeful weight loss despite
evidence of low body weight). The fashion industry and the media promote an unhealthy
standard of beauty that places a trend to maintain physical fitness which risks the physical
health. Despite the apparent health hazards, this creates social pressure to achieve this
"ideal" body image.
Cultural influences are also included in the social sphere. Distinct cultural groups, have
different prevalence rates and symptom expression of diseases due to variances in their
circumstances, expectations, and belief systems. Anorexia, for example, is less common in
non-western societies because they place less importance on women's slim figure.
Culture can have significant influence throughout a narrow geographic range, such as from
low-income to high-income places, so the disease and illness ranges or vary accordingly. As
epigenetics research is beginning to reveal, culture may even modify biology. Epigenetics
research, in particular, reveals that the environment can change a person's genetic makeup.
For example, Individuals exposed to overcrowding and poverty, are more likely to acquire
depression, according to studies, with genuine genetic changes emerging over only a single
generation.

Fig. 9.2: Diagram of the Biopsychosocial model

Source: https://www.physio-pedia.com/Biopsychosocial_Model
100
9.2.1 Factors of Health and Wellbeing Application of Social
Psychology to Health and
There are certain factors that can actively support the health and well being of humans. They Well-Being
play a large role at the domains of health as to promote the development of health and protect
against mental health problems and physical problems. There is a requirement to create
awareness to enhance the positive well being from an early age, like getting education and
qualifications to enhance their role in staying healthier life for long. Poor knowledge or low
source of resources can have a huge impact on wellbeing and create the health conditions
worse. Like, insufficient food and over eating or over dieting can have an big effect on
humans health and inability to feel energetic or find difficulties to perform the physical tasks
and hard working to handle the health related problems. Therefore, it is necessary to focus
in the circumstance and the situations to find out the problem, which effect on health and
wellbeing prospectus and how to tackle the situations or how to reduce it. Let us now discuss
the factors contributing to the performance level of the health and in the state of well-being.

9.2.1.1 Social Variables

The components or elements that influence health outcomes are known as social variables of
health . They are the circumstances in which people are born, grow, work, live, and age, as
well as the larger set of factors and institutions that shape our daily life conditions. Economic
policies and systems, development objectives, social norms, social policies, and political
systems are examples of these forces and systems.
The social variables have a significant impact on health inequalities, which can be unjust
and avoidable disparities in health status that exist within and between countries. Health and
sickness follow a social gradient in countries of all income levels: the lower the socioeconomic
status, the poorer the health.
The following are some examples of socioeconomic determinants of health that can have a
good or negative impact on health equity:
● Income and social protection
● Education
● Unemployment and job insecurity
● Working life conditions
● Food insecurity
● Housing, basic amenities and the environment
● Early childhood development
● Social inclusion and non-discrimination
● Structural conflict
● Access to affordable health services of decent quality.

9.2.1.2 Health Promotion

Health promotion is an activity to create awareness about the mental health problems,
their consequences, symptoms, causes and treatment. The aim of the health promotion is
to encourage healthy lifestyles, proper dietary, support and wellbeing. It has three main
strategies to follow:
1) To enable the health problem: This strategy consist of the social activities that can build
or enable the factors for enhancing health and to support the positive attitude towards
the health promotion activities.
2) Mediate the health promotion: This strategy integrates the complex health determinants
such as, behavioural condition, risk factors of diseases, strengthen community action,
healthy population, etc. together:
101
Areas of Application of 3) Enhance the health promotion: This strategy advocates the implementation of the
Social Psychology financial investment in the multiple sectors, such as in schools, colleges, offices,
home, markets or local area to operate in that place where people live.

9.2.1.3 Prevention of Illness

From infancy to the last stage of human’s life process, mental health plays the vital role in
our life. Here the question is that why a person gets ill? Answer is merely one: a person is
not aware about the preventive ways of illness. It is very important to discuss some points to
reduce psychological distress and others health issues or to improve the human functioning to
restrict premature death, mental health issues, heredity diseases, etc. Prevention that has to be
taken in three basic levels such as,
● Primary prevention aims to reduce the risks of development of diseases. For example,
vaccinations for infection, medicine, the use of hand cleaner, toothpaste, etc.
● Secondary prevention aims to focus on and early symptoms, and detection of diseases.
By doing diagnostic testing, a person can minimize the complications to worsening of
the diseases. For example, psychological interventions, screening for cancer (breast
and cervical).
● Tertiary prevention aims to minimize the negative complications that impact through
implementation of the restoring function. For example, replacement of teeth, implants,
or the insulin therapy for the disease like diabetes (Type-II).

Self Assessment Questions (SAQ I )

State whether the following ‘True’ or ‘False’
1) Health is a state of physical fitness. ( )
2) The Biopsychosocial Model (BPS) comprises of two words. ( )
3) Health promotion is an activity to create awareness about the mental health problems.

( )
4) Primary prevention aims to reduce risk of development of diseases. ( )

9.3 Health Belief Model

The Health Belief Model (HBM) was designed by social psychologists Hochbam, Rosenstock,
and others psychologists in 1950’s working in the U.S Public Health Service to detect illness.
The Health-Belief Model (HBM) is a scientfic tool, by using this many researchers and
scientists can predict the behaviours of an individual. It might be considered as the personal
threat of a disease or also the prediction of an illness. It is a human nature to not to not take
any preventive steps unless they perceive the impact of not taking any prevention of illness or
precaution of health. The person’s belief to the willingness to take the serious action towards
the acquiring risk of diseases like, to use a ‘condom’ to prevent from the HIV infection (AIDS),
to avoid ciggerette smoking to stop from the lung cancer, getting vaccinated for infection, etc.
The following are the HBM constructs are hypothesized to assume, perceive, prevent, screen
and control health situations.
● Personal charcterstics, such as sex, age, etnicity, self-efficency, benefits, and barriers.
● Perceived barriers refers to the belief of negative aspects of health action.
● Perceived susceptibility of health condition, severity of a health condition and
susceptibility includibg the ‘perceived threat’ may infuence our control towards health
102
 situation. Application of Social
● Perceived benefits assists to reduce the threats of health and behaviour. Psychology to Health and
Well-Being
● Self- efficacy influences and supports the behavioural change of perceived benefits and
decrease the perceived barriers.
● Cues in the environment problem action and on human’s mentality or thaught processes
also control our health situations.

Box 9.2: Limitations of Health Belief Model

The HBM has a number of limitations that restrict its utility in psychology. The following
are some of the model's limitations:
• It ignores a person's views, beliefs, or other personal characteristics that
influence their willingness to participate in a health activity.
• It does not take into consideration about our habitual behaviours, which could
influence whether or not to accept a recommended action (e.g., smoking).
• It does not account for activities that are carried out for reasons other than
health, such as social acceptance.
• It does not take into consideration about the environmental or economic
factors that would make the recommended action impossible or beneficial.
• It is presumptively assumed that everyone has equal access to information
about the condition or disease.
• It believes that cues to action are extensively used to encourage people to
act, and that the primary purpose of the decision-making process is to take
"healthy" choices.
The HBM is a descriptive rather than an explanatory model, and it makes no recommendations
for how to change health-related behaviours. Early research found that perceived
susceptibility, advantages, and barriers were consistently related with the desired health
activity in preventive health activities; perceived severity was less frequently connected
with the desired health behaviour. Individual constructs are beneficial depending on the
health result of interest, but the model should be integrated with other models that account
for the environmental context and recommend change strategies for the most effective use
of the model.

Fig. 9.3: Limitations of Health Belief Model

9.4 Stress
Stress is a kind of negative emotion or a feeling of pressure not in the favour of health and
well-being. It is the human’s response; these can be the physical, mental and emotional
response to express the mental signs and symptoms. Stress is a negative trait, so it needs to be
decreased. Stress is a threat or major challenge that triggers fight-or-flight response. It leads
to negative effect on human’s health because most of the time all humans feel stressed at
times, sometimes stress may be temporary and sometimes it may be permanent. Biologically,
when humans feel threat, the hypothalamus at the base of human brain reacts and sends nerve
and hormone signals to human adrenal glands, which release hormones. One of hormones of
adrenaline is fight-or-flight hormone. The symptoms shown after release of this harmone are
103
Areas of Application of increased heartbeat, breathing rate, use of glucose for muscles. In contrast, adrenaline surges
Social Psychology can cause damaged blood vessels, blood pressure problems, risk of heart attack, worries,
anxiety, insomnia, overweight, type 2 diabetes, less energy, sleeping disorder, memory
problems, weak immune system, osteoporosis and others infections. According to American
Psychological Association, there are three types of stress:
● Acute Stress : It is a feeling of current pressure, triggered sense of emergency or
counter attack. It exist for a shorter period of time. For example, the symptoms such as
anxiety, headache, sadness or irritation.
● Episodic acute stress : It is a state of tension experienced as mini-crises (stress that
occurs at frequent intervals or bouto) that can contribute to serious diseases, and risk of
overburd on. For example: heart illness, over eating, over work.
● Chronic stress : It is a state of feeling pressured and stressed for over a longer period of
time; years. Chronic stress is a serious mental health problem which is beyond human’s
control. It is the situation where it is difficult to reduce or feel more compassion,
unsympathetic or nearly impossible to overcome from it. For example, childhood
trauma, racism, poverty, death, war and accident. Though it can be reduced with the
help of life style changes,medications and setting of realistic goals. Now let us discuss
the ways of reducing stress, that is, how to cope up with stress.

9.4.1 Coping
Coping refers to the mechanisms to adaptive coping skills or coping strategies which reduce
stress. In the case of coping, a human behaviour to deal with his/her own demands; significantly
during threats, stress and physical danger, perceive it negative effects of stress, internally or
externally. It aims to work as a ‘defence mechanisms’ and to neutralize the negative effects
of stress, on the person, or his/her environment by controlling the personality traits (habitual)
or the socio-cultural situations. Coping responses may change over time and it can be applied
as per the demands of the situation. Greater psychological distress are associated with less
effective coping styles. A better education or awareness can help to promote effective coping
and performance. Coping is therefore, to manage, to deal particularly in a condition when a
person is unaware of the condition. For example, a person suffering from depression; who is
coping up with the behaviour would be an internal demand, when a person is facing the fear
of losing his/her job; the coping behaviour would be an external demand. A coping strategy is
identified by using these three following styles:
● Task oriented style: It involves doing efforts towards the solving of problem. For
example, priorities, seeking information.
● Emotional oriented style: It involves emotions reactions, feelings and affections. For
example, helplessness, self blame and frustration are few of the emotional ways of coping.
● Negligence oriented style: It involves stressful conditions and distracted situations.
For example, avoidance, threatening and escaping from stimuli are the negative styles
of coping.

9.4.2 Social Support

Social support is the attachment of an individual with their special one’s, family, friends,
relatives, society, and others. Socialisation is an essential aspect of human’s life. Sometimes,
we need a person who can support or provide proper guidance to us in our difficult or
stressfull situations. Persons who have more social support tend to experience minor
tension or stress, and feel more powerful or strong rather than those who have very low
levels of social support. Person seeks more advice by social circle related to personal life,
professional field, academy level, medical conditions and psychological support. Social
104
support is beneficial for wellbeing as it motivates, individual to deal with the critical Application of Social
situations of life. The effect of social support has been found to be valuable, providing sense Psychology to Health and
of attachment and to have greater wellbeing. The positive assistance has been linked with Well-Being
a network of family, friends, co-worker and others. Nowadays, mainly social support are
demanding of online social support groups, it involves the characteristics of social group
from anywhere in the world, use of time management, spend quality time without going to
anywhere and find suitable company from any age of group. According to psychologists,
social support helps to reduce psychological distress, or plays a positive role in health and
well-being of humans. Being supported means to get care, emotional attachment, maintain
relationships, healthy conversation, openness or reassurance of trust and more concerned.
In general, it refers to cope up effectively with the crisis or against adverse complex issues.
Basically, social support has five categories:
Informative such as advice, suggestion or to provide guidelines and other important
information.
Esteem such as appraisal, nurturance or close warmth.
Emotional support such as spend time, love and affection or caring.
Social networking support such as assistance via social post in face book, twitter or other
sites.
Tangible support such as materialistic like good and services or financially aid.

Self Assessment Questions (SAQ II)

State whether the following ‘True’ or ‘False’
i) The Health Belief Model (HBM) was designed by social psychologists in 1950’s. ( )
ii) Stress is a threat or major challenge that triggers fight-or-flight response. ( )
iii) Coping refers to mechanisms to adaptive coping skills or coping strategies, which
increase stress. ( )
iv) Greater psychological distress is associated with high effective coping styles. ( )

9.5 Let Us Sum Up

In this unit, it was discussed that health is a state of physical fitness and well-being and is a
state of living a life which includes physical, mental and social resources. The Biopsychosocial
Model proposes that interactions in the areas of social-environmental, biological and
psychological factors lead to mental health. There are factors that can reduce the effect
of stress on health and well-being are social veriable, health promotion and prevention of
illness. The Health-Belief Model (HBM) is a scientfic tool, by using this many researchers
and scientists can predict the behaviours of individuals. Stress is a kind of negative emotion
or a feeling of pressure not in the favour of health and well-being. It is the human’s response;
these can be the physical, mental and emotional response to express the mental signs and
symptoms. According to American Psychological Association, there are three types of stress:
acute, episodic acute and chronic stress. In the case of coping, a human behaviour tries to
deal with his/her own demands; significantly in threats and physical danger, and perceive it
as an internally or externally. It aims to work as ‘defence mechanisms’ and neutralizes the
effectiveness of stress on the person, or his/her environment by controlling the personality
traits. According to psychologists, social support helps to reduce psychological distress, or
plays positive role in health and well-being of humans. Being supportive means to get care,
emotional attachment, maintain relationships, healthy conversation, openness or reassurance
of trust and more concerned. Person with high levels in social support situations may
105
Areas of Application of experience minor tension or stress, and feel more powerful or strong rather than those who
Social Psychology have very low levels of social support. Now days, mainly social support are demanding of
online social support groups, it involves the characteristics of social group from anywhere
in the world, use of time management, spend quality time without going anywhere and find
suitable company from any age of group.

9.6 Unit End Questions

1) Describe the biopsychosocial model.

2) Discuss the factors of health and well-being.
3) Differentiate between biopsychosocial or and health belief model.
4) Explain the term "stress."
5) List the various stretegies of dealing with stress.

9.7 GLOSSARY
Biopsychosocial: Having biological, psychological and social characteristics
Coping: Its refers to mechanisms to adaptive coping skills or coping strategies which reduce
stress
Neutralize: It is something ineffective.
Trauma: A deeply distressing experience.
Stress: Stress is a kind of negative emotions or a feeling of pressure not in the favour of health
and well-being.
Vaccinated: It isVaccine to produce against disease.
Worsening: Disgusting situation

9.8 Answers to Self Assessment Questions

SAQI
1) True
2) False
3) True
4) False

SAQII
1) True
2) False
3) False
4) False

106
9.9 Suggested Readings and references Application of Social
Psychology to Health and
Well-Being
Campbell, W. H., Rohrbaugh, R. M. (2013). The Biopsychosocial Formulation Manual: A
Guide for Mental Health Professionals. United Kingdom: Taylor & Francis.
Glanz, Karen; Bishop, Donald B. (2010). "The role of behavioural science theory in
development and implementation of public health interventions". Annual Review of Public
Health. 31: 399–418. doi:10.1146/annurev.publhealth.012809.103604. PMID 20070207.
Rothengatter, T., Steg, L. (2017). Applied Social Psychology: Understanding and Managing
Social Problems. United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press.

Reference
Arneson, R. J. 1999. “Human Flourishing versus Desire Satisfaction.” Social Philosophy and
Policy 16: 113–42..
Crisp, R. 2006. “Hedonism Reconsidered.” Philosophy and Phenomenological Research 73
(3): 619–45.
Diener, E. 1984. “Subjective Well-Being.” Psychological Bulletin 95 (3): 542–75.
Schwarzer, Ralf (April 2001). "Social-Cognitive Factors in Changing Health-Related
Behaviours". Current Directions in Psychological Science. 10 (2): 47–51. doi:10.1111/1467-
8721.00112.
Weiten, W. & Lloyd, M.A. (2008) Psychology Applied to Modern Life (9th ed.).
WadsworthCengage Learning. ISBN 0-495-55339-5.
Snyder, C.R. (ed.) (1999) Coping: The Psychology of What Works. New York: Oxford
University Press. ISBN 0-19-511934-7.
Vaux, A. (1988). Social Support: Theory, Research and Interventions. My, NY: Praeger.

Online references
https://sphweb.bumc.bu.edu/otlt/mph-modules/sb/behaviouralchangetheories/
behaviouralchangetheories2.html

107