Toward a New Definition of Health: Psychosocial Dimensions

ISBN-13: 9781461329930 / Angielski / Miękka / 2011 / 470 str.

P. I. Ahmed; P. I. Ahmed

Opis

It is generally recognized today that the United States has a need to contri bute to the improvement of health throughout the world. The need stems from the interrelationships that exist between the health of Americans and the health status of the rest of the people on "Spaceship Earth." Disease does not respect national boundaries, and the frequency of travel and trade between countries increases each year. It further relates to the opportunities found in international settings to help solve health problems more effec tively and efficiently. This includes the unique human resources that are found throughout the world as well as certain natural ecological conditions that cannot be duplicated in the United States. The United States also has a responsibility to contribute to improved health status. Our tradition of humanitarianism alone supports such a re sponsibility, but our comparative wealth of technical and financial re sources dictates a requirement to participate. Modern political realities de fine relationships between developed and developing countries that will not allow us to isolate ourselves from the compelling health needs of a majority of the world's population."

Spis treści

I: Dimensions of Health and Illness: Toward an Integrated Model.- 1 Toward a New Definition of Health: An Overview.- The Biomedical Definition: A Brief History.- What Is Health? Illness and Health as Biosocial Concepts.- Health and the Environment: The Hazards of Poverty.- Health and the Environment: The Hazards of Affluence.- Promoting Better Health through Medicine.- References.- 2 Disease and Illness from a Biocultural Standpoint.- Ethnomedicine: The Comparative Study of Approaches toward Medical Problems.- Culture, Behavior, and the Nervous System.- Evolutionary Constraints on Cultural Differences.- Biocultural Implications of Illness.- Disease as a Culturally Ordered Behavioral Form.- Illness, Medical Taxonomies, and the Question of Mortality.- Summary and Implications.- References.- 3 Sickness as Cultural Semantics: Issues for an Anthropological Medicine and Psychiatry.- The Social Construction of Illness.- Culturally Constituted Clinical Realities.- Clinically Relevant Issues Generated by Anthropological Studies.- The Application of Clinical Social Science Strategies in Primary Care.- Policy Implications.- References.- 4 The Dimensions of Medical Rationality: A Problematic for the Psychosocial Study of Medicine.- Medical Rationality.- Standards of Efficacy.- Some Empirically Efficacious Practices.- Modes of Medical Belief.- Symptoms and Syndromes in Externalizing Systems.- The Impact of Western Medicine.- Standards of Efficacy in Western Medicine.- Efficacy and Productivity.- Conclusion.- References.- 5 Psychosocial Factors and Health: New Program Directions.- A Selective Review of Psychosocial Factors, Health, and Health Services, with Particular Reference to WHO Activities.- Psychosocial Influences on the Incidence of Disease.- Psychosocial Influences on the Course and Outcome of Disease.- Behaviorally Determined Disorders.- Psychosocial Factors and Health Services.- Health Workers.- Health Interventions.- Health Action in Other Sectors.- Community Members.- Program Proposals.- General Considerations.- Objectives and Activities.- Summary of Program Proposals.- References.- 6 The Role of Indigenous Medicine in WHO’s Definition of Health.- The WHO Definition.- The Western Medical Model.- The Problems of Technology Transfer.- Traditional Medical Systems.- Conclusions: Toward Integrated Medical Care.- References.- II: Psychosocial Factors in Disease: Some Specific Examples.- 7 Occupational Stress and Health.- “Stress” and Health: The Promise and the Problems.- A Paradigm for “Stress Research”.- Key Directions in the Study of Occupational Stress and Health.- Empirical Evidence.- Occupational Stress and “Stress Diseases”.- Stress and “Nonstress” Diseases.- A Study of Occupational Stress and Health.- Data and Methods.- Results.- Summary and Conclusions.- Research Needs.- The Need for Experimental Application.- References.- 8 Psychosocial Dimensions of Drug Abuse.- The Healing Process: Four Cultures.- The Healing Process: Drug Abuse in the United States.- Person and Context: Psychosocial Definitions.- Drug Abuse: Definition and Response.- Ecosystem and Drug Abuse.- The Basis of Individual Dysfunction.- Overt Therapeutic Contracts: Illness and Treatment.- The Strategic Contract: Regaining Health.- The Ecosystem Contract: Redefining Normalcy.- Conclusions.- References.- 9 Views on the Psychosocial Dimensions of Cancer and Cancer Treatment.- The Dreaded Disease.- Metamorphosis of the Cancer Crusade.- Illness, Even Death, Are Living Things: Patient Self-Awareness.- Life Sketch Number One.- Life Sketch Number Two.- Life Sketch Number Three.- Life Sketch Number Four.- The Price Paid for Survival: Secrets and Separation.- Comments on Coping.- Behavioral Science Research.- Toward a New Definition of Health for the Cancer Patient.- References.- 10 Labeling and Discrimination in Mental Health.- References.- III: Health Needs of Special Groups: Some Specific Examples.- 11 Coping with Health Problems in Aging.- Health Is a Social as Well as a Medical Problem.- Health Status of the Elderly.- Mental Illness.- Health Problems as Seen by the Elderly.- Analysis of Group Differences Concerning Health.- Management of Mild Chronic Disease.- Autonomy of the Elderly.- Prevention of Heart Disease.- Home Health Services.- Mental Health Services for the Elderly.- Last Home for the Aged.- Congregate Living Can Be Healthy.- A Comprehensive Health Care System.- References.- 12 Toward a Definition of Health Risks for Ethnic Minorities: The Case of Hypertension and Heart Disease.- High Blood Pressure and Heart Disease among Minorities.- Sources of Stress.- Limited Preventive Role of Health Care Providers.- Conclusion.- References.- 13 The Social and Psychological Aspects of Family Planning.- Determinants of Contraceptive Use.- Contemporary Approaches to Family Planning.- Incentives to Control Fertility.- Conclusion.- References.- 14 Healthy Family Functioning: Cross-Cultural Perspectives.- Healthy Family Functioning: An Elusive Concept.- The Family.- Family Health.- WHO and Social Health.- A Proposed Definition.- Prevention Promotion: An Evolving Concept.- An Emerging Social Revolution.- Prevention Terminology.- Effective Fertility Regulation: An Example of Healthy Family Functioning.- The Family Life Cycle.- Structure.- Childhood.- Parenting.- Adolescence.- Aging.- Psychosocial Studies of the Family.- Classification.- Cross-Cultural Aspects.- Current Studies.- Coping with Environmental Stress.- Definitions.- Migration and Uprooting: Effects on Family Coping.- Mental Disorder: Family Interaction Effects.- Communal Coping.- Paramedical Resources.- Self-Reliance and Mutual Help.- Cross-Cultural Perspectives.- Research Utilization and Dissemination.- Assessment Approaches.- Reviews.- Family Interaction.- Social Indicators.- WHO Endeavors.- Methodological Considerations.- Ethical Issues.- Cross-Cultural Aspects.- Toward a Theory of Healthy Family Functioning.- Choice Behavior.- Decision-Making Process.- Research Planning.- The Young Family: A Proposal for Cooperative Cross-Cultural Research.- The Basic Unit of Healthy Family Functioning.- Methodological Advantages.- Summary.- References.- 15 Urban Health Services in Developing Countries: Culture, Technology, and Politics.- Dimensions of the Problem.- Demographic, Socioeconomic, and Political Influences on Health.- Traditional Medicine.- Political Reform.- Prevention in Context.- Curative Services.- The Role of Health Planning.- Conclusions.- References.- IV: Methodology for Health Analysis.- 16 Evaluating Family and Work Settings.- Defining and Measuring the Social Climate of Family Settings.- Constructing the Family Environment Scale (FES).- Underlying Patterns of Family and Work Settings.- Describing and Classifying Family and Work Settings.- Constructing a Typology of Family Settings.- Comparing and Contrasting Family and Work Settings.- Evaluating the Impact of Family and Work Settings.- Family Environment and Alcoholism Treatment Outcome.- Work Environment and Alcoholism Treatment Outcome.- Other Related Research Foci.- Some Promising Practical Applications.- Formulating Ecologically Relevant Clinical Case Descriptions.- Facilitating Environmental and Individual Change.- Enhancing Environmental Competence.- References.- 17 Evaluating Human Service Programs: Psychosocial Methods.- Program Evaluation: Trends in the Seventies.- Health Service Standards as a Basis of Recent Trends.- Current and Future Trends: Psychosocial Assessment.- Psychosocial Assessment: Initial Applications to Program Evaluation.- Basic Design in Psychosocial Health Assessment.- Effects of Research Design.- Data Analysis.- Practical Application of Psychosocial Methods in Service Settings.- Design of the System.- System Manuals.- Types of Measures.- Format of the Assessment Package.- Data-Collection Schedule.- Analysis Techniques.- Types of Reports.- References.- 18 Health Sector Assessment.- The Concept of Health Sector Assessment.- The Initiation of an Assessment.- The Nature of a Health Sector Assessment.- The Health Sector Assessment.- The Impact of the HSA on Health Programs.- Criticisms and Limitations of Health Sector Assessment.- References.- V: Implications for Practitioners and Policy Planners.- 19 Toward a More Caring Society.- 20 Mental Health Services: Alternatives Now and for the Future.- The Problem.- Alternative Services.- Characteristics of Alternative Services.- Recommendations for the Future.- Supporting Alternative Services.- Learning from Alternative Services.- References.- 21 International Health Planning: Psychosocial Issues and Implications for Development Assistance.- The Technology Transfer and Behavior Technology.- The Patterning of Culture.- The “Western” Approach.- Alternatives to the Biomedical Model.- Summary.- References.- 22 Health Care in the Year 2000.- Health as a Global Issue.- Health in the United States.- The Ethical Frontiers of Medicine.- The Future of Health Care Delivery.