Behavioral Science

Faculty (in order of appearance):

William Greenough: Course Director

James Black, Psychiatry

Brian Ross, Psychology

Donna Korol, Psychology, Medicine

Sarah Mangelsdorf, Psychology

Mike Wilson, Teaching Assistant

Course Objectives: Bases

•Many of the greatest health risk factors today are behavioral

•Self-injurious behaviors such as smoking, alcohol and drug abuse, poor dietary and exercise habits, constitute the largest controllable risk factors for mortality

•Psychiatric disorders major cause of disability

•Behavior can put others at risk (e.g., ARND)

Course Objectives: Bases

•Other behavioral issues

• Compliance (taking medicine or following medical advice)

• Sexual function (taking a sexual history)

• Is my child “normal”?

• Stress-related or affected disorders

• Lifestyle (Tobacco, Diet, Exercise, Alcohol)

Source: S. E. Taylor, Health Psychology (5th Edition), Mc Graw-Hill, 2003

Source: S. E. Taylor, Health Psychology (5th Edition), Mc Graw-Hill, 2003

Risk Factors for Leading Causes of Death in US

• Heart Disease: Tobacco, Obesity, Blood Pressure, Cholesterol (Diet), Exercise

• Cancer: Tobacco, Improper Diet, Alcohol, Environmental Exposure

• Stroke: Tobacco, Blood Pressure, Cholesterol, Exercise

• Accidents: Seat Belts, Alcohol, Home Hazards

• Chronic Lung Disease: Tobacco, EnvironmentSource: M. McGinnis (1994). The role of behavioral research in National Health Policy, in S. Blumenthal et al.New Frontiers in Behavioral Medicine: Proceedings of the National Conference. NIH Publications.

Cost of Treatment for Selected Preventable Conditions

• Heart Disease: Coronary Bypass surgery, $30,000

• Cancer: Lung Cancer Treatment, $29,000

• Injuries: Quadriplegia (lifetime), $600,000

• Total Annual US Cost of Alcohol Abuse:

$148,021,000,000*Source: M. McGinnis (1994). The role of behavioral research in National Health Policy, in S. Blumenthal et al.New Frontiers in Behavioral Medicine: Proceedings of the National Conference. NIH Publications.

*Source:THE ECONOMIC COSTS OF ALCOHOL AND DRUG ABUSE IN THE UNITED STATES, 1992. H. Harwood, D. Fountain, and G. Livermore. Analysis by the Lewin Group. Rockville, MD: DHHS, NIH, NIDA, OSPC, NIAAA, OPA.

Biomedical Model

• Illnesses arise from somatic causes

• Biochemical

• Neurophysiological

• Psychological and social processes largely independent of disease processes

Biopsychosocial Model

• Emphasizes health maintenance over disease

• Biological, Psychological and Social Factors are all important determinants of health

• Health maintenance requires addressing issues at all of these levels

Course Objectives: Basis

• Knowledge of human behavior is a critical tool of the physician.

• Behavior is a product of the biology of the individual, physician or patient

• Behavior is not only your primary source of information about your patients, it is also your primary tool for restoring or improving their health

Course Objectives

• To understand behavior and its origins in the brain

• To begin to understand psychiatric disorders and their treatment

• To understand basic issues of human behavior

• To know about development across the lifespan

Course Objectives

• To prepare for the Behavioral Science component of Step I of the Boards!