Preparatory Mindset
Medical psychology bridges psychology and medicine — the application of psychological principles to physical and mental health. The exam tests: the definition, six dimensions of wellness, history of psychology (Wundt, Freud, James, Watson, Skinner, Titchener, Gestalt), and the medical model (biological view of mental illness). The 医学心理学笔记 is a rich bilingual source covering all of this.
Exam mindset: know Wundt (father of psychology, 1879 Leipzig lab), Freud (psychoanalysis), the six dimensions of wellness (environmental, emotional, intellectual, physical, social, spiritual), and the four objectives of psychology (describe, explain, predict, control/influence).
Core Concepts
1. Definition of medical psychology (MUST KNOW)
- Psychological aspects of pain, terminal illness, bereavement, disability - Reaction to medical advice and treatment adherence
- The application of psychological principles to the practice of medicine for both physical and mental disorders
- A branch of applied psychology devoted to psychological problems arising in medical practice:
2. Six dimensions of wellness (MUST KNOW)
- Environmental — health of the physical environment
- Emotional — ability to cope with stress
- Intellectual — engaging in creative, stimulating activities
- Physical — maintaining a healthy body
- Social — building supportive relationships
- Spiritual — finding purpose and meaning
3. Key historical figures & dates (MUST KNOW)
| Figure | Contribution | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Wilhelm Wundt | Father of psychology; first experimental psychology lab, Leipzig, Germany | 1879 |
| Sigmund Freud | Founded psychoanalysis — unconscious mind, childhood, drives | Late 19th/early 20th c. |
| William James | Functionalism; "The Principles of Psychology," focused on purpose/function of consciousness | 1890 |
| John B. Watson | Behaviorism (1913) — only observable behavior; Little Albert experiment | 1913 |
| B.F. Skinner | Radical behaviorism — operant conditioning (reinforcement & punishment) | Mid-20th c. |
| Edward Titchener | Structuralism in the US — breaking consciousness into basic elements (sensations, images, affections) | Early 20th c. |
| Gestalt psychology | Max Wertheimer, Koffka, Köhler; "the whole is greater than the sum of its parts"; opposed structuralism | Early 20th c. Germany |
4. Four objectives of psychology (MUST KNOW)
- Describe — accurately characterize psychological phenomena
- Explain — understand the causes of behavior & mental processes
- Predict — forecast behavior under given conditions
- Control/Influence — apply knowledge to change or improve lives
5. The medical model (MUST KNOW)
- Mental health disorders are products of physical conditions
- A way of diagnose + treatment for physical illnesses, focused on genetics, neurotransmitters, neurophysiology, neuroanatomy
- Example: anxiety disorder correlates with serotonin dysregulation
- Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) — the standard classification
6. Maternal & risk factors (course-of-life perspective)
- Age, sex, smoking, hypertension, non-leisure-time physical inactivity — the most common risk factors of death
- Suicide has become an important factor — linked to anxiety, depression, PTSD (mental health disorders)
- 1950s milestone: Council on Medical Education & Hospitals of the AMA revised standards to include human behavior as a basic science — medical psychology gradually became important
7. Research methods in medical psychology (MUST KNOW)
- Surveys, case studies, experimental studies, analysis
- Relate findings to clinical manifestations (the medical psychologist's distinctive contribution)
- Different from a general psychologist — the medical psychologist focuses on clinical relevance
High-Yield Points
- Definition: application of psychological principles to medicine for physical + mental disorders
- Six dimensions of wellness: Environmental, Emotional, Intellectual, Physical, Social, Spiritual
- Wundt: Father of psychology (1879, Leipzig)
- Freud: psychoanalysis; Watson: behaviorism (1913); James: functionalism; Skinner: radical behaviorism; Titchener: structuralism; Gestalt: whole > sum
- Medical model: mental disorders = biological products (genetics, neurotransmitters)
- Four objectives: describe, explain, predict, control/influence
- DSM-5: standard classification of mental disorders
- 1950s AMA: included human behavior as basic science in medical school standards
Topic Summary
Medical psychology applies psychological principles to physical and mental health — it studies pain, terminal illness, bereavement, disability, and adherence to treatment. The six dimensions of wellness are environmental, emotional, intellectual, physical, social, spiritual. Fritz Wundt (1879) founded the first psychology lab; Freud created psychoanalysis; Watson behaviorism; James functionalism; Skinner radical behaviorism; Titchener structuralism; Gestalt the whole-is-greater principle. The medical model views mental disorders as biological products (genetics, neurotransmitters). The four objectives of psychology are describe, explain, predict, control/influence. The 1950s AMA inclusion of human behavior as a medical school basic science marked the formalization of medical psychology.
LMCHK OSCE Practice
- Patient counseling & adherence: use the six dimensions of wellness framework to assess a patient (e.g., a smoker with hypertension — emotional stress, social support, physical activity, environmental cues).
- Biopsychosocial assessment: for any patient, consider biological (genetics, neurochemistry), psychological (behavior, emotional), social (family, work) factors.
- Differentiate psychological normal vs abnormal: understand the medical model — not "all in the mind" but biology + psychology + social.
- Referral decision: know when to refer to a mental health professional (suicidal ideation, severe anxiety/depression, PTSD — all are "unable to overcome by themselves" cases).
- History taking: integrate psychological questions (mood, sleep, stress, coping) into routine medical history.
- Public health context: explain the shift of risk factors from infection/NCDs to suicide/mental-health in modern decades.