“The Power of Belief: tackling psychological and social determinants of illness, disability, and economic inactivity". Professor Mansel Aylward CB Director, UnumProvident Centre for Psychosocial and Disability Research, Cardiff University & Chair, The Wales Centre for Health [email protected]www.cf.ac.uk/psych/cpdr/index.html Joint meeting of British Psychological Society / Association of British Psychologists
Joint meeting of British Psychological Society / Association of British Psychologists “The Power of Belief: tackling psychological and social determinants of illness, disability, and economic inactivity". Professor Mansel Aylward CB Director, UnumProvident Centre for Psychosocial and Disability Research, Cardiff University & Chair, The Wales Centre for Health
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“The Power of Belief: tackling psychological and social determinants of illness, disability, and
economic inactivity".
Professor Mansel Aylward CB
Director, UnumProvident Centre for Psychosocial and Disability Research,
Joint meeting of British Psychological Society / Association of British Psychologists
The Power of Belief:
How should we define “belief”?• A common-sense, empirical definition: (cave: Cognitive
Psychologists!)• A “belief is something that someone holds to be true”
A non-psychologist’s working belief about belief:• Associations stored in the mind• Gained largely through experience of some internal or external
stimuli which predicts a particular outcome or response over time.
• Stored accumulated associations: a basis for all expected contingencies involving specific behaviours which follow from certain stimulating conditions
A Pragmatic Model of Belief:
Do beliefs influence and drive our attitudes and behaviours?
• A pragmatic “yes”• Confirmation of expected relationship between stimuli
and predicted outcome strengthens association. (ie: belief)
• Association weakened if predicted outcome(s) does not occur
• This simplistic approach to belief acquisition is nonetheless the premise for
– Behaviour modifying techniques and interventions– Moulding by experience, learning and culture– Educational interventions
“Believing is the most mental thing we do”¹ Is it the most SOCIAL thing we do?²
• Successful Genes Promote their own means of transmission
• Transgenerational beliefs succeed by the same mechanisms (memes)³
• Accuracy of belief promotes transmissional success
• In evolutionary terms: the faculty to transmit true beliefs is pivotal to the propagation of abilities to communicate
• The accuracy of belief is empowering.
¹ Bertrand Russell, The Analysis of the Mind: 1921 ² Daniel Gilbert, Stumbling on Happiness: 2006 ³ Richard Dawkins, The Selfish Gene, 1976
Belief - Transmission
• Succeed if they facilitate their “means of transmission”.
• False beliefs become super-replicators if they enhance communication
• Beliefs tend to be transmitted when they do things that transmit genes.
• “Bad” genes and false beliefs are successfully transmitted if, on balance, they promote their own means of transmission
The survival of inaccurate (false) beliefs:
Belief Transmission and Society:
• False beliefs are propagated in societies if they promote stability in society.
• Corollary: people who hold such beliefs tend to live in stable societies.
Belief Transmission and Society:
• Happiness: a super-replicating false belief?
People desire happiness, thus economies flourish only if people are deluded into believing that production of wealth will make them happy¹
• Wealth may not make us happier but serves the needs of the economy → promotes stable society → propagates false belief.
• Children bring happiness → cultural wisdom; but true!?
¹ After: Adam Smith. The Theory of Moral Sentiments, 1759
Symptoms and Illness: an illustration of the propagation of false beliefs.
• Symptoms and Common Health Problems in Society
• Obstacles to Recovery
• Belief about Health and Work
• Stability of Society threatened – a public health crisis
Health, Illness and Beliefs:A Clarification of terminology: fundamental health-related
concepts
• Symptoms: Subjective bodily or mental sensations that reach awareness
– “Bothersome” or “of concern to the person”– Some represent clinical expression of disease– Many are normal and part of life– High frequency and prevalence not associated with
recognisable disease¹ ²• Illness:
– The subjective feeling of being unwell– An internal, personal experience
• Sickness:– Social status accorded to ill person by society– External, social phenomenon (individual: society
Illness, Sickness and Incapacity are Psychosocial rather than medical problems.
More and better healthcare is not the answer
Shifting attitudes to health & work
Current: Shift to:
Work is a ‘risk’ and (potentially) harmful to physical and mental health.
Work is generally good for physical and mental health
therefore and
Sickness absence/certification ‘protects’ the worker/patient from work
Recognise the risks and harm of long term worklessness
Work :
• Benefits:
Symptom managementRecovery and RehabilitationSelf-esteem and ConfidenceSocial identity and rolePromoting activities and participationSocial inclusions and functioningQuality of Life
Health at Work:
• The key idea is that work is healthy
• The workplace = environment for promoting health; controlling ill health
• A public health issue
Successful Interventions:
Practical Elements of Condition Management• Address the main health conditions
• Clear work focus, vocational goals, outcome measures
• Address biological and psychosocial components
• Address individual’s obstacles to RTW
• Increase activity and restore function
• Shift beliefs and behaviour using CBT (talking therapies)
Condition Management – Successful Strategies:• Make sense of your condition
• Overcome stress and anxiety
• Learn to be assertive
• Promote emotional / physical wellbeing
• Living with fatigue
• Living with pain
49% patients have primary and further 39% secondary mental illness diagnosis
PATHWAYS TO WORK PILOTS
• 6-800 new job entries each month in existing Pathways areas
• Doubling of claimants entering work• Take-up around 5 times that expected from previous
RTW interventions• Exceeds threshold for cost-effectiveness• Welfare Bill :extending provision across country
by 2008:Reducing by 1 million the number
on Incapacity Benefits:employment rate = 80% working
population
False Beliefs → Illness Behaviours (Common Health Problems)
• Work– Risky– Harmful– Avoid
• Sick Role– Disease basis– Medical model/rehabilitation– Rights
• Welfare State– Unlimited resources– Rights without responsibility– dependency
• Health Care Systems →– Overloaded– Unmet expectation– Reduced public trust– Non-compliance– Context of health care– Success of C&A medicine
Social Security System– Proliferating expenditure– Dependency & chronicity– Ageing population– “writing people off”
Destabilized Society– Threatened economy– Medical advances outstrip resources– Unmet expectations
– Social exclusion
The Doomsday Scenario:
False Beliefs → Common Health Problems →
Overburdened and ill-focused health/SS Systems
→ Destabilized Society
Meeting the Challenge:
• Major Cultural Shift– Perception & management of common health
problems– Work is generally good for physical and mental
health– Social integration (full participation in society)
• Tackling Social inequalities in health & regional deprivation– Multiple disadvantages / failure to compete in job
markets– Addressing the social gradient
• Getting all Stakeholders onside
At the heart of culture lies belief– Beliefs drive behaviour– Modified by experience– Dispelling the myths– Public policy initiatives
Transforming the culture depends on shifting core beliefs about health, illness, sickness and work
The Scientific and Conceptual Basis of Incapacity Benefits