Community Psychology Terms > > Risk Factors
Risk Factors: the variables within an environment or within the context of a situation that lead
to an increase in the potential for adverse outcomes to develop, impacting individuals or
communities.
to an increase in the potential for adverse outcomes to develop, impacting individuals or
communities.
The term ‘risk factor’ initially emerged in a public health setting, in the 1960s. The 1970s saw a rise in the usage of the term. Although it is commonly thought that cardiovascular epidemiologist William Kannel coined the phrase in an article in 1961 (Husten, 2011), it has been found that the term has a broader history dating back to the late 19th century, appearing in literature in “many different areas of medicine including psychiatry, surgery, cardiology, epidemiology, and aerospace medicine” as early as 1922, with usage increasing in various fields significantly throughout the second half of the 20th Century (Jones and Oppenheimer, 2017). The concept emerged when researchers began to identify that some circumstances predispose individuals to certain conditions. By the 1980s, psychologists had started using this framework to identify variables that, when present in a circumstance, make the development of disorders likelier in an individual or within a community. An example of a risk factor in a medical context could be that eating unhealthily is a risk factor that increases the likelihood of
heart disease. A similarly formatted example in a social and psychological context could be that social isolation is a risk factor that increases the risk of depression. Risk factors are considered correlational and not causational, as they do not directly cause the outcomes they are
associated with. However, it is true that some risk factors can play a causal role (Institute of Medicine, 1994).
Within the context of community psychology, identifying risk factors allows for a better understanding of how contexts and systemic factors can impact psychological and social development. Understanding the role of risk factors and identifying them can also allow
for preventative care of an increased quality. There is room for misuse, however, and care should be taken to avoid the development of stigmatization, generalization, or an over-reliance on risk factors to explain a situation. While the term ‘risk factor’ is useful in identifying those at risk, it is important that an over-emphasis on risk factors is not assumed, as risk factors are not causational and an over-reliance on them as tools of identification can lead to the stigmatization of individuals or groups and the oversimplification of complex issues. Risk factors are used today alongside other factors in a nuanced approach, highlighting the importance of
addressing psychological issues at multiple levels.
for preventative care of an increased quality. There is room for misuse, however, and care should be taken to avoid the development of stigmatization, generalization, or an over-reliance on risk factors to explain a situation. While the term ‘risk factor’ is useful in identifying those at risk, it is important that an over-emphasis on risk factors is not assumed, as risk factors are not causational and an over-reliance on them as tools of identification can lead to the stigmatization of individuals or groups and the oversimplification of complex issues. Risk factors are used today alongside other factors in a nuanced approach, highlighting the importance of
addressing psychological issues at multiple levels.
Works Cited
Husten, L. (2011, September 13). William Kannel, Former Director of the Framingham Heart Study, Dead at 87. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/larryhusten/2011/08/23/william-kannel-former-director-of-the-framingham-heart-study-dead-at-87/
Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Prevention of Mental Disorders; Mrazek PJ, Haggerty RJ, editors. Reducing Risks for Mental Disorders: Frontiers for Preventive Intervention Research. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 1994. 6, Risk and Protective
Factors for the Onset of Mental Disorders. Available from:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK236306/
Factors for the Onset of Mental Disorders. Available from:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK236306/
Jones, D. S., & Oppenheimer, G. M. (2017). If the Framingham Heart Study Did Not Invent the Risk Factor, Who Did? Perspectives in Biology and Medicine, 60(2), 131–150. https://doi.org/10.1353/pbm.2017.0024
Category: Terms