Mental and Physical Health Psychology

Stress

associated with hypertension, headaches, and immune suppression

Distress

stress that is negative or damaging

Eustress

stress that is positive or motivating

Tend and Befriend Theory of Stress

some people cope by tending to their own or others’ needs, but some seek connections with people

General Adaptation Syndrome (and phases)

three phases of a stress response: alarm (fight/flight/freeze), resistance (immune system enhanced), exhaustion (body gives up)

Problem-Focused Coping

solving or doing something to alter the course of stress

Emotion-focused coping

managing emotions when stressed

Positive Psychology

researches factors leading to better well-being; resilience, positive emotions

Gratitude

expressing this increases well-being

Biological Therapy and Treatment

Genes cause changes in NTs and brain
Medication and surgical techniques

Evolutionary Therapy

Increased survival, reproduction

Cognitive Therapy

Maladaptive thinking and emotions
Cognitive restructuring

Behavioral Therapy and Treatment

Maladaptive learned associations
Applied behavior analysis

Psychodynamic Therapy and Treatment

Unconscious thoughts/behaviors from childhood
Free association, dream interpretation

Humanistic Therapy and Treatment

Lack of social support, not fulfilling potential
Unconditional positive regard, client-centered

Sociocultural Therapy

Maladaptive social/cultural dynamics

Biophysical Model

combines biology, psychology, and sociocultural factors

Diathesis-Stress Model

individual has a genetic predisposition, disease must be “turned on” by environmental stimuli

Eclectic

most people use more than one perspective

Abnormal Behavior Definition

Based on level of dysfunction, presence of perception of distress, and deviation from social norms

Diagnosing Abnormal Behavior

requires special training and evidence based off of DSM and ICM

Neurodevelopmental Disorders

inappropriate behaviors for age/maturity - usual onset in childhood

ADHD (symptoms and causes)

Inattention impacting ability to function academically and socially, hyperactivity/impulsivity
Causes: changes in prefrontal cortex, reticular activating system, limbic system; genetics

Autism

impairment in social relationships/communication and repetitive behaviors
Causes: genetics, prenatal exposure to environmental stimuli

Anorexia Nervosa

weight loss of at least 15% ideal weight, distorted body image, major calories restriction, and excessive exercise

Bulimia Nervosa

usually normal body weight, go through binge-purge eating pattern

Biological Cause of Eating Disorder

changes in hypothalamus, prefrontal cortex, amygdala, and genetics

Sociocultural Cause of Eating Disorder

social media exposure, parenting styles, and hobbies

Behavioral/Cognitive Causes of Eating Disorders

learned association and maladaptive thought patterns

Major Depressive Disorder

extreme sadness and despair; apathy towards life

Persistent Depressive

long terms “less severe” depression

Mania

heightened mood, risky behaviors, fast talking, and flights of ideas

Bipolar I

manic episodes, usually full depressive episodes

Bipolar II

hypomanic episodes, full depressive episodes

Biological Cause of Depressive and Bipolar Disorders

lower levels of serotonin and norepinephrine linked to mania, runs in families (genes); supported by twin studies

Cognitive Cause of Depressive and Biological Disorders

negative thought patterns lead to depression

Behavioral Cause of Depressive and Biological Disorders

learned helplessness

Sociocultural Cause of Depressive and Biological Disorders

more common in women, LGBTQ, low social economic status

Acute Schizophrenia

severe episodes with normal functioning in between

Chronic Schizophrenia

repeated episodes with decreased functioning

Positive symptoms of Schizophrenia

hallucinations, delusions, disorganized thinking/speech, and disorganized motor behavior

Negative Symptoms of Schizophrenia

flat affect (inability to show emotions) and disorganized motor behavior

Causes of Schizophrenia

Genetics, excess dopamine, prenatal virus exposure, diathesis stress

Phobic

irrational fear that disrupts your life (ex. acrophobia is the fear of heights and arachnophobia is fear of spiders)

Agoraphobia

fear of specific social situations (ex. large crowds, enclosed spaces, going outside along)

Panic Disorder

frequent and sudden panic attacks

Panic Attacks

unanticipated and overwhelming biological, psychological, and cognitive experiences of fear/anxiety

Ataque de Nervios

cultural example of a panic disorder: uncontrollable screaming, shouting, and crying that is associated with a stressful event (Caribbean and Iberian descent)

Social Anxiety Disorder

intense fear of being judged, criticized, and watched by others

Taijin Kyofusho

cultural example of social anxiety disorder: people fear others are judging their bodies as undesirable, offensive, or unpleasing (seen in Japan)

Generalized Anxiety Disorder

person in generally anxious all the time

Behavioral Causes of Anxiety Disorders

fear conditioning leads to anxiety, which is then reinforced and/or association with other objects or events

Biological/Evolutionary Causes of Anxiety Disorders

natural selection favored those with certain phobias, twins often share disorders, less GABA in the brain, and overactive autonomic NS

Cognitive Causes of Anxiety Disorders

maladaptive thinking and emotional responses

Dissociative Amnesia

inability to remember parts of the past as a result of trauma

Fugue

phenomenon when one with dissociative amnesia leaves, taking on a whole new life and personality with no memory of the previous one

Dissociative Identity Disorder

person fractures into several distinct personalities who normally have no awareness of each other

Causes of Dissociative Disorders

Usually a result of severe trauma or stress (aka childhood abuse)

OCD

person is overwhelmed with obsession (persistent unwanted thoughts) and compulsions (intrusive repetitive behaviors)

Hoarding

subtype of OCD where one is compelled to accumulate and keep things

Biological, Behavioral, and Cognitive Causes of OCD

Biological: genetic, overactive frontal lobe
Behavioral: learned association
Cognitive: maladaptive thought patterns

PTSD

flashbacks, hypervigilance, severe anxiety, insomnia, emotional detachment, and hostility

Cause of PTSD

stressful/traumatic event

Personality Disorder Definition

marked by disruptive, inflexible, and enduring behavior patterns

Paranoid

distrust/suspicious about people’s motives

Schizoid

no interest in relationships, lack of emotions (devoid schizoid)

Schizotypical

discomfort with social interactions, extremely superstitious, delusional thinking, and unusual speech

Antisocial

“anti-society,” aka disregard for others, manipulative, breaks laws

Borderline

unstable interpersonal relationships and self-image

Histrionic

excessive emotionality and attention seeking

Narcissistic

need for admiration and lack of empathy

Avoidant

severe social anxiety, feel inadequate, and a strong want for intimacy

Dependent

helpless, submissive, need to be taken care of for constant reassurance, and can’t make decisions by themselves

Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder

preoccupation with orderliness, perfectionism, and control

Ethics of Therapy

Nonmaleficence (no harm), fidelity (uphold high standards), integrity (be honest), and respect for people’s rights/dignity (no bias)

Deinstituionalization

release of large amount of people from asylums due to better medications

Decentralized Approach

combination of medications and therapy; minimal hospitalization

Examples of the Psychodynamic Perspective

Free Association (say aloud anything that comes to mind unprompted) and dream interpretation

Anti-psychotics (and side effects)

decrease dopamine, treats schizophrenia
side effects: hand tremors

Anti-depressants

increase serotonin and/or norepinephrine through reuptake inhibition

Anti-Anxiety Drugs

increase GABA

Lithium

“mood stabilizer” for Bipolar

Electroconvulsive Therapy

send electricity to induce minor seizures; used to treat depression by “rebooting” the brain

Psychosurgery

frontal lobe is surgically destroyed; used to treat depression or violent individuals (almost never used anymore)

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation

targeted magnetic fields to stimulate brain activity; treats depression

Person-Centered Therapy

encourage client to discover own solutions and understand self through active listening and unconditional positive regard

Cognitive Perspective

fixes negative thinking by focusing on the cognitive triad: negative views about self, the world, and the future

Cognitive Restructuring

technique used in cognitive therapy where the patient learns to identify disordered thinking and change it

Systematic Desensitization

therapeutic technique were therapist associates a pleasant relaxed state with gradually increasing anxiety triggering stimuli

Aversive Conditioning

associate an unpleasant experience with a wanted behavior

Biofeedback

receive feedback from heart rate and blood pressure, and learning to control it to help with anxiety and depression

Token Economies

use behavior modification (reward good behaviors with token reinforcers to be exchanged)

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy

understanding how thoughts affect emotions and behaviors by talking through intense emotions

Rational-Emotive Therapy

identify unhealthy thought/behavior patterns and replace with new

Group Therapy Adv. and Disasv.

Adv: gives diverse perspectives, supportive environment with similar people
Disadv: lacks individual care

Hypnosis

used for pain control and anxiety; does not retrieve memories or cause regression