Unit 5: Mental and Physical Health

health psychology

a branch of psychology that focuses on how physical activities, psychological traits, and social relationships affect overall health and illness

stress

the process by which we perceive and respond to certain events, called stressors, that we appraise as threatening or challenging

hypertension

high blood pressure, which can increase the risk of heart and kidney diseases and stroke

immune suppression

reduction in the effectiveness of the immune system

stressors

events or conditions in your surroundings that may trigger stress

daily hassles

everyday minor events that cause stress ,such as traffic jams or overwhelming chores

significant life changes

major life transitions like moving, leaving a job, or divorcing

catastrophes

unpredictable, large-scale events that cause significant stress and alter the lives of many people

eustress

positive stress which results from striving toward a challenging goal

distress

negative stress that can make a person sick or keep them from reaching a goal

adverse childhood experiences

potentially traumatic events that occur in childhood and can have negative, lasting effects on health and well-being

general adaption syndrome (GAS)

the three-stage process that describes the physiological changes the body goes through when under stress

alarm reaction phase

the initial reaction to a stressor, activating the body’s defense systems

resistance phase

the body’s response after the initial shock of a stressful event, where the body attempts to return to normal functioning

exhaustion phase

the stage during which the body depletes its resources in responding to a prolonged stressor

flight-fight-freeze response

a physiological reaction that occurs in response to a perceived harmful event, attack, or threat to survival

tend-and-befriend theory

a theory that suggests people seek social support and tend to others in times of stress

problem-focuse coping

strategies aimed at tackling the cause of stress in practical ways which directly tack the problem causing the stress

emotion-focused coping

strategies aimed at relieving or managing the emotional distress associated with stress

positive psychology

the scientific study of human strengths and virtues that enable individuals and communities to thrive

subjective well-being

an individual’s own assessment of their happiness and satisfaction with life

resilience

the ability to mentally or emotionally cope with a crisis or to return to pre-crisis status quickly

posttraumatic growth

positive psychological change experienced as a result of adversity and other challenges in order to rise to a higher level of functioning

positive emotions

feelings that engage us, elevate us, and promote growth and well-being

gratitude

a feeling of thankfulness and appreciation, especially in response to someone doing something kind of helpful

signature strengths and virtues

character strengths and virtues that are personally fulfilling, intrinsic to one’s identity, and contribute to the collective well-being

categories of virtues

broad categories that encompass character strengths such as wisdom, courage, humanity, justice, temperance, and transcendence

abnormal psychology

the study of psychological disorders, including their symptoms, causes, and treatments

clinical psychology

a branch of psychology that studies, assesses, and treats people with psychological disorders

psychology student syndrome

a phenomenon where psychology students begin to believe they have the disorders they are studying

DSM-5-TR (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, Text Revision

the updated manual that describes and categorizes Mental Disorders in order to improve diagnoses, treatment, and research

international classification of mental disorders (ICD)

a standard diagnostic tool for epidemiology, health management, and clinical purposes; maintained by the World Health Organization; covers a broad range of health conditions, including psychological conditions

deviation

departing from the norm; statistical, social, or functional in nature

dysfunction

abnormal functioning; often used to refer to individual behaviors or the functioning of social systems

eclectic approach

an approach to clinical practice that involves selecting the best treatment techniques from various disciplines based on the client’s unique problems, strengths, and preferences

behavioral perspective

focuses on how we learn observable responses and how the environment impacts those responses

psychodynamic perspective

emphasizes the influence of the unconscious mind on behavior and the importance of childhood experiences

humanistic perspective

focuses on the importance of being your true self in order to lead the most fulfilling life

cognitive perspective

focuses on how we encode, process, store, and retrieve information

evolutionary perspective

how the natural selection of traits promotes the perpetuation of one’s genes

sociocultural perspective

examines how the social environments and cultural upbringing influence an individual’s behavior and thoughts

biological perspective

explores the links between brain and mind, and how the body and brain enable emotions, memories, and sensory experiences

biopsychosocial model

an integrated approach that incorporates biological, psychological, and social-cultural levels of analysis to better understand health and illness

diathesis-stress model

suggests that a person may be predisposed for a psychological disorder that remains unexpressed until triggered by stress

stigma

disapproval or discrimination against a person based on perceivable social characteristics that serve to distinguish them from other members of society

anxiety disorders

mental health disorders characterized by significant feelings of anxiety and fear

specific phobia

an anxiety disorder characterized by irrational and persistent fear of a specific object, situation, or activity

acrophobia

fear of heights

arachnophobia

fear of spiders

agoraphobia

fear of open or crowded spaces

panic disorder

an anxiety disorder that consists of sudden, overwhelming attacks of terror

ataque de nervios

a cultural syndrome primarily seen in Latin Americans, involving symptoms of intense emotional upset, acute anxiety, fear, or anger

social anxiety disorder

a chronic mental health condition in which social interactions cause irrational anxiety

taijin kyofusho

a Japanese culture-specific syndrome characterized by an intense fear that one’s body, body parts, or bodily functions give others a negative impression

generalized anxiety disorder

an anxiety disorder in which a person is continually tense, apprehensive, and in a state of autonomic nervous system arousal

obsessive-compulsive disorders

disorders involving intrusive obsessions and compulsions which impede daily life

obsessions

persistent ideas, thoughts, or impulses that are unwanted and inappropriate and cause marked distress

compulsions

repetitive behaviors or mental acts that an individual feels driven to perform in response to an obsession

hoarding disorder

a disorder characterized by the persistent difficulty discarding or parting with possessions, regardless of their actual value

trauma and stressor-related disorders

disorders related to the exposure to a traumatic or stressful event

posttraumatic stress disorder

a disorder characterized by failure to recover after experiencing or witnessing a terrifying event

depressive disorders

disorders that involve the presence of sad, empty, or irritable mood, accompanied by physical and cognitive changes that significantly affect the individual’s capacity to function

major depressive disorder

a mood disorder causing a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest

persistent depressive disorder

a form of depression that is less severe than major depressive disorder but more chronic

bipolar disorder

a disorder associated with episodes of mood swings ranging from depressive lows to manic highs

bipolar cycling

the process of cycling through episodes of mania and depression in bipolar disorder

bipolar 1 disorder

a type of bipolar spectrum disorder characterized by the occurence of at least one manic episode

bipolar 2 disorder

a type of bipolar spectrum disorder marked by milder episodes of hypomania that alternate with periods of sever depression

neurodevelopmental disorders

a group of conditions with onset in the developmental period, often before school age, that are characterized by developmental deficits that produce impairments of personal, social, academic, or occupational functioning

attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

a chronic condition including attention difficulty, hyperactivity, and impulsiveness

autism spectrum disorder (ASD)

a disorder that affects communication and behavior

feeding and eating disorders

disorders characterized by abnormal or disturbed eating habits, which negatively affect a person’s health

anorexia nervosa

an eating disorder characterized by an abnormally low body weight, intense fear of gaining weight, and a distorted perception of body weight

bulimia nervosa

an eating disorder characterized by binge eating followed by purging

schizophrenic spectrum disorders

a range of disorders that involve psychosis

delusions

false beliefs, often of persecution or grandeur, that may accompany psychotic disorders

delusions of persecution

the belief that others are out to get one

delusions of grandeur

a false belief that one is more important or influential that they really are

hallucinations

false sensory experiences

disorganized thinking

a symptom of psychosis, manifested as illogical or incoherent thought and speech

disorganized speech

a style of talking involving incoherence and a lack of typical logical patterns

word salad

a confused or unintelligible mixture of seemingly random words and phrases

disorganized motor behavior

includes a variety of unusual behaviors including problems with goal-directed behavior leading to difficulties performing activities of daily living

catatonia

a state of unresponsiveness to one’s outside environment, usually including muscle rigidity, staring, and inability to communicate

flat affect

a lack of emotional responsiveness

dopamine hypothesis

the theory that schizophrenia results from an excess of dopamine activity

positive symptoms

symptoms of schizophrenia that are occur in addition to normal behavior; eg. hallucinations, delusions, and disorganized speech

negative symptoms

symptoms of schizophrenia that are marked by deficits in functioning; eg. apathy, lack of emotion, and slowed speech and movement

dissociative disorders

disorders in which conscious awareness becomes separated from previous memories, thoughts, and feelings

dissociative amnesia

a disorder characterized by the sudden and extensive inability to recall important personal information, usually of a traumatic or stressful nature

dissociative fugue

a rare dissociative disorder in which a person loses awareness of their identity or other important autobiographical information and engages in some form of unexpected travel

dissociative identity disorder

a disorder characterized by the presence of two or more distinct personality states

personality disorders

psychological disorders characterized by inflexible and enduring behavior patterns that impair social functioning

cluster A personality disorders

odd, eccentric thinking or behavior; includes paranoid, schizoid, and schizotypal personality disorders

paranoid personality disorder

type of personality disorder characterized by extreme distrust and suspicion of others

schizoid personality disorder

a personality disorder characterized by persistent avoidance of social relationships and little expression of emotion

schizotypal personality disorder

a personality disorder characterized by severe social anxiety, thought disorder, paranoid ideation, derealization, transient psychosis, and often unconventional beliefs

cluster B personality disorders

dramatic, overly emotional or unpredictable thinking or behavior; includes antisocial, borderline, histrionic, and narcissistic personality disorders

antisocial personality disorder

a personality disorder characterized by a lack of conscience for wrongdoing

histrionic personality disorder

a personality disorder characterized by excessive emotionality and attention seeking