Gen Health Exam #1

Health

The overall condition of body or mind and the presence or absence of illness or injury

Wellness

Actively living in a way that supports physical, mental, emotional, and social well being

Risk factors

Exposure that increases your chance of facing a negative health event

Dimensions of wellness

Physical

Emotional

Interpersonal

Environmental

Cultural

Financial

Intellectual

Spiritual

Occupational

Life expectancy

The average number of years a person is expected to live based on factors affecting a population in which they are a part of (influenced by genetics, behaviors, health conditions, and social and environmental factors)

Morbidity

The presence or prevalence of a disease or health condition within a population

Mortality

The occurrence of death within a population

Leading causes of death in the US (in 2022)

1. Heart disease

2. Cancer

3. Accidents

Leading causes of death in Americans aged 15-24 (in 2022)

1. Accidents

2. Homicide

3. Suicide

Health Promotion

The process of enabling people to increase control over and improve their health and its determinants

National Institute of Health (NIH)

Focuses on research and scientific discovery to improve health

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Focuses on protecting public health by preventing and controlling disease

Affordable Care Act (ACA)

Federal law designed to access to affordable health insurance and improve healthcare coverage

Healthy people initiative

The governments 10 year health initiative for national objectives and guidance to improve health and wellness

Health disparities

Differences in health outcomes experienced by different populations that are often linked to social, economic, and environmental disadvantages

Can be influenced by:

Sex and Gender

Race and ethnicity

Income and education

Disability

Geographical location

Sexual orientation and gender identity

Factors that influence wellness

Health habits

Genetics/family history

Environment

Access to healthcare

Personal health behaviors

Behavior

Something that a person does that can observed and measured

Behavior change

The process of modifying our actions or choices by cultivating healthy behaviors to overcome unhealthy ones

Target behavior

Specific behavior selected for change

Internal Locus of control

YOU have control over the events of your life

External Locus of control

External circumstances control the events of your life

Transtheoretical Model (TTM)

Describes behavior change as a process that occurs through different stages of readiness:

Precontemplation

Contemplation

Preparation

Action

Maintenance

Termination

SMART goal

Specific

Measurable

Attainable

Realistic

Time bound

Stressor

Mental states or events that trigger physical or psychological responses

Stress response

The physical or psychological response to stress

Nervous system

Immediate responses to stress

Uses neurons to rapidly communicate

Handles short term stress response

Consists of brain, spinal cord, and nerves

Somatic nervous system

Major division of Nervous system

Handles voluntary control

Movement and sensory information

Autonomic nervous system

Major division of nervous system

Handles involuntary control

Regulates functions automatically

Sympathetic nervous system

Activated when you are stimulated

Parasympathetic nervous system

Activated when you are calm, resting, or recovering

Endocrine system

Triggered from the sympathetic nervous system

It causes slower and longer lasting effects

Releases stress related hormones

Helps prepare the body to respond to stress

Handles both acute and chronic stress

How your brain works in an emergency

Higher cognitive areas in your brain decide if you are facing a threat

Adrenal glands are activated, releasing cortisol and epinephrine (adrenaline)

Physiological changes are triggered (fight or flight or freeze)

Then homeostasis is achieved

Homeostasis

The body’s normal, restful state

Acute stress

Short term stress

Epinephrine and norepinephrine are released

Sympathetic

Chronic stress

Long term

Cortisol is released

Cognitive appraisal

How we interpret or evaluate a potential stressor influences how strongly we respond to it

Psychological responses

Emotional responses to stress are influenced by personality and temperament and can be managed through effective coping strategies

Personality

The combination of cognitive, behavioral, and emotional tendencies that shape how we think, feel, and act

It influences how we perceive stressors

How we react to stressors

Can affect the health consequences of stress

Hardiness

A personality trait that helps people cope more positively with stress

Motivation

Personal motivations can influence how stress affects health

Power motivation = outspoken, leadership roles, and comfortable with conflict

Affiliation motivation = team oriented

Potential factors that influence how we perceive and respond to stress

Cultural background

Gender

Life experience

General adaptation syndrome

The proposal (Hans Selye) that the body follows a predictable pattern when responding to stress

Eustress

Stress that is positive, motivating, or manageable

Associated with the general adaptation syndrome

Distress

Stress that becomes negative or harmful

Associated with the general adaptation syndrome

3 stages of the General Adaptation Syndrome

Alarm - activated the fight or flight response

Resistance - adapt to the stressor

Exhaustion - depletes the body’s resources

Allostatic load

The “wear and tear” on the body caused by repeated or prolonged exposure to stress

Adaptive calibration model

The modern thought that not everyone experiences stress in the same way

Psychoneuroimmunology (PNI)

The study of the interactions among the nervous, endocrine, and immune systems

Stress can affect immunity

Cardiovascular disease

Blood pressure increases during a stress response

Repeated or prolonged increases in blood pressure can contribute to cardiovascular damage

Chronic stress can contribute to or worsen these psychological aspects:

Anxiety

Depression

Panic attacks

Eating disorders

PTSD

Altered immune function

Increased vulnerability to colds, and other infections, asthma and allergy attacks, and flare-ups of chronic sexuality transmitted infections such as general herpes and HIV

Three categories of headaches related to stress

Tension headaches = dull, steady pain on both sides of the head

Migraine headaches = throbbing pain that starts on one side of the head and then spreads

Cluster headaches = intense pain in and around the eye

Other health problems related to stress

Worsen skin problems like inflammatory conditions

Attention, reaction time, muscle tension, and recovery

Persistent pain and fatigue

Hormonal regulation and reproductive functioning

Common sources of stress

Major life changes

Daily hassles

College stressors

Job related stressors

Social stressors

Burnout

A state of physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion

Spiritual wellness

Involves having a sense of meaning, purpose, values, and connection in life

Mindfulness

The intentional cultivation of attention in a way that is nonjudging and nonstriving

Psychological health

More than the absence of mental health it includes the ability to manage emotions, adapt to challenges and changes

Positive psychology

A branch of psychology that shifts attention from mental illness to human strengths and optimal functioning. Includes happiness, meaning, life satisfaction, etc.

It focuses on understanding what helps people on defining goals and on ways to achieve them

Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs (High to low)

Self actualization

Self esteem - as a person, doer, in relationships

Love and belongingness - loving, connected

Safety and security - safe surroundings, protection by others

Psychological needs - food and water, shelter, sleep

Self actualization

The ongoing process of developing your potential and living in ways that reflect your values, goals, and capabilities

Martin Seligman’s three dimensions of a fulfilling life

Pleasant life - experience positive emotions

Engaged life - recognize and manage your emotions and respond effectively to others’ emotions - emotional intelligence

Meaningful life - Use your strength and weaknesses to contribute to others in a meaningful purpose

Erik Erikson

Personality and identity develop through a series of eight stages (trust vs mistrust, initiative vs guilt, etc.) that extent throughout life

Values

Criteria for judging what is good and bad and that underlie our moral decisions and behavior

A healthy self concept (having a realistic but supportive view of yourself, believing you can set and accomplish goals) includes:

Integration - by seeing yourself as a whole person rather than defining yourself by one success or failure

Stability - by maintaining a consistent sense of who you are

Self efficacy - by believing you are capable of setting goals, etc.

Cognitive distortions

Can create patterns of thinking that can make situations seem more extreme than they really are

Defense mechanisms

Allow people to rearrange thoughts and feelings to resolve conflicts

Can be healthy and adaptive or could be maladaptive

Pessimism

A focus on the negative and unfavorable

Optimism

A tendency to emphasize the hopeful and expect a favorable outcome

Assertiveness

Expression that is forceful but not hostile; being able to say no or yes depending on the situation

It is considered a psychological disorder when thoughts, emotions, and behaviors:

interfere with daily life

cause significant distress

make it difficult to function in common environments

Factors that can influence psychological disorders

genetics

environment

learning

life events

Anxiety

fear or worry that is generalized and not in response to any threat

Specific phobia

An intense, irrational fear of a distinct situation that poses little to no actual danger

Social anxiety disorder

Fear of humiliation, embarrassment, or negative judgement while observed by others

Panic disorders

A condition marked by recurring, sudden and unexpected panic attacks

Agoraphobia

fear and avoidance of being alone

Panic attacks

Brief, sudden surges of overwhelming and intense physical and psychological anxiety

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)

Excessive, uncontrollable, and persistent worry about multiple issues

Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)

A condition driven by a cycle of intrusive, recurring thoughts and repetitive, compulsive behaviors

Obsessions

Recurrent, unwanted distressing thoughts, urges, or impulses

Compulsions

Repetitive, rigid actions or mental rituals performed to relieve anxiety

Posttraumatic stress disorder

Persistent physical and emotional distress

Attention deficit disorder

Involves a persistent pattern of inattention, hyperactivity, and/or impulsivity

For ADHD to be diagnosed symptoms must be:

Be persistent

Interfere with daily functioning and development

Several symptoms must be around before age 12

Mood disorders

Emotional disturbance that is intense and persistent enough to affect normal function

Two major types of mood disorders

Major depressive disorder

Bipolar disorder

Depression

Persistent sadness, hopelessness, and a loss of interest or pleasure in daily activities

affects 8.3% of Americans annually

Depressive symptoms include:

Disturbed sleep, loss of appetite, changes in energy levels

Depressive treatment options:

If mild to moderate - a combination of drug therapy (antidepressants) and psychotherapy

Severe or treatment resistant - electroconvulsive therapy (ETC)

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD)

A specific type of seasonal depression successfully managed using structural light therapy

Bipolar disorder

Alternating periods of severe depression and mania, causing extreme shifts in mood, energy, and activity levels

The manic phase (bipolar disorder)

Characterized by excessive joy, irritability, extreme talkativeness, inflated self esteem, and expansiveness

Treatment of bipolar disorder

Anti manic drugs and lifelong treatment

Schizophrenia

A severe, chronic mental disorder that impacts a person’s thinking, emotional management, and perceptions of reality

Characteristics of schizophrenia

disorganized thoughts

abnormal motor behavior

delusions

auditory hallucinations

functional decline

Three models of human nature and therapeutic change

Behavioral model = focuses on observable behaviors

Cognitive model = focuses on thoughts, beliefs, and interpretations

Psychodynamic model = focuses on unconscious thoughts, wishes, conflicts, and emotions

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)

Combines cognitive and behavioral approaches (most common in therapy)

Electroencephalogram

The tool that usually monitors brain activity

Wakefulness pattern is the alpha rhythm, characterized by regular brain waves 8-10 times per second

Non-rapid eye movement sleep (NREM)

Progression from light sleep to deep sleep through three stages