Mental Health

Stress

the process of appraising and responding to a threatening or challenging event

Stressors

Catastrophes, Life Transitions, and Daily Hassles

Cumulative Nature of Stress

everyday hassles compounding on each other

Appraisal of Stress - Lazarus and Folkman

Primary, and Secondary Appraisal

Primary Appraisal

initial evaluation of the event

Secondary Appraisal

how stressful the stressor is, and how you cope and deal with the stress

Motivational Conflict Theory - Lewin

when two or more incompatible motivations or behavior impulses compete for expression

Approach-approach

conflict of choice between two attractive goals (least stressful)

Avoidance-avoidance

conflict of choice between two unattractive goals

Approach-avoidance

conflict of choice of a goal that has both attractive and unattractive aspects

General Adaptation Syndrome

the three stages of the body’s stress response

Alarm Reaction

the threat is recognized and you body goes into fight or flight

Resistance

physiological changes stabilize and coping efforts begin

Exhaustion

the body’s resource are depleted and it can’t resist stress

Coping Resources

social support and certain personality traits

Social Support

explicit and implicit social support; tend-and-befriend

Explicit Social Support

overt emotional solace and instrumental aid from others

Implicit Social Support

comfort from knowing that on has access to others who will be supportive

Tend-and-befriend

give and receive support

Personality Traits

optimism, and conscientiousness

Optimism

they tend to deal with stress in more adaptive ways

• action-oriented

• seek social support

• positive appraisal of event

Conscientiousness

thy tend to gravitate to healthy environments, are less reactive to stress, and are less likely to exhibit unhealthy habits

Perception of Control

stress does not affect us as much when we feel like we are in control of situation

Locus of Control

the extent at which one thinks they can control the outcomes of events

• internal - “I control my fate”

• external - “I have no control”

Negative Coping Strategies

• learned helplessness

• blaming one’s self

• aggression - catharsis

• defense mechanisms

  • maladaptive behaviors - self-indulgent/destructive

Impacts of Stress on Health

stress can suppress the immune activity, and have effects on heart disease.

Medical Model

psychological disorders are illnesses that can be diagnosed, treated, or cured

Psychopathology

the study and treatment of mental illness

Diagnosis

what specific illness does a person have (symptoms)

Prognosis

what are the outcomes going to be

Etiology

cause of illness

Comorbidity

multiple disorders in one patient

BioPsychoSocial Model

the biological, psychological, and social aspects of psychological disorders

Biological Causes of Mental Illness

• individual genes

• brain structure and chemistry

  • hormones

Psychological Causes of Mental Illness

• stress

• trauma

• learned helplessness

  • learned fears

Social Causes of Mental Illness

• roles and expectations

• social influences

• definition of normality

DSM

Diagnostic and Statistical Manuel - current is DSM V

Issues with Psychiatric Labels

can place harmful stereotypes on individuals

David Rosenhan’s Study

He sent pseudo patients into a psychiatric facility, claiming they were hearing voices, etc. Once in, the patients were instructed to act as normal. This study displayed the staff's inability to distinguish patients with and without illness. This started a discourse on the validity of psychiatric practice.

Deviance

going against the norm, sometimes due to a disorder

Maladaptive

behaviors used to cope with mental illness that are self-indulgent or self-destructive

Personal Distress

feelings of pain and suffering due to your mental condition

Anxiety Disorders

a group of disorders that are characterized by excessive amounts of fear/anxiety

Generalized Anxiety Disorders

a chronic state of unexplained anxiety and worry with no specific cause

Phobias

persistent and irrational fear of an object or situation that presents no realistic danger and must affect their day-to-day life (maladaptive)

Panic Disorder

reoccurring bouts of sudden and overwhelming panic

Agoraphobia

fear of having a panic attack in public, typically viewed now as a fear of going outside

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

persistent, uncontrollable intrusions of unwanted thoughts that urge someone to engage in senseless rituals

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

an anxiety disorder characterized by haunting memories, nightmares, social withdrawal, jumpy anxiety, and/or insomnia that lingers for four weeks or more after a traumatic

Somatoform Disorders

condition of having physical symptoms without medical cause

Etiology of Anxiety Disorders

typically can be learned/conditioned and has a large part from genes

Mood Disorders

groups of disorders that are marked by major disturbances in mood ranging from severe depression to extreme mania

Major Depression

occurs when at least five signs of depression are present for at least two weeks

Bipolar Disorder

people move from extremes in mood of depression and mania

SAD

seasonal affective disorder

Dysthymic Disorder

mild depression with at least two symptoms for two years

Post-Partum Depression

depression after child birth

Maternity Blues

emotional mood-swings after giving birth

Etiology of Mood Disorders

influenced by a combination of biological, psychological, and environmental factors

Psychotic Disorders

a loss of touch with a shared view of reality

Major Symptoms of Psychotic Disorders

the symptoms seen are delusions and irrational thoughts, hallucinations, disorganized speech and thoughts, diminished appropriate emotions, and deterioration of adaptive behavior

Positive Symptoms of Psychotic Disorders

presence of inappropriate symptoms

Negative Symptoms of Psychotic Disorders

absence of appropriate emotions

Etiology of Psychotic Disorders

genetics, brain development, and environmental factors

Dissociative Disorders

a group of disorders that involve a loss of contact with a portion of the person’s conscious memory, resulting in loss of identity

Amnesia

loss of memory for a period of time (hours or days)

Fugue

a form of amnesia and loss of identify coupled with traveling to a new location, typically due to stress or trauma, and can be varied in length (hours-days, months-years)

Dissociative Identity Disorder

the existence within one person of two or more personalities that can come with fugue and amnesia, typically due to severe trauma

Etiology of Dissociative Disorders

typically due to severe childhood trauma

Personality Disorders

a group of disorders that involve enduring patterns of thinking, feeling, or relating to others or controlling impulses that deviate from cultural expectations and cause distress or impaired functioning

Antisocial

manipulating, exploiting, or violating the rights of others with total disregard for right and wrong, lack of guilt, and good fake charm

Borderline

unstable self-image, mood, and relationships with impulses and unpredictable behavior

Narcissistic

overinflated sense of self, while expecting special treatment and lacking empathy

Histronic

overly dramatic, egocentric, and attention-seeking, who will often use sexually explicit behavior to gain attention

Paranoid

pervasive and unwarranted suspicion and mistrust, while being overly sensitive and jealous

Eating Disorders

severe disturbances in eating behavior characterized by preoccupation with weight and unhealthy efforts to control weight

Anorexia Nervousa

intense fear of gaining weight, disturbed body image, refusal to maintain a normal weight, and use of dangerous measures to lose weight

Restrictive Eating

reducing intake, sometimes to the point of starvation

Binge and Purge

eating normally, but purging after every meal

Bulimia Nervousa

involves habitually engaging in out-of-control overeating, followed by unhealthy purging due to an obsession with food

Binge-Eating Disorder

involves distress-inducing eating binges that aren’t accompanies by purging

Etiology of Eating Disorders

genetic, biological, psychological, sociocultural, and environmental factors