Psychological and Biological Aspects of Stress, Mood Disorders, and Trauma

What is stress?

A physiological and psychological response to perceived threats or challenges.

What are physiological stress reactions?

Physical responses to stress, such as increased heart rate, muscle tension, and hormonal changes.

What cognitive and behavioral factors influence responses to stressors?

Thought patterns, coping strategies, and behavioral responses that shape how individuals react to stress.

What are the differences between PTSD and acute stress disorder?

PTSD involves long-term symptoms following trauma, while acute stress disorder occurs immediately after trauma and lasts for a shorter duration.

Acute stress disorder can develop into PTSD.

What are dissociations?

Disruptions in consciousness, memory, identity, or perception that can occur in response to trauma or stress.

What are the patterns of Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID)?

Characterized by the presence of two or more distinct personality states, with gaps in memory. Symptoms not caused by substances.

What is the nature of personalities in DID?

Each personality may have its own unique behaviors, memories, and ways of perceiving the world.

What are the types of depressive symptoms?

Emotional symptoms, motivational symptoms, behavioral symptoms, cognitive symptoms, physical symptoms.

What are the types of manic symptoms?

Symptoms can include elevated mood, increased energy, decreased need for sleep, and impulsive behavior.

What are cognitive errors in mood disorders?

negative, irrational patterns of thinking that can worsen symptoms and create a cycle of hopelessness. This includes overgeneralization, catastrophizing, and all-or-nothing thinking (either good or bad)

What is Beck's theory in relation to mood disorders?

Unipolar depression is produced by a combination of maladaptive attitudes, cognitive triad, errors in thinking, and automatic thoughts. (Cognitive triad: Negative view of experiences, oneself,and future)

What are attributional patterns in depression?

Ways individuals explain the causes of their successes and failures, often leading to feelings of helplessness in depression.

What are common biological treatments for depression and bipolar disorder?

Antidepressants(ketamine based) and mood stabilizers (lithium, antiseizure drugs, antipsychotics) that help regulate mood and alleviate symptoms.

What are some biological sex differences in the prevalence of mood disorders?

Woman have a higher prevalence for mood disorders like depression whit sex hormones playing a key role. As well as body dissatisfaction, lack-of0control theory, rumination theory, and the life stress theory.

What physiological and psychological factors contribute to mood disorders?

Factors include genetic predisposition, neurochemical imbalances, and environmental stressors.

What is rapid cycling in bipolar disorder?

A pattern where an individual experiences four or more episodes of mania or depression within a year.

What is a stressor?

An event that creates demands that causes arousal and fear when viewed as threatening

What is a stress response?

A person's reactions to demands.

Typical onset patterns of Bipolar?

Late adolescence or early adulthood. 1 week or more of mania. No gender differences. Major depressive episodes that last longer than mania typically. (BPD 2 has no history of mania though.)

Typical onset for major depressive episode?

2 week period of increased depressive mood for the majority of each day as well as weight change insomnia/hypersomnia, daily fatigue or lethargy, and more.

Typical onset for persistent depressive disorder?

Person experiences the symptoms of major or mild depression for at least 2 years. During the 2-year period, symptoms are not absent for more than 2 months at a time. No history of mania or hypomania. Significant distress or impairment.

Typical onset for unipolar depression?

Average age of onset is 19. Twenty percent of all adults experience unipolar depression at some point.

Beck's Cognitive therapy

1. Increasing activities and elevating moods

2. Challenging automatic thoughts

3. Identifying negative thinking and biases

4. Changing primary attitudes

Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) is recognizing and accepting negative cognitions.