AP Psychology Unit 5 | Mental and Physical Health

Biological Approach to Stress

Stress is simply activation of the sympathetic nervous system

Psychodynamic Approach to Stress

Stress is turmoil in the unconscious that might show as something else

Evolutionary Approach to Stress

Stress is the result having evolved for a different environment

Sociocultural Approach to Stress

Stress comes from not matching society’s roles and expectations

Humanistic Approach to Stress

Stress arises when obstacles block us from growing and becoming self-actualized

Cognitive Approach to Stress

Stress is the reaction of having disruptive and unpleasant thoughts

Behavioral Approach to Stress

Stress is the inability to obtain positive or negative reinforcement

Hedonic Adaptation

The observed tendency of humans to quickly return to a relatively stable baseline level of happiness despite major positive or negative life events or changes in circumstance

Distress

“Bad" stress that feels overwhelming, causes anxiety, and decreases performance, often leading to mental or physical exhaustion, unhealthy in the long run

Eustress

Good" stress that motivates, focuses energy, and feels exciting, helping with performance and personal growth, possibility of long-term benefit

Daily Hassles (Stressor)

These are multiplicative, rather than additive, constant noise, physical discomfort, and financial uncertainty can pile up

Traumatic Events (Stressor)

Depends on cognitive appraisal, personality traits, coping mechanisms, and resources

Adverse Childhood Experiences (Stressor)

Children are vulnerable and require care and support. When care is given or even denied, it can affect the person’s development throughout their life

General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS)

A three-stage model (Alarm, Resistance, Exhaustion) describing the body’s short- and long-term physiological reactions to chronic stress and ability to resist stress over time, with stress resistance decreasing over time

Alarm Stage (GAS)

Fight or flight, sudden activation of the sympathetic nervous system

Resistance Stage (GAS)

When excess adrenaline allow the body and brain to rise to face a challenge, “handling it”

Exhaustion Stage (GAS)

The body can no longer fight the stressor, the stress response, while continuing to repair tissue and fight infection

Tend and Befriend Strategy

A stress response alternative to "fight-or-flight" characterized by nurturing behaviors (tending) and seeking social support (befriending)

Yerkes-Dodson Theory

Performance increases with physiological or mental arousal (stress) but only up to a point, creating an inverted U-shaped curve

Positive Psychology

The scientific study of human strengths and virtues focusing on human flourishing and optimal functioning such as happiness

Self-Report Scales for Happiness

Authentic Happiness Inventory, PERMA Profiler

Authentic Happiness Inventory

Measures overall happiness and subjective well-being (SWB), focuses on three routes to happiness: the pleasant life, engaged life, and meaningful life

PERMA Profiler

A general, 23-item questionnaire (15 core items) that measures "flourishing" based on Seligman's well-being theory that measures across 5 pillars

Well-Being

A state of happiness and contentment with low levels of distress, overall good physical and mental health and outlook, or good quality

Altruism

A key to well-being where an individual has an unselfish regard for someone else’s welfare

Awe

A key to well-being, a feeling when in the presence of something that challenges our understanding of the world

Bridging Difference

A key to well-being, embracing a diversity of backgrounds

Compassion

A key to well-being, a feeling that arises when you are confronted with someone else’s suffering and feel motivated to relieve it

Diversity

A key to well-being, involving people from a range of different social and ethnic backgrounds

Empathy

A key to well-being, ability to sense someone else’s pain

Forgiveness

A key to well-being, conscious decision to release feeling of resentment

Gratitude

A key to well-being, appreciation of what one has both tangible and intangible

Social Connection

A key to well-being, a feeling that you belong to a group and feel close to those in the group

Intellectual Humility

A key to well-being, the degree to which one recognizes their beliefs might be wrong

Mindfulness

A key to well-being, moment by moment awareness of our thoughts, feeling and environment

Purpose

A key to well-being, intention to achieve a personal meaning

Resilience

The process of adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats, or significant sources of stress

Gratitude

Appreciating what an individual receives, whether tangible or intangible, or a state of being thankful

Signature Strengths

Characteristics that are most defining for an individual

Posttraumatic Growth

A positive subjective experience that some experience after the experience of trauma or stress (for example, personal strength, close relationships, greater appreciation for life, new possibilities, or spiritual development)

Character Strengths

Component of positive psychology where 24 traits are categorized in 6 virtues that, when used regularly, enhance happiness and well-being

Wisdom

Cognitive strengths like creativity, curiosity, open-mindedness, love of learning, and perspective

Courage

Emotional strengths involving exercise of will, such as bravery, persistence, integrity, and vitality

Humanity

Interpersonal strengths involving caring, including love, kindness, and social intelligence

Justice

Civic strengths underpinning healthy community life, such as teamwork, fairness, and leadership

Temperance

Strengths that protect against excess, including forgiveness, humility, prudence, and self-regulation

Trascendence

Strengths that forge connections to the larger universe, including appreciation of beauty/excellence, gratitude, hope, humor, and spirituality

Through self-assessments

How is happiness measured?

3 D’s of Mental Disorders

Deviant, Distressful, Dysfunctional

Deviant

Not typical of one’s society’s normal behavior

Distressful

Refers to feelings of worry, causing anxiety

Dysfunctional

Impairment or disturbance in behavior

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders (DSM)

The American Psychiatric Association's official handbook for identifying, classifying, and diagnosing mental disorders, most current is DSM-5-TR (only lists symptoms, not causes or treatments)

Neurodevelopmental Disorders

A group of conditions originating in childhood that affect brain development and function, causing difficulties with learning, behavior, emotion, communication, or motor skills (ADHD, autism)

Depressive Disorders

A common, serious mental health condition characterized by persistent sadness, loss of interest in activities, and fatigue, lasting at least two weeks (Major Depressive Disorder)

Anxiety Disorders

Serious, treatable mental health conditions characterized by excessive, persistent fear or worry that interferes with daily life, job performance, and relationships (Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Phobias, Panic Disorder)

Schizophrenia Spectrum and Other Psychotic Disorders

Mental health conditions characterized by a loss of contact with reality, featuring symptoms like hallucinations, delusions, and disorganized thinking

Bipolar and Related Disorders

Mental health conditions characterized by extreme mood shifts, ranging from high-energy mania/hypomania to deep depression

Trauma and Stressor-Related Disorders

Mental health conditions developing after exposure to traumatic or severe stressful events (PTSD)

Dissociative Disorders

Mental health conditions characterized by an involuntary escape from reality, causing a disconnection between thoughts, identity, consciousness, and memory (Dissociative Identity Disorder, Dissociative Amnesia)

Feeding and Eating Disorders

Psychiatric illnesses characterized by persistent disturbances in eating behavior, food consumption, or absorption (Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa)

Sleep-Wake Disorders

Conditions involving persistent disruption to the quality, timing, or amount of sleep, resulting in excessive daytime sleepiness and impaired functioning (insomnia, circadian rhythm disorders like shift work or jet lag, and sleep-related breathing disorders)

International Classification of Disease

Tool used in classifying psychological disorders that was developed by the World Health Organization and used to standardize health information across the world, most current is ICD-11

Diagnostic Labeling Positive Consequences

Individuals could experience relief knowing their group of symptoms has a name, helps guide to appropriate course of treatments, simplifies communication, predicts future problems for the individual

Diagnostic Labeling Negative Consequences

Negative attitude toward self, reduced hope and self-esteem, self-limiting beliefs, may accept the role and the outlook, diagnosis made by using self-reports, individuals may not be good at describing symptoms

Behavioral Approach to Psychological Disorders

Focus on maladaptive learned associations between or among responses to stimuli, positive and negative reinforcement

Psychodynamic Approach to Psychological

Focus on unconscious thoughts and experiences, often developed during childhood, conflicts exist between id, ego, and superego, anxiety stems from socially unacceptable desires

Humanistic Approach to Psychological Disorders

Focus on lack of social support and being unable to fulfill one’s fullest potential, not receiving unconditional positive regard creates self-doubt and can lead to depression

Cognitive Approach to Psychological Disorders

Focus on maladaptive thoughts, beliefs, attitudes, or emotions, irrational fears can lead to irrational behaviors, maladaptive thoughts and rumination can lead to a cycle of depression

Evolutionary Approach to Psychological Disorders

Focus on behaviors and mental processes that reduce the likelihood of survival, fears can be adaptive and aid in survival, such as a fear of the dark or dangerous animals, fears can also reduce the chances of reproduction such as fears of rejection and issues in relationships

Sociocultural Approach to Psychological Disorders

Focus on maladaptive social and cultural relationships and dynamics, not meeting societal standards leads to low self-esteem

Biological Approach to Psychological Disorder

Focus on physiological or genetic issues, oversupply or undersupply of specific neurotransmitters leads to disorders behavior

Eclectic Approach to Psychological Disorders

When diagnosing and treating disorders, psychologists consider many factors and not just one, the combination of more than one approach

Spectrum Disorder

Combination of symptoms differ from person to person

Neurodevelopmental Disorders

A group of conditions originating in childhood that affect brain development, leading to impairments in cognitive, social, emotional, and behavioral functioning, typically lasting the entire life

Examples of Neurodevelopmental Disorders

ADHD, Autism Spectrum Disorder

Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

Characterized by persistent inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity that interferes with functioning or development (overlooking detail, inability to focus, doesn’t finish task, fidgeting/movement, interrupting others, and trouble waiting for turn)

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

Marked by significant challenges in social interaction, communication, and restricted/repetitive behaviors, includes conditions formerly known as Asperger's or pervasive developmental disorders

Down Syndrome

An example of a developmental disorder that is genetic, a condition causing mild to severe intellectual disability and associated physical disorders

Schizophrenia Spectrum and Other Psychotic Disorders

Mental health conditions characterized by a loss of contact with reality, featuring symptoms like hallucinations, delusions, and disorganized thinking

Delusions

A symptom of schizophrenia spectrum disorder where an individual has distorted or false beliefs about external reality

Hallucinations

A symptom of schizophrenia spectrum disorder where an individual has perception of a stimulus that doesn’t exist (often auditory)

Disorganized Speech

A symptom of schizophrenia spectrum disorder, nonsensical language

Disorganized or Catatonic Behavior

A symptom of schizophrenia spectrum disorder that includes aimless movement or lack of movement

Psychosis

A mental condition in which thoughts and emotions are so affected that contact is lost with reality

Positive Symptoms of Schizophrenia

Presence of an inappropriate or atypical behavior (delusions, hallucinations, Disorganized Speech, disorganized movement)

Negative Symptoms of Schizophrenia

Absence of appropriate or typical expected behavior (lack of movement, Falt Affect, reduction in speech)

Falt Affect

Low emotional response

Dopamine Hypothesis

Too much dopamine in the brain, or too little, could directly contribute to symptoms of schizophrenia, particularly those of psychosis and that blocking dopamine could help relieve psychotic symptoms

Depressive Disorders

A category of psychological disorders characterized by persistent, severe, and disabling feelings of sadness, worthlessness, and a lack of interest in previously enjoyed activities

Depressive Disorders

Major Depressive Disorder, Persistent Depressive Disorder

Major Depressive Disorder (MDD)

Diagnosed when a person experiences at least five symptoms of depression (including depressed mood or loss of interest) for over two weeks

Persistent Depressive Disorder (PDD)

A less severe but more chronic form of depression, lasting for at least two years

Bipolar Disorders

Mood disorders characterized by alternating episodes of depression and mania or hypomania, involving “manic” episodes (Bipolar I and II)

Bipolar Cycling

Involves experiencing depression and mania in alternating periods that can last a variable amount of time

Bipolar I

Requires the presence of a manic episode, can be diagnosed without the presence of depression

Bipolar II

Requires the presence of a hypomanic episode (less severe) and a depressive episode

Anxiety Disorders

Psychological conditions characterized by excessive distress, persistent anxiety or maladaptive behaviors that reduce anxiety (specific Phobias, agoraphobia, panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, Generalized anxiety disorder)

Specific Phobias

A persistent, irrational fear and avoidance of a specific object, activity, or situation

Agoraphobia

Intense fear of social situations, including public transportation, being in open spaces, being in enclosed spaces, standing in line, being in a crowd, or being outside of home while alone