Psychology Unit 4 AOS 2

Stress

Normal part of everyday life

Anxiety

Feeling of apprehension, dread, etc. in response to unclear or ambiguous threat. Disorder is accompanied by physical and psychological symptoms, preventing normal functioning.

Phobia

Persistent, irrational and intense fear of a particular object or event. Try to avoid stimulus. If forced to confront will experience FFF. Interferes with normal functioning = disorder.

Stress and Anxiety

Stress and anxiety can contribute to a mental disorder, but are not considered one. Any phobia is a mental disorder.

Specific Phobia

Intense, irrational fear and avoidance of particular object, activity or situation.

Specific Phobia categories

Animals, Situations, Blood/Injection/Injury, Natural Environment, Other.

GABA

Inhibitory neurotransmitter, making the postsynaptic neurons less likely to fire. Counterbalances glutamate.

GABA Dysfunction (Biological)

Cause lower levels, means neurotransmitters that lead to anxiety are more prevalent in the brain.

GABA Dysfunction Cause

Genetics, CNS damage, prolonged stress, high caffeine intake, etc.

Stress Response to Phobia (Biological)

Associated with many FFF responses, e.g sweating, hyperventilating. Phobic anxiety problematic if occurs to no real threat.

Long Term Potentiation (Biological)

Development of phobias influenced by learning through exp.

LTP strengthens association between phobic stimulus and fear/anxiety response. More connection activated, more strengthened.

Behavioural models (psychological)

Suggest phobias are learned through experience and may be acquired, maintained and modified by environmental consequences.

Two factor learning theory

Specific phobia may be precipitated through classical conditioning and perpetuated by operant conditioning.

Precipitation by classical conditioning

A stimulus with no significance (NS or USC) becomes a sign or threat of danger (CS). Natural fear response (UCR) becomes a conditioned fear response (CR)

Perpetuation by operant conditioning

Subject begins to avoid antecedent stimulus as it is anxiety inducing, avoidance (behaviour) removes feelings of stress and anxiety, avoidance is negatively reinforced (consequence).

Cognitive Models

Focus on how the person processes the info about the phobic stimulus and related events.

Cognitive Bias

Tendency to think in a way that involves errors of judgement and poor decision making.

Memory Bias

Distorting influence of present knowledge, beliefs, feelings, on the recollection of prior experiences.

Catastrophic Thinking

Thinking style that exaggerates, overestimates or magnifies an object or situation and predicts the worst possible outcome. Underestimate coping techniques, feeling helpless. Can maintain fear or anxiety, perpetuation of specific phobia.

Environmental Triggers (social)

Negative or traumatic experience with a phobic stimulus at some time in a person's life, e.g attacked at young age. Specific object or situation in the environment triggered an extreme fear response.

Stigma and specific phobia

Phobias are 'irrational' making it hard for them to seeking difficult. Can make it hard for others to understand. Attitudes towards people suffering specific phobia are detrimental.

A person who is in good mental health can

Make the most of their potential

Cope with the challenges of everyday life

Play a full part in their family, school, workplace, community, when among friends.

Mental health as a continuum

No clear cut dividing lines between different points along the continuum.

State of mental health:

Being in a generally positive state of mental wellbeing, having the ability to cope with and manage life's challenges, working productively, striving to fulfil one's goals and potential, and having a sense of connection to others and the community in general.

Mental Health Problem

A problem or concern that affects the way a person thinks, feels, and/or behaves but is typically mild and temporary, of a shorter duration than a mental disorder.

Mental Illness

A mental health state that involves a combination of thoughts, feelings and/or behaviours which are usually associated with significant personal distress and impair the ability to function effectively in everyday life.

Mentally Healthy

Function at a higher level than people with mental health problem or disorder.

Mental Health Problem smaller definition

Feel worried, tense, low, irritable, quiet, confused, angry (often in response to a stressor).

Mental Disorder

Anxiety disorder, e.g phobias, panic disorder, separation anxiety disorder.

Stigma

A sign of disgrace that sets someone apart from one another.

Internal Factors that influence mental health

Originate inside or within a person. These can be organised as biological and psychological factors.

External factors that influence mental health

Influences that originate outside a person.

BioPsychoSocial Model (Biological)

Genes

Gender

Neurotransmitters and neurotransmission

Response to medication

Substance Use

Brain Function

Nervous System Activity

Hormones

Immune System

Physiological Responses To Stress

BioPsychoSocial Model (Psychological)

Thoughts

Ways of thinking

Beliefs and attitudes

Personality Traits

Learning and memory

Perceptions

Emotions

Coping skills

Psychological reactions to stress

BioPsychoSocial Model (Social)

Interpersonal relationships

Social Support

Lifestyle

Attachment

External Stressors

Access to healthcare

Social Stigma

Level of income

Level of education

Risks of violence

Human rights violations

Environmental conditions

Cultural values and traditions

Characteristics of mentally healthy people

High level of functioning

High levels of social and emotional wellbeing

Resilience to life stressors

Functioning

Refers to how well an individually independently performs or operates in their environment

Most evident in observable behaviour of everyday life.

Functioning tends to correspond with how well a person is meeting challenges

Wellbeing

How well we feel about ourselves or our lives.

Social Wellbeing

How well we feel about our relationships and interactions with others, including our ability to establish and maintain positive relationships.

Emotional Wellbeing

How well we feel about our ability to control our emotions an express them appropriately and comfortably.

Resilience

The ability to successfully cope with adversity, and to 'bounce back' and restore positive functioning.

Characteristics of resilience

High self esteem

Approaching adversity and stress with a sense of optimism, opportunity and hope.

Having problem solving skills

Protective factors

Reduce or prevent the occurence or recurrence of a mental health disorder, e.g strong social support from family or friends.

Genetic vulnerability

Risk of developing a mental disorder from genetic inheritance. E.g schizophrenia passed down.

Greater genetic similarity of the relatives the more likely the individual is to develop the disorder. Individual at greater risk, but will not necessarily develop disorder.

Poor response to medication due to genetic factors

These can include absorption of medication, sex, age, levels of neurotransmitters, metabolism of medication.

Poor sleep

Sleep quality and quantity are associated with mood disorders, anxiety disorders, addiction disorders, psychotic disorders, etc. Insomnia closely linked with depression.

Substance use

Refers to use of one or more illegal or legal drugs, can contribute to the development or progression of a mental disorder. People who abuse drugs at an increased risk of developing a mental health disorder.

Rumination

Repeatedly thinking about negative thoughts or feelings without acting to change them. Limits problem solving ability. Associated with depression and anxiety, person will ruminate about a negative situation without finding solution.

Impaired reasoning

Can cause jumping to conclusions, often misinformed and unjustified.

Stress II

Can contribute to development and progression of mental disorders. Each person has level of vulnerability, levels of stress will make them more or less vulnerable to developing disorder.

Self-efficacy

Individuals belief in their competence relating to different situations in life. Affects how vulnerable a person is to experiencing stress, anxiety, and depression.

Poor self-efficacy.

Increases the chance of developing a mental disorder as the individual is not able to cope with stress or anxiety in a productive way. More likely to give up on treatments for mental health problems.

Social risk factors

Originate in the external environment and interact with psychological and biological factors to influence our mental health state.

Disorganised Attachment (Social Risk Factor)

Characterised by inconsistent behaviour patterns in the presence of primary caregiver. Linked to abuse, post-natal depression, but also seen in 'normal' families.

Adults with this will find it hard to form close relationships with others or seek social support.

Loss of significant relationship

Not necessarily romantic, just needs to be important. Grief experienced. Can lead to negative behaviours (substance abuse) and negative psych impacts (anxiety, depression, etc.).

Role of stigma as barrier to accessing treatment

Two thirds of people do not seek or have access to treatment. Stigma can lead to a person not seeking help, as person discriminated against and will further withdraw from community.

Social Stigma

Negative attitudes amd beliefs in the community which can lead to exclusion, fear and discrimination.

Self-stigma

Views individuals hold about themselves

Evidence based treatments

Rely on info from a previous study to suggest appropriate treatments for people with specific phobia.

Biological interventions: benzodiazepine agents

Acts selectively on GABA receptors in the brain to increase GABA's inhibitory effects and make post-synaptic neurons resistant to excitation.

GABA agonists

Mimic GABA'S inhibitory effects

Benzodiazepine disadvantages

Can be highly addictive. Induce drowsiness. Long term negative effects include reduced alertness, reduced abilities dependent on alertness.

Benzodiazepine advantages

Can help people to deal with an unavoidable encounter with a phobic stimulus.

Relaxation techniques: breathing retraining

Used in treatments for people with specific phobia. Helps a person maintain normal breathing patterns, and correct abnormal ones, when exposed to a phobic stimulus.

Hyperventilation

Leads to too little carbon dioxide in the blood, which can make the person feel dizzy, experience blurry vision, and feel pins and needles.

Biological interventions: relaxation techniques: exercise

Can provide relief from and alleviate some of the symptoms associated with fear and anxiety.

Psychological interventions: CBT

Seeks to change thoughts and behaviours that perpetuate the phobia and to improve coping skills.

CBT Behaviour

Avoidance behaviours targeted as they are maladaptive and perpetuate phobia.

CBT Psychology

Asked to address fear and anxiety inducing thoughts. If they can recognise and change these thoughts they can reduce their fear response. Encouraged to seek out info that contradicts their belief.

Psychological interventions: systematic desensitisation

Aims to replace a fear response with a relaxation response when a person interacts with a phobic stimulus. Applies to classical conditioning principles so a participant unlearns the connection and reassociates.

Psychological interventions three step process

1. Teach the person a relaxation technique to decrease physiological symptoms

2. Breakdown fear hierarchy from least to most anxiety inducing situation.

3. Pair items in the hierarchy with relaxation by working up to the most anxiety inducing situation.

Social interventions: psychoeducation for families and supporters

Informing individual with specific phobia about the symptoms, treatment and recovery patterns for phobia. Info also shared with their social support network in an attempt to assist the individuals in their treatment.

Psychoeducation focus

Challenging unrealistic or anxious thoughts

Not encouraging avoidance behaviours

Maintenance of mental health - biological factors

Adequate diet and adequate sleep are both considered protective factors against mental ill health

Maintenance of mental health - psychological factors

People who are mentally healthy usually think logically and clearly, tend to have a positive view of themselves and life in general.

Establishing positive thinking patterns important.

Maintenance of mental health - psychological factors - Cognitive Behaviour Strategies

Therapeutic technique drawn from cognitive behavioural therapy to identify, assess and correct faulty patterns of thinking or problem behaviours that may be affecting mental health or wellbeing. Change negative thoughts

Social Support

Generally refers to the assistance, care or empathy provided by people to eachother.

Appraisal Support

Help from another person that improves someone's understanding of their mental health problem and the resources and coping strategies that may be needed to deal with it.

Tangible Assistance

The provision of material support, such as services, financial assistance or goals, that may help offset the effects of a mental health health problem.

Informational support

The provision of information about how to cope with a mental health problem, symptoms or contributing factors

Emotional support

The warmth and nurturing provided by other people can enable a person with a mental health problem to be more confident about coping and outcomes based on the realisation that they have access to social support when needed.

Transtheoretical model of behaviour change

A stage based model that describes and explains how people intentionally change their behaviour to achieve a health related goal.

Precontemplation

Not ready for change, has no intention to take action within the next 6 months. 'I have no intention to quit smoking'

Contemplation

Getting ready for change, intends to take action within the next 6 months. 'I may start to think about how to quit smoking'

Preparation

Ready for change. Intends to take action within the next 30 days. 'I will stop smoking within the next month'

Action

Making the change. Has changed overt behaviour for less than 6 months. 'I have stopped smoking'

Maintenance

Maintaining the change. Has changed overt behaviour for more than 6 months. 'I will continue not to smoke'.

Memory Impairment

Various mental disorders can affect memory, for example a major depressive disorder generally affects short term (working) memory and episodic memory.

Characteristics of mental illness

Psychological dysfunction

Distress

Atypical behaviour

Socially or culturally inappropriate behaviour

Strengths of transtheoretical model

Emphasises stage based nature of behaviour change

Developed in the context of empirical research and has been tested through further research

Weaknesses of transtheoretical model

Researchers have questioned whether stages are in correct order, or whether other stages have been overlooked.

Lack of research to justify relevance or validity of time frames specified.

Cognitive Behavioural Strategy example

Keeping a 'daily thought record' journal in order to recognise and correct problematic ways of thinking.