AP Psychology Unit 5: Mental and Physical Health

Health Psychology

focuses on how a perosn’s physical health and wellness shape their behaviors and mental processes

Prolonged Stress

can weaken the body’s ability to fight off different diseases; linked to hypertension, headaches, and immune suppression

Eustress

positive stress that ends up motivating an individual to take on a challenge, or perform better at a task

Distress

negative stress that ends up overwhelming an individual, resulting in them feeling exhausted

Causes of Stress

can be experienced as traumatic or daily hassles that can build up over time

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)

potentially traumatic events or chronic stressors occurring in a person’s childhood; can affect a person throughout their lifespan

General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS)

looks at how a person’s body reacts to stress when confronted with stress for long periods of time

Alarm Reaction

When the stressor is first perceived, via a fight-flight-freeze response

Fight-Flight-Freeze Response

It either prepares an individual to confront the stressor, prepares the individual to run away from the stressor, or an individual becomes stuck and is unable to act due to the stressor

Resistance Phase

If stress persists, during this stage, the body attempts to adapt to the stressor, usually using more energy

Exhaustion Phase

Occurs either when the stressor subsides or resources are spent. The body’s energy stores become depleted, making the body more susceptible to illness, like burnout and fatigue

Tend-and-Befriend

Under stress, some individuals are more likely to protect and care for themselves or others, or may seek social support from others. Occurs mostly in women

Problem-Focused Coping

when an individual views a stressor as a situation or problem that can be solved

Emotion-Focused Coping

when an individual focuses on managing their emotional reactions to the stressor, instead of trying to change the stressor itself; includes deep-breathing, meditation, or taking medication

Positive Psychology

Focuses on trying to understand better what makes life most worth living, looking at positive emotions, character strength, resilience, and well-being

Gratitude

involves recognizing and appreciating positive aspects of life

Signature Strengths (Virtues)

Personal qualities that come most naturally to the individual; wisdom, courage, humanity, justice, temperance, and transcendence. By exercising these, people report more happiness

Posttraumatic Growth

positive psychological changes that occur as a result of struggling with challenging life events or traumatic events

Abnormal Psychology

The study of unusual patterns of behavior, emotion, or thought. Exploring psychological disorders to improve mental health

Dysfunction

disruption in cognitive, emotional, or behavioral functioning that significantly impairs an individual’s ability to perform normal daily activities

Perception of Distress

Intense and prolonged emotional suffering that impairs an individual’s ability to function in daily life

Deviation

a significant departure from accepted social behaviors and cultural expectations

Positive Consequences of Diagnosis

allows the individual to get specialized treatment, obtain validation for their feelings, and helps policymakers obtain more funds for mental health research

Negative Consequences of Diagnosis

Viewed as a stigma, prejudicial stereotyping

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, Text Revision (DSM-5-TR)

the comprehensive classification system to diagnose and categorize mental disorders

International Classification of Mental Disorders (ICD)

the global standard for reporting and categorizing diseases, including mental and behavioral disorders

Eclectic Approach

psychologists combine different techniques, theories, and ideas from different psychological perspectives in order to tailor the unique needs of individual clients

Behavioral Perspective

focuses on how mental Disorders come from maladaptive learned associations between responses and stimuli

Psychodynamic Perspective

focuses on how mental disorders can stem from unresolved unconscious conflicts and impulses, often originating in childhood

Humanistic Perspective

focuses on how mental disorders develop due to a person lacking social support, failing to achieve their potential, or having an incongruent self-concept

Cognitive Perspective

proposes that mental disorders come from maladaptive thought patterns, including distorted beliefs and attitudes

Evolutionary Perspective

focuses on how mental disorders that cause abnormal behaviors and tendencies often originate in an individual’s genetics

Sociocultural Perspective

mental disorders are influenced by social and cultural factors, including group dynamics, cultural norms, and interpersonal relationships

Biological Perspective

mental disorders are caused by physiological and genetic factors, contributed by genes, brain chemistry, and neurotransmitters

Biopsychosocial Model

assumes that psychological disorders result from a complex interaction of biological, psychological, and socio-cultural factors

Diathesis-Stress Model

assumes that psychological disorders develop due to a predisposing genetic vulnerability (diathesis) combined with stressful life experiences (stress)

Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Begins in the developmental period, characterized by symptoms that affect behavior, learning, and development, focusing on whether behaviors are appropriate for the person’s age or maturity level. Can be caused by genetic, physiological, or environmental factors

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

Persistent patterns of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity. Difficulty focusing, controlling behavior, and staying organized

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

Persistent challenges in social communication and interactions, and restrictive, repetitive patterns of behaviors, interests, or activities. Falls within a spectrum

Schizophrenic Spectrum Disorders

Characterized by delusions, hallucinations, disorganized thinking or speech, disorganized motor behavior, and negative symptoms; either acute or chronic

Positive Symptoms

behaviors or experiences that add to a person’s behavior

Negative Symptoms

behaviors or experiences that are absent from or reduced from an individual’s behavior

Delusions

False beliefs, despite strong contradictory evidence. Positive Symptoms

Delusions of Persecution

believing that others are out to harm you

Delusions of Grandeur

the belief that you have exceptional abilities, wealth, fame, or are famous

Hallucinations

False sensory experiences without external stimuli, most commonly involving hearing voices that others do not hear

Disorganized Motor Behavior (Catatonia)

these are abnormal or erratic movements, significantly impacting daily functioning

Catatonia Excitement

Excessive, purposeless motor activity that is added

Catatonia Stupor

lack of movement or response

Flat Affect

Severe reduction in emotional expressiveness

Disorganized Thinking or Speech

incoherent or nonsensical speech patterns, reflecting disordered thought processes; word salad

Dopamine Hypothesis

suggests that schizophrenia is linked to an imbalance of dopamine activity in the brain, with excess dopamine causing positive symptoms

Depressive Disorders

characterized by a persistent sad, empty, or irritable mood accompanied by physical and cognitive changes, impairing daily function

Major Depressive Disorder (MDD)

pervasive and persistent low mood accompanied by low self-esteem and a loss of interest or pleasure in normally enjoyable activities

Persistent Depressive Disorder

Chronic, depressed mood lasting for at least two years. Less severe symptoms but are longer lasting

Causes of Depressive Disorders

Can be caused by biological, genetic, social, cultural, behavioral, or cognitive factors

Bipolar Disorders

alternating periods of mania and depression, caused by bipolar cycling

Manic Episodes

moments of high energy, impulsivity, and euphoria

Depressive Episodes

moments of low energy, sadness, and hopelessness

Bipolar I Disorder

characterized by at least one full manic episode that lasts at least seven days, followed by depressive episodes that typically last around two weeks

Bipolar II Disorder

characterized by at least 1 hypomanic episodes, which are less severe than full mania but still noticeable shifts form one’s typical behavior, followed by one major depressive episodes

Causes of Bipolar Disorders

Can be caused by biological, genetic, social, cultural, behavioral, or cognitive factors

Anxiety Disorders

characterized by excessive fear and anxiety that lead to significant disturbances in behavior

Specific Phobia

intense and irrational fear of a specific object or situation, leading to significant distress and a disruption in daily function

Acrophobia

intense and persistent fear of heights

Arachnophobia

intense and irrational fears of spiders

Agoraphobia

Fear of being in social situations where escape is difficult or there is no help around

Panic Disorder

recurrent and unexpected panic attacks accompanied by physical symptoms, like heart palpitations, and an ongoing concern about the future

Ataque de Nervios

form of panic disorder culturally linked to and experienced by people of Iberian and Caribbean descent

Culture-Bound Disorder

a psychological condition that is specific to a particular cultural group

Social Anxiety Disorders

Significant and persistent fear of social situations where embarrassment or scrutiny may occur, leading to avoiding social interactions

Taijin Kyofusho

form of social anxiety that is mainly found in Japanese culture, it is the intense fear of offending or displeasing others through one’s bodily functions or appearance

Generalized Anxiety Disorders

Persistent and excessive worry about various aspects of daily life, accompanied by physical symptoms such as restlessness, fatigue, and difficulty concentrating

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

recurrent, unwanted thoughts (obsessions) and repetitive behaviors or mental acts (compulsions) that reduces anxiety caused by obsessions, but causes distress and impairs daily functioning

Hoarding Disorder

The difficulty discarding possessions due to a perceived need to keep them, regardless of their value. It clutters living spaces

Dissociative Disorders

Disruptions of discontinuities in consciousness, memory, identity, or perception, mostly due to the experience of trauma or stress

Dissociative Amnesia

the inability to recall autobiographical information, often due to a trauma or severe stressors

Dissociative Fugue

where the individual not only forgets key details about themselves, but also includes unexpected travel away from one’s environment

Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID)

the presence of at least two distinct personality states or identities, leading to memory gaps and a disrupted sense of self

Trauma and Stressor-Related Disorders

Psychological distress following a traumatic or stressful event, characterized by the lookout for danger, severe anxiety, flashbacks, insomnia, emotional detachment, and hostility

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Persistent mental and emotional distress following a traumatic event, featuring flashbacks, avoidance of reminders of the trauma. heightened reactivity, and emotional numbness

Feeding and Eating Disorders

characterized by altered consumption or absorption of food, leading to significant impairment in health or psychological functioning

Anorexia Nervosa

characterized by extreme food restriction, an intense fear of gaining weight, and a distorted body image

Bulimia Nervosa

Recurrent episodes of binge eating following by purging, including vomiting, excessive exercise, or misuse of laxatives, to prevent weight gain

Personality Disorders

characterized by enduring patterns of internal experience and behavior that deviate markedly from cultural expectations, are pervasive and inflexible, begin in adolescence or early adulthood, are stable over time, and causes distress and impairment

Cluster A

odd and eccentric behaviors and thinking

Paranoid Personality Disorder

pervasive distrust and suspicion of others, interpreting their motives as malevolent

Schizoid Personality Disorder

pervasive pattern of detachment from social relationships and a restricted range of emotional expression

Schizotypal Personality Disorder

acute discomfort in close relationships, cognitive or perceptual distortions, and eccentric behaviors, leading to significant social and interpersonal difficulties

Cluster B

dramatic, emotional, or erratic behaviors

Antisocial Personality Disorder

Pervasive pattern of disregard for, and violation of, the rights of others, often involving deceitful, manipulative, and unlawful behaviors, and a lack of remorse

Histrionic Personality Disorder

Excessive emotionality and attentive-seeking behavior. Leads to difficulties in maintaining deep and meaningful relationships

Narcissistic Personality Disorder

pervasive patterns of grandiosity, a need for admiration, and a lack of empathy for others

Borderline Personality Disorder

characterized by instability in relationships, self-image, and emotions, along with impulsive behaviors and an intense fear of abandonment

Cluster C

anxious or fearful behaviors

Avoidant Personality Disorders

Pervasive pattern of social inhibition, feelings of inadequacy, and hypersensitivity to negative evaluation

Dependent Personality Disorder

Excessive need to be taken care of, leading to submissive and clinging behavior, and fears of separation, resulting in difficulty of making independent decisions

Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder

pervasive patter of preoccupation with orderliness, perfectionism, and control, at the expense of flexibility, openness, and efficiency

Psychotherapy

A treatment that is used to help individuals address and manage emotional, psychological, and behavioral challenges through structured conversations with a trained mental health professional

Evidence-Based Interventions

therapeutic approaches and treatments that are supported by scientific research and empirical evidence