Unit 5 psych

Health psychology

Studies how psychological factors affect health and illness. Example: A psychologist helps a patient manage diabetes by reducing stress-related eating.

Stress

The body's response to challenging or threatening situations. Example: Feeling overwhelmed before a big exam.

Hypertension

Chronically high blood pressure, often stress-related. Eg: A CEO develops hypertension due to long-term work stress.

Immune suppression

Weakened immune system function due to chronic stress. Example: A student gets sick frequently during finals week.

Stressors

External events or situations that cause stress. Example: Traffic jams, deadlines, or family conflicts.

Eustress (motivating)

Positive stress that enhances performance. Example: The excitement before a sports competition.

Distress (debilitating)

Negative stress that impairs functioning. Example: Panic before a public speech.

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs)

Traumatic childhood events linked to adult health problems. Example: Growing up with parental neglect or abuse.

General adaptation syndrome (GAS)

The body’s three-stage response to stress (alarm, resistance, exhaustion). Example: A car accident triggers shock, then coping, then burnout.

Alarm reaction phase

Immediate 'fight-or-flight' response to stress. Example: Heart racing when you see a snake.

Resistance phase

Body adapts to prolonged stress. Example: Working long hours for weeks during a project.

Fight-flight-freeze response

Instinctive reactions to threat. Example: Freezing during a robbery.

Exhaustion phase

Energy depletion after chronic stress. Example: Collapsing after months of caregiving.

Tend-and-befriend theory

Stress response involving nurturing and social bonding (common in women). Example: A mother hugs her child after a scary event.

Problem-focused coping

Addressing stress by solving the issue. Example: Making a study schedule to reduce exam anxiety.

Emotion-focused coping

Managing emotional response to stress. Example: Meditating after a breakup.

Positive psychology

Focuses on strengths and well-being. Example: Teaching gratitude to boost happiness.

Well-being

Overall life satisfaction and health. Example: Feeling content with work, relationships, and hobbies.

Resilience

Bouncing back from adversity. Example: Recovering quickly after losing a job.

Positive emotions

Feelings like joy, gratitude, or hope. Example: Laughing with friends.

Gratitude

Appreciation for positive aspects of life. Example: Writing thank-you notes.

Positive subjective experiences

Personal feelings of happiness or fulfillment. Example: The 'runner’s high' after exercise.

Subjective well-being

Self-reported happiness and life satisfaction. Example: Rating your life 8/10 on a survey.

Signature strengths

Personal traits like creativity or kindness. Example: A teacher’s patience with students.

Virtues

Moral qualities valued across cultures. Example: Honesty or courage.

Positive objective experiences

Observable positive behaviors or achievements. Example: Winning an award or volunteering.

Happiness

A sustained sense of joy and contentment. Example: Feeling fulfilled in retirement.

Categories of virtues

Wisdom, courage, humanity, justice, temperance, transcendence. Example: Forgiveness (humanity) or meditation (transcendence).

Posttraumatic growth

Positive psychological change after trauma. Example: Starting a charity after surviving illness.

Dysfunction

Impaired daily functioning due to mental illness. Example: Unable to work due to severe depression.

Distress

Extreme emotional suffering. Example: Crying daily after a loss.

Deviation from the social norm

Behavior violating cultural expectations. Example: Talking to oneself loudly in public.

Cultural/societal norms

Shared rules for behavior in a group. Example: Bowing in Japan.

Stigma

Negative stereotypes about mental illness. Example: Assuming someone with schizophrenia is dangerous.

Racism

Prejudice based on race. Example: Denying a job due to ethnicity.

Sexism

Prejudice based on gender. Example: Paying women less than men.

Ageism

Prejudice based on age. Example: Firing older workers first.

Discrimination

Unfair treatment based on group membership. Example: Refusing to rent to someone with a disability.

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)

The standard classification of mental disorders in the U.S. Example: Used to diagnose major depressive disorder.

International Classification of Mental Disorders (ICD)

Global system for diagnosing diseases (including mental health). Example: Used in Europe to code bipolar disorder.

Eclectic approach

Using multiple therapy techniques. Example: Combining CBT and medication for anxiety.

Behavioral perspective

Focuses on learned behaviors. Example: Using rewards to change a child’s tantrums.

Maladaptive learned associations

Harmful behaviors reinforced over time. Example: Smoking to relieve stress.

Psychodynamic perspective

Explores unconscious motives. Example: A patient’s fear of abandonment linked to childhood.

Humanistic perspective

Emphasizes growth and free will. Example: Therapy focused on self-actualization.

Cognitive perspective

Examines thought patterns. Example: Challenging negative beliefs about failure.

Evolutionary perspective

Analyzes behaviors as adaptations. Example: Fear of snakes as a survival instinct.

Sociocultural perspective

Considers social and cultural influences. Example: Higher depression rates in marginalized groups.

Biological perspective

Focuses on genetics and brain chemistry. Example: Low serotonin linked to depression.

Biopsychosocial model

Integrates biological, psychological, and social factors. Example: Obesity influenced by genes, stress, and food access.

Diathesis-stress model

Mental illness results from predisposition + stress. Example: Genetic risk for schizophrenia triggered by trauma.

Neurodevelopmental disorders

Conditions arising from brain development issues. Example: ADHD or autism.

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

Persistent inattention and/or hyperactivity. Example: A child who can’t sit still in class.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

Social/communication challenges + repetitive behaviors. Example: A nonverbal child who loves lining up toys.

Schizophrenic Spectrum Disorders

Psychotic disorders with reality distortion. Example: Hearing voices or believing in conspiracies.

Delusions

Fixed false beliefs. Example: Thinking the FBI is spying on you.

Hallucinations

Sensory experiences without stimuli. Example: Seeing demons on the wall.

Disorganized thinking

Incoherent or illogical thoughts. Example: Jumping from topic to topic randomly.

Disorganized speech

Incomprehensible language. Example: 'The moon ate my homework yesterday.'

Disorganized motor behavior

Odd or repetitive movements. Example: Waving arms aimlessly.

Negative symptoms

Absence of normal behaviors (e.g., flat affect). Example: No facial expressions.

Positive symptoms

Added abnormal behaviors (e.g., hallucinations). Example: Delusions of grandeur.

Delusions of persecution

Belief others are harming you. Example: 'My neighbors are poisoning my food.'

Delusions of grandeur

Belief in exaggerated importance. Example: 'I’m the Messiah.'

Word salad

Incoherent mix of words. Example: 'Apple sky running purple.'

Catatonia

Immobility or repetitive movements. Example: Staring blankly for hours.

Flat affect

Reduced emotional expression. Example: Monotone voice, blank face.

Catatonic stupor

Total lack of movement. Example: A patient frozen in one position.

Dopamine hypothesis

Excess dopamine linked to schizophrenia. Example: Antipsychotics block dopamine receptors.

Depressive disorders

Conditions marked by persistent sadness. Example: Major depressive disorder.

Major Depressive Disorder

Severe depression lasting ≥2 weeks. Example: Can’t get out of bed or enjoy hobbies.

Persistent Depressive Disorder

Chronic, low-grade depression. Example: Feeling 'blah' most days for years.

Bipolar disorders

Alternating depression and mania. Example: Weeks of euphoria followed by crash.

Cycling

Shifts between mood episodes. Example: Rapid mood swings in a week.

Mania

Elevated mood, energy, and impulsivity. Example: Maxing out credit cards on whims.

Depression

Persistent sadness and lethargy. Example: No motivation to eat or shower.

Bipolar I Disorder

Mania + depression. Example: Hospitalized during manic episodes.

Bipolar II Disorder

Hypomania (mild mania) + depression. Example: High productivity then exhaustion.

Anxiety disorders

Excessive fear or worry. Example: Panic disorder or phobias.

Specific phobia

Intense fear of a specific object/situation. Example: Arachnophobia (fear of spiders).

Acrophobia

Fear of heights. Example: Panicking on a balcony.

Arachnophobia

Fear of spiders. Example: Screaming at a tiny house spider.

Agoraphobia

Fear of open/public spaces. Example: Unable to leave home.

Panic disorder

Recurrent panic attacks. Example: Heart palpitations and dread 'out of nowhere.'

Panic attack

Sudden, intense fear with physical symptoms. Example: Feeling like you’re dying for 10 minutes.

Ataque de nervios

Culture-bound panic-like episode. Example: Screaming and collapsing after a family argument (Latinx cultures).

Social anxiety disorder

Fear of social scrutiny. Example: Avoiding parties due to fear of embarrassment.

Taijin kyofusho

Japanese fear of offending others. Example: Avoiding eye contact to not make others uncomfortable.

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)

Chronic, excessive worry. Example: Stressing daily about minor things.

Obsessive-compulsive and related disorders

Intrusive thoughts + compulsive behaviors. Example: OCD or hoarding.

Obsessions

Recurrent, unwanted thoughts. Example: Fear of germs contaminating food.

Compulsions

Repetitive behaviors to reduce anxiety. Example: Washing hands 50x daily.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder

Obsessions + compulsions. Example: Checking locks 10 times before bed.

Hoarding disorder

Difficulty discarding items. Example: Home filled with stacks of newspapers.

Dissociative disorders

Disconnection from thoughts/identity. Example: Dissociative identity disorder (DID).

Dissociation

Detachment from reality. Example: Feeling 'outside your body' during trauma.

Dissociative amnesia

Memory loss due to trauma. Example: Forgetting an entire abusive childhood.

Dissociative identity disorder

Multiple distinct identities. Example: A person who switches between 'child' and 'adult' personas.

Trauma and stressor-related disorders

Conditions triggered by trauma. Example: PTSD or adjustment disorders.

Hypervigilance

Excessive alertness for danger. Example: A veteran scanning crowds for threats.