AP Psychology Unit 5 Mental and Physical Health (updated for 24/25 SY)

Health Psychology

the subfield of psychology concerned with ways psychological factors influence the causes and treatment of physical illness and the maintenance of health

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs)

Stressful or traumatic experiences, including abuse, neglect, and a range of household dysfunction, such as witnessing domestic violence or growing up with substance abuse, mental disorders, parental discord, or crime in the home.

Positive psychology

the scientific study of human flourishing, with the goals of discovering and promoting strengths and virtues that help individuals and communities to thrive

Positive emotions

joy, pride, relief, hope, love, and compassion

Happiness

the state of being happy

dysfunction

Impaired or abnormal functioning

DSM-5

the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition; a widely used system for classifying psychological disorders.

International Classification of Mental Disorders

global categorization system for physical and mental illnesses published by the World Health Organization (WHO)

Eclectic approach

an approach to psychotherapy that, depending on the client's problems, uses techniques from various forms of therapy

Behavioral perspective

An approach to the study of psychology that focuses on the role of learning in explaining observable behavior.

Maladaptive learned associations

associations between or among responses to stimuli that interfere with an individual's activities of daily living or ability to adjust to and participate in particular settings.

Psychodynamic perspective

the approach based on the view that behavior is motivated by unconscious inner forces over which the individual has little control

Humanistic perspective

the psychological view that assumes the existence of the self and emphasizes the importance of self-awareness and the freedom to make choices

Cognitive perspective

A psychological approach that emphasizes mental processes in perception, memory, language, problem solving, and other areas of behavior

Evolutionary perspective

perspective that focuses on the biological bases of universal mental characteristics that all humans share

Sociocultural perspective

perspective that focuses on the relationship between social behavior and culture

Biological perspective

the psychological perspective that emphasizes the influence of biology on behavior

Biopsychosocial model

a model of health that integrates the effects of biological, behavioral, and social factors on health and illness

Diathesis-stress model

a diagnostic model that proposes that a disorder may develop when an underlying vulnerability is coupled with a precipitating event

Neurodevelopmental disorders

a group of conditions manifested early in development that are characterized by developmental deficits that produce impairments of personal, social, academic, or occupational functioning

attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

a psychological disorder marked by extreme inattention and/or hyperactivity and impulsivity

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

a disorder that appears in childhood and is marked by significant deficiencies in communication and social interaction, and by rigidly fixated interests and repetitive behaviors

Schizophrenic Spectrum Disorders

severe disorders in which there are disturbances of thoughts, communications, and emotions, including delusions and hallucinations

Delusions

false beliefs, often of persecution or grandeur, that may accompany psychotic disorders

Hallucinations

false sensory experiences, such as seeing something in the absence of an external visual stimulus

Disorganized thinking

disjointed and incoherent thought processes, usually detected by what a person says

Disorganized speech

a severe disruption of verbal communication in which ideas shift rapidly and incoherently among unrelated topics

disorganized motor behavior

ranges from unusually active to barely moving; unusual grimaces and gestures

Negative symptoms

Schizophrenic symptoms that involve behavioral deficits, such as flattened emotions, social withdrawal, apathy, impaired attention, and poverty of speech.

Positive symptoms

Schizophrenic symptoms that involve behavioral excesses or peculiarities, such as hallucinations, delusions, bizarre behavior, and wild flights of ideas.

Delusion of persecution

a false belief that one is being mistreated, abused, or harassed

Delusion of grandeur

an exaggerated belief about one's importance, wealth, power, or talents

word salad

Incoherent mixture of words, phrases, and sentences

Catatonia

a state of unresponsiveness to one's outside environment, usually including muscle rigidity, staring, and inability to communicate

Flat affect

a lack of emotional responsiveness

Catatonic stupor

an immobile, expressionless, coma-like state associated with schizophrenia

major depressive disorder

A mood disorder in which a person experiences, in the absence of drugs or a medical condition, two or more weeks of significantly depressed moods, feelings of worthlessness, and diminished interest or pleasure in most activities.

Persistent Depressive Disorder

a form of depression that is not severe enough to be diagnosed as major depressive disorder

Bipolar disorder

A mood disorder in which the person alternates between the hopelessness and lethargy of depression and the overexcited state of mania.

Mania

a mood disorder marked by a hyperactive, wildly optimistic state

Depression

A prolonged feeling of helplessness, hopelessness, and sadness

Bipolar I Disorder

a type of bipolar disorder marked by full manic and major depressive episodes

Bipolar II Disorder

a type of bipolar disorder marked by mildly manic (hypomanic) episodes and major depressive episodes

Specific phobia

fear of objects or specific situations or events

Acrophobia

fear of heights

Arachnophobia

fear of spiders

Agoraphobia

fear or avoidance of situations, such as crowds or wide open places, where one has felt loss of control and panic

Panic disorder

An anxiety disorder marked by unpredictable minutes-long episodes of intense dread in which a person experiences terror and accompanying chest pain, choking, or other frightening sensations.

Panic attack

sudden onset of intense panic in which multiple physical symptoms of stress occur, often with feelings that one is dying

Ataque de nervious

observed in latin american groups. symptoms include trembling, uncontrollable shouting, intense crying, heat in the chest rising to the head, and dizziness. this tends to surface during stressful family events such as funerals, and divorces.

social anxiety disorder

intense fear of social situations, leading to avoidance of such

Taijin kyofusho

Japanese fear of offending or embarrassing others

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

a disorder characterized by chronic excessive worry accompanied by three or more of the following symptoms: restlessness, fatigue, concentration problems, irritability, muscle tension, and sleep disturbance

Obsessive-compulsive and related disorders

group of overlapping disorders listed in the DSM-5 that involves intrusive, unpleasant thoughts and/or repetitive behaviors

Obsessions

persistent ideas, thoughts, or impulses that are unwanted and inappropriate, causing marked distress

Compulsions

Repetitive behaviors or mental acts that are performed to prevent or reduce anxiety.

Hoarding disorder

Persistent difficulty discarding or parting with possessions, regardless of their actual value

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

An anxiety disorder characterized by unwanted repetitive thoughts (obsession) and/ or actions (compulsions).

Dissociative disorders

disorders in which conscious awareness becomes separated (dissociated) from previous memories, thoughts, and feelings

dissociation

a split in consciousness, which allows some thoughts and behaviors to occur simultaneously with others

dissociative amnesia

Dissociative disorder characterized by the sudden and extensive inability to recall important personal information, usually of a traumatic or stressful nature.

dissociative identity disorder

A rare dissociative disorder in which a person exhibits two or more distinct and alternating personalities. Also called multiple personality disorder.

Hypervigilance

state of ongoing anxiety in which the person is constantly tense and alert for threats

flashbacks

vivid and intrusive recollections of a traumatic event

Emotional detachment

detachment from social relationships, as well as a general disinterest in them

Posttraumatic stress disorder

a disorder characterized by haunting memories, nightmares, social withdrawal, jumpy anxiety, numbness of feeling, and/or insomnia that lingers for four weeks or more after a traumatic experience

anorexia nervosa

an eating disorder in which an irrational fear of weight gain leads people to starve themselves

bulimia nervosa

an eating disorder characterized by episodes of overeating, usually of high-calorie foods, followed by vomiting, laxative use, fasting, or excessive exercise

Cluster A personality disorders

odd or eccentric

paranoid, schizoid, schizotypal

paranoid personality disorder

type of personality disorder characterized by extreme suspiciousness or mistrust of others

Schizoid personality disorder

a personality disorder characterized by persistent avoidance of social relationships and little expression of emotion

Schizotypal personality disorder

a psychological disorder characterized by several traits that cause problems interpersonally, including constricted or inappropriate affect; magical or paranoid thinking; and odd beliefs, speech, behavior, appearance, and perceptions

Cluster B Personality Disorders

dramatic, emotional, erratic

Antisocial personality disorder

A personality disorder in which the person (usually a man) exhibits a lack of conscience for wrongdoing, even toward friends and family members. May be aggressive and ruthless or a clever con artist.

Histrionic personality disorder

a personality disorder characterized by excessive emotionality and preoccupation with being the center of attention; emotional shallowness; overly dramatic behavior

Narcissistic personality disorder

characterized by a grandiose sense of self-importance, a preoccupation with fantasies of success or power, and a need for constant attention or admiration

Borderline personality disorder

condition marked by extreme instability in mood, identity, and impulse control

Cluster C personality disorders

Anxious, fearful

Avoidant personality disorder

A personality disorder characterized by consistent discomfort and restraint in social situations, overwhelming feelings of inadequacy, and extreme sensitivity to negative evaluation.

Dependent personality disorder

A personality disorder characterized by a pattern of clinging and obedience, fear of separation, and an ongoing need to be taken care of.

Obsessive-Compulsive personality disorder

a personality disorder characterized by preoccupation with orderliness, perfection, and control

Evidence-based interventions

treatments that have been found to be effective on the basis of valid and reliable research studies

Therapeutic alliance

a bond of trust and mutual understanding between a therapist and client, who work together constructively to overcome the client's problem

Psychotropic medication

drugs that treat psychiatric symptoms by restoring neurotransmitter balance

Psychodynamic therapies

Treatments that stress the importance of the unconscious mind, extensive interpretation by the therapist, and the role of early childhood experiences in the development of an individual's problems

Free association

in psychoanalysis, a method of exploring the unconscious in which the person relaxes and says whatever comes to mind, no matter how trivial or embarrassing

Dream interpretation

a technique used in psychoanalysis in which the content of dreams is analyzed for disguised or symbolic wishes, meanings, and motivations

Cognitive therapies

therapy that teaches people new, more adaptive ways of thinking and acting; based on the assumption that thoughts intervene between events and our emotional reactions

Cognitive restructuring

a therapeutic approach that teaches clients to question the automatic beliefs, assumptions, and predictions that often lead to negative emotions and to replace negative thinking with more realistic and positive beliefs

Applied behavior analysis

the use of operant conditioning principles to change human behavior

Exposure therapies

behavioral techniques that treat anxieties by exposing people to the things they fear and avoid

systematic desensitization

A type of exposure therapy that associates a pleasant relaxed state with gradually increasing anxiety-triggering stimuli. Commonly used to treat phobias.

Aversion therapy

A behavior therapy in which an aversive stimulus is paired with a stimulus that elicits an undesirable response.

Token economies

a behavioral technique in which desirable behaviors are reinforced with a token, such as a small chip or fake coin, which can be exchanged for privileges

Biofeedback

The process of learning to control bodily states by monitoring the states to be controlled

Cognitive-behavioral therapies

therapy approaches that seek to help clients change both counterproductive behaviors and dysfunctional ways of thinking

Dialectical behavior therapies

a type of talk therapy (psychotherapy), based on cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), but it's specially adapted for people who experience emotions very intensely.

Rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT)

a confrontational cognitive therapy, developed by Albert Ellis, that vigorously challenges people's illogical, self-defeating attitudes and assumptions

Person-centered therapy

therapy centering on the client's goals and ways of solving problems

Active listening

empathetic listening in which the listener echoes, restates, and clarifies. A feature of Rogers' client-centered therapy