Introduction to Health Psychology AP Psych

Healthy psychology

physical health, wellness

Stress

how the body deals with challenges and changes

Hypertension

high blood pressure → heartache

Immune suppression

your immune system cannot fight off an illness

Stressors

external factors that cause stress

Eustress

positive stress

Distress

negative stress

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)

traumatic experiences that occur before the age of 18

General Adaption Syndrome

how our body adapts to stress

Alarm reaction phase

first exposed to a stressor

Resistance phase

we will fight back against the stressor

Exhaustion phase

our body has to relax/rest

Fight-flight-freeze response

you either run or don’t do anything

Tend-and-befriend theory

help reduce others stress (tending to needs) and connections with others

Problem-focused coping

trying to find a solution to the stressor

Emotion-focused coping

focus on the emotions surrounding the stressor (negative → positive)

Positive psychology

humanistic approach

Well-being

increase from positive psychology, your positive state

Resilience

overcome obstacles

Subjective well-being

our own personal experiences are good

Gratitude

increase of the subjective well-being (appreciating others)

Wisdom

creativity, curiosity, judgment

Courage

bravery, honesty, and perseverance

Humanity

kindness, social intelligence, and love

Justice

fairness, leadership, and teamwork

Temperance

forgiveness, self-regulation (control your actions/senses/emotions)

Transcendence

humor, hope, and gratitude

Posttraumatic growth

after going through a traumatic experience, you become a better person after the trauma

Dysfunction

disruption to their normal everyday life

Deviation from norms

different from what is socially accepted

Cultural/societal norms

some cultures are more accepting

Stigma

negative label that is attached to some of the psychological disorders

Racism

some races are accepting for diagnosing a disorder

Sexism

depends on the type of psychological disorder

Ageism

young people are more likely to diagnose a disorder than old people

Discrimination

some therapists choose who they want to diagnose

Culture-bound disorder

certain cultures only recognize certain disorders

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual

has every psychological disorder (very specific)

International Classification of Mental Disorders

is very general when it comes to disorders

Eclectic

pulling from multiple perspectives

Behavioral

Maladaptive learned associations between 2 stimuli

Psychodynamic

Unconscious childhood

Humanistic

Lack of social support and inability to fulfill one’s potential

Cognitive

Maladaptive thoughts, attitudes, beliefs, or emotions

Evolutionary

Reduce the likelihood of survival

Sociocultural

Maladaptive social/cultural relationships and dynamics

Biological

Psychological and genetic issues

Biopsychosocial model

uses the eclectic approach (3 perspectives)

Biological factors

Genes, Brain chemistry, Hormones

Psychological factors

Stress, Trauma, Memory, and Perceptions

Sociocultural factors

Context, Norms, and Culture

Diathesis-Stress Model

when we are treating disorders, we have to look at BOTH genetics and environment

Diathesis

Genetic (internal factors)

Stress

Environmental (external factors)

Neurodevelopmental disorders

central nervous system abnormalities (brain + spinal cord)

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

significance and consistent pattern of inattention and impulsive behavior

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD)

problems with social communication and social interaction across many different social situations

Possible causes

Environmental, Psychological, and Genetic

Schizophrenic spectrum disorder

Characterized by disturbances in thinking, emotional responsiveness, and behavior

Acute schizophrenia

short time (intensity increases)

Chronic schizophrenia

long time (resistant to cure)

Positive symptoms

adding a symptom

Negative symptoms

not exhibiting something

Delusions

false beliefs

Delusions of persecution

others are going to harm you

Delusions of grandeur

you have exceptional capabilities

Hallucinations

false perceptions (deals with senses)

Disorganized thinking or speech

positive symptom (stringing together words in nonsensical ways)

Word salad

stringing together words in nonsensical ways

Disorganized motor behavior

catatonia

Catatonia

excitement is the excess of movements

Catatonic excitement

positive symptom (too much movement)

Catatonic stupor

negative symptom (reduced movements)

Flatt affect

lack of facial expressions and eye contact