AP Psychology: Unit 5: Health Psychology

health psychology

focuses on how a person’s physical health and wellness shape they behavior and mental processes

• looks at an individual from a holistic perspective (whole instead of parts)

• seeking to understand not only one’s behavior but also their coping strategies, stressors, psychological influences and community engagement

prolonged stress

can weaken the body’s ability to fight off different diseases

• can lead to hypertension (high blood pressure), tension headaches, migraine, and compromised immune system

eustress (type of stress)

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

distress (type of stress)

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

• can be caused by everyday stressors or more traumatic events such as accidents, natural disasters, violent experience, and loss of a loved one

PTSD

a mental health condition that occurs after experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event

adverse childhood experiences

potentially traumatic events or chronic stressors occurring in a person’s childhood

• is very rare to be able to fully remove trauma

• linked to mental and physical health problems

• can be caused by childhood stress which can impact a person well into their adult years

general adaptation syndrome (GAS)

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

• consists of three stages:

1) alarm reaction: the stressor is first perceived (will experience fight-flight-freeze response causing the body to elict hormones such as adrenaline or cortisol)

2) resistance: if the stressor persists during this stage the body attempts to adapt to the stressor (body uses the most energy)

3) exhaustion: over time if the stressor continues the body’s energy stores become depleted (body can become weak due to prolonged stress leading to burnout, fatigue, illness, etc.)

• helps us to better understand how prolonged stress can impact physical and psychological attribute of an individual

• focuses more on physiological stages that one goes through when stressed

fight-flight-freeze response

fight: prepare an individual to confront a stressor

flight: prepares an individual to run away from the stressor

freeze: an individual becomes stuck and is unable to act due to the stressor

• will release hormones such as adrenaline or cortisol to prepare the individual to confront, flee or freeze

tend-and-befriend theory

under stress some individuals are more likely to protect and care for themselves or others or may seek special support from others

• tending: centered around nurturing care, here an individual will take care of themselves and others (seeks to minimize the stress or harm within their life)

• befriending: when an individual seeks out others and provides support (helps people to feel a sense of safety and reduce stress through social connection)

• focuses more on behavioral responses

traumatic events

Sudden, severe experiences that create intense stress and can have long-lasting effect

stressors

Events or conditions that trigger the stress response

problem-focused coping

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

• a type of coping strategy

• involves identifying the source of stress, creating a plan to reduce the stress and them implement that plan (will always look for another solution)

• works best when there is a practical solution to the stressor like making a schedule or asking for help

emotion-focused coping

when an individual focuses on managing their emotional reactions to the stressor, instead of trying to change the stressor itself

• more effective when the source of the stressor is out of one’s control

• a type of coping strategy

• we can calm down with breathing exercises or medication

deep breathing

an individual practices slow, controlled breaths to reduce anxiety

• used in emotion-focused coping

meditation and mindfulness

A reflective practice in which people focus on being in the present moment in a nonjudgemental and accepted manner

• used in emotion-focused coping

• helps to lessen anxiety and depression

physical activity or artistic expression

allows an individual to boost their mood, and reduce their tension

• used in emotion-focused coping

stress

A psychological and physical response to a perceived demand or threat

• can lead to illness or slow recovery

positive psychology

focuses on trying to better understand what makes life most worth living

• what helps individuals to thrive focusing more on positive emotions, character strength and resilience/well-being

• uses surveys and assessments to gauge how satisfied individuals are in their lives while also identifying what factors people attribute their satisfaction too

• helps expand the study of behaviors and mental processes

positive emotions

where psychologists will look at how feelings like joy and love broaden a person’s thinking and foster personal growth

• pleasant feelings that broaden thinking and support well-being

character strength

where psychologist look at the personality traits of an individual to better understand what qualities contribute to a meaningful life

resilience and well-being

psychologists examining how individuals recover from setbacks and maintain positive psychological health in challenging circumstances

gratitude

involves recognizing and appreciating positive aspects of life

• when this is shown higher levels of happiness, life satisfaction, and positive outlook appears

virtue

personal qualities that come most naturally to the individual

• a person’s greatest strength

• when engaged and developed a person’s signature strength allows more satisfaction in life

wisdom (virtue)

consists of creativity and curiosity

courage (virtue)

consists of bravery and integrity

humanity (virtue)

consists of interpersonal strengths such as kindness, and love

justice (virtue)

includes fairness and leadership

temperance (virtue)

made up of strengths that protect a person against excess, such as humility or self-control

transcendence (virtue)

consists of strengths that lead to better connections, such as gratitude and hope

positive subjective experiences

personal feelings and thoughts that boost mental well being

subjective well being

your personal evaluation of how life is going

• virtues/signature strengths increase this

aerobic exercise

sustained exercise that increases heart and lung fitness

• helps to alleviate depression and anxiety

optimism

a general expectation that good outcomes are possible and that you can cope effectively

posttraumatic growth

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

• can lead many to discover new personal strengths, form deeper relationships and give an individual and renewed appreciation for life

• when individuals recover from traumatic events, they experience this to find new purpose

psychological disorder

any condition characterized by cognitive and emotional disturbances, abnormal behaviors, impacted functioning, or any combination of these

• can impact one’s feelings, thinking, mood and behavior

• professionals look at level of dysfunction, perception of distress and deviation from social norms

• can have beneficial and negative affects

level of dysfunction

how well or poorly a person can carry out day-to-day activities and complete their daily responsibilities

perception of distress

involves subjective experiences of negative emotions, pain or stress related to an individual’s behaviors or mental processes

• looks how people respond to behavior, feelings, or thoughts

deviation from social norms

behavior is judged against social and cultural standards, if an individual’s mental processes or behaviors significantly deviate from what is considered normal for society

• against the social norm

self-fulfilling prophecy (negative aspects)

some individuals internalizing negative stereotypes about their disorder and then limiting themselves or assuming they are somehow broken

• a negative to psychological disorders

DSM

a comprehensive classification of mental disorders, listing not only the symptoms and criteria for diagnosis but also providing statistical data on them as well

• trained professionals can reference this for psychological disorders

ICD

to create a global standard for classifying all health conditions, including mental and behavioral disorders

• trained professionals can reference this for psychological disorders

• created by the world health organization

eclectic approach

psychologists combine different techniques, theories and ideas from different psychological perspectives

• allows them to create a more personalized treatment plan

behavioral perspective

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

• explains how mental health disorders can originate

maladaptive learned

when an individual creates connections between stimuli and responses that are harmful, irrational or counterproductive

• shapes one’s irrational fears, unhealthy habits and self-defeating behaviors

• learned and because of that can be modified or replaced through behavioral or cognitive interventions

• formed through classical and operant conditioning or observational learning

psychodynamic perspective

highlights how psychological disorders can originate from unconscious conflicts, that often come from a person’s childhood experiences

• those who experience childhood trauma often repress their feelings and memories of the conflict (defense mechanism)

• explains how mental health disorders can originate

humanistic perspective

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

• explains how mental health disorders can originate

incongruent self-concept

when there are differences between a person’s actual self, who they believe they are, and their ideal delf (who they want to be)

cognitive perspective

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

• explains how mental health disorders can originate

maladaptive

persistent, harmful behavior patterns and thought processes that hinder an individual’s ability to adjust to life situations, often serving as ineffective coping mechanisms

maladaptive though patterns

thoughts that are irrational, distorted, or negative ways of thinking that can lead to emotional distress and unhealthy behavior

evolutionary perspective

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

• this highlights that certain maladaptive traits that were once helpful in survival are now not

• also looks into genetic predispositions to see which mental disorders might be linked to genetic traits that were passed down

• explains how mental health disorders can originate

sociocultural perspective

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

• focuses on maladaptive social and cultural relationships

• explains how mental health disorders can originate

biological perspective

states that physiological disorders are primarily driven by physiological and genetic factors

• examples include neurotransmitter imbalances, brain structure abnormalities and other inherited vulnerabilities

• explains how mental health disorders can originate

biopsychosocial model

proposes that the development of any psychological issue is influenced by multiple interconnected factors

• focuses on biological, psychological, and sociocultural and how they interect with each other

• approaches psychological disorders from a holistic perspective (treatment needs to be comprehensive and an individual needs each part addressed, not just the whole)

diathesis-stress model

focuses on how psychological disorders come from the interaction between genetic or biological vulnerabilities and stressful life events

• focuses on how inherent vulnerabilities paired with environmental stressors may shape a person

has two parts:

• diathesis: the focus is on how genetic predisposition or underlying biological factors impact and individual

• stress: the focuses is on how an individual’s environment can cause significant life challenges

genetic predisposition

an increased likelihood of developing a particular trait, condition, or disorder due to inherited gentic factors

stigma

negative labels and stereotypes that can lead to shame or judgment about mental illnesses

• may cause one not to get hired (discrimination) allowing them to develop low self esteem

neurodevelopmental disorders

typically appear in early development which can affect behavior, learning or social communication

• functional impairments

• difficulties manifesting

• social relationships

• communication

• learning

• can be caused by genetic factors, physiological factors, environmental factors

attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder

often results in an individual having a hard time sustaining focus, fidgeting or constantly moving, and acting without thinking

• inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity

• type of neurodevelopmental disorders

autism spectrum disorder

marked by challenges in social communication and restricted, repetitive behaviors or interest

• there are a variety of disorders that follow under this term

• symptoms include social communication, repetitive behaviors, restricted movement, and increased sensitivity

genetic factors

genetic mutations, inherited genes from parents, or the genetic makeup of a person

physiological factors

refers to things happening inside a person’s body, such as how the brain is growing or functioning

environmental factors

include a variety of external influences that impact how the brain develops

schizophrenic spectrum disorders

• individuals can show symptoms in one or more of five key areas including delusions, disorganized thinking, hallucinations. flat affect and catatonia

• can have positive or negative symptoms

schizophrenia

a psychotic disorder involving disturbance in thought, perception, emotion, and behavior

• believed to happen due to genetics (possible heredity) and infections during pregnancies which can hurt the fetus’s brain

• required to have at least two of these symptoms: one or more of five key areas including delusions, disorganized thinking, hallucinations. flat affect and catatonia

• must have these symptoms for 6 months or more

• believed that excess dopamine are related to these symptoms

dopamine hypothesis

elevated levels of dopamine cam contribute to the onset or intensity of schizophrenia symptoms

• too little can be liked to negative symptoms

• too much can be linked to positive symptoms

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

• positive symptoms because the beliefs are being added to the individual, despite clear or reasonable contradictory evidence

delusions of persecution

believing that others are out to harm you

• type of delusion

delusion of grandeur

believing that you have exceptional abilities, wealth, fame, or are famous

hallucination

false perceptions

• positive symptom because the sensory experience happening is occurring without any external stimulus

• there is auditory, visual, tactile, etc

disorganized motor behavior

can be a positive and negative symptom, depending on what is happening with the individual

• catatonia and flat affect are examples

catatonia

a condition that affects a person’s movement and behavior

• can take two forms excitement or stupor

catatonia excitement

individuals often experience sudden movements, with the individual becoming very active with unusual almost out of control movements

• positive symptom because movement is added

catatonia stupor

results in the individual being in a state or near-unresponsiveness; with minimal movement or speech

• this is a negative symptom because an individual is losing movement and speech

flat affect

when an individual experiences reduced emotional expression, often resulting in an individual showing little to no facial expression and talking in a monotone voice

• this would be an example of a negative symptom

alogia

this is a condition characterized by a diminished speech not emotion

• example of a negative symptom

disorganized thinking or speech

adds abnormal cognitive or linguistic function to the individual

• example of a positive symptom

• can cause word salad or loose association or tangential speech

tangential speech

when a person’s speech strays off topic and doesn’t connect to the original point

example of disorganized thinking or speech

acute symptoms

often are triggered by stress or a major life event, they appear suddenly and are more reactive to a situation

chronic symptoms

develop over time and remain persistent in a person’s life these can often lead to functional decline if not properly managed

depressive disorders

can consist of mood changes, such as individuals feeling sadness or emptiness, or becoming easily frustrated

• can cause physical and mental changes as it alters the brain

• can cause fatigue, high or low appetite and change sin sleeping patterns

• low levels of serotonin and/or norepinephrine

• can also cause problems concentrating, remembering or thoughts of maladaptive situations

• there are major depressive disorders

• can be caused by biological and genetic, social and cultural, cognitive or behavior factors/influences

major depressive disorder

characterized by periods diminished interest in most activities, significant sleep or appetite changes and negative thought

• type of depressive disorder

• symptoms must be present for two weeks

• will have a harder time completing or starting their daily activities

persistent depressive disorder

characterized by symptoms that are less intense compared to those of major depression, but are longer lasting

• type of depressive disorder

• will be able to start or complete daily activities but will often feel down or sad

• is a chronic form of depression with symptoms lasting at least two years

bipolar disorders

involve shifts between two mood states (mania and depression), these mood swing often vary in intensity and duration from person to person

• manic episodes: moments with high energy, impulsivity and euphoria

• depressive episodes: moments of low energy, sadness and hopelessness

• can be a heredity factor (run in the family—genetics)

• an imbalance in neurotransmitters such as dopamine, serotonin or norepinephrine can lead to these symptoms/mood swings

• there is bipolar 1 and 2

• can be caused by biological/genetic, social and cultural, behavior and cognitive factors

bipolar cycling

when individuals experience alternating periods of mania and depression

bipolar 1 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 2 disorder

characterized by hypomanic episodes, which are less severe than full mania but still noticeable shifts from one’s typical behavior

• can be followed by one or more depressive episode

anxiety disorders

consist of excessive fear and/or worry

• these feelings go beyond normal unease and are strong enough to impact an individual’s ability to perform their daily activities

• will often engage in avoidance or safety seeking behaviors (avoiding certain people, places and situations as a coping mechanism)

• GAD, specific phobia, agoraphobia, panic disorder and social anxiety disorder

• can be caused by behavioral, cognitive, or biological/genetic factors (imbalances in serotonin, norepinephrine, or GABA)

specific phobia

an intense, irrational fear or anxiety that is directed at a particular object or situation

agoraphobia

fare of being in situations where one can’t escape or help might not be available

panic disorder

an intense, unexpected episode of fear accompanied by a variety of physical symptoms

• rapid heartbeat, sweating, chest pain, shortness of breath and nausea

cultural-bound disorder

a psychological condition that is specific to a particular cultural group

social anxiety disorder

characterized by intense fear or anxiety about social situations, where one might be judged, criticized, or watched by others

• can be caused by behavioral, cognitive, or biological/genetic factors

learned associations

people develop anxiety by repeatedly pairing a neutral stimulus with a frightening or traumatic experience, which will end up reinforcing the anxious response

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)

involves excessive, uncontrollable worry about an individual’s health, work, school, finances, or other aspects of their life

• excessive worry is over a long period of time