AP PSYCH U5: Mental and Physical Health

stress

process of responding to a perceived threat or challenge

(ex: feeling pressure before a big test)

stressor

any event or situation that causes stress

(ex: homework, exams, family issues)

distress

negative stress that harms health and performance

(ex: anxiety that makes you unable to focus)

eustress

positive stress that motivates and improves performance

(ex: nervous excitement before a game or party)

burnout

emotional and physical exhaustion caused by prolonged stress

(ex: feeling drained after weeks of school)

Fight-Flight-or-Freeze Response

body's automatic response to a threat, such as attack, run away, or freeze

(ex: jumping back when you see a snake)

General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS)

Selye's three-stage model of the body's response to stress: alarm, resistance, exhaustion

(ex: alarm - heart races before a test

resistance - staying focused during studying

exhaustion - feeling drained after weeks of stress)

Tend-and-Befriend Theory

idea that people respond to stress by seeking social support and caring for others

(ex: talking to friends or family when stressed)

coping

strategies used to manage stress

(ex: exercising or talking to friends)

problem-focused coping

dealing with stress by solving the problem causing it

(ex: studying more to reduce test stress)

emotion-focused coping

managing emotional reactions to stress rather than solving the problem

(ex: listening to music to relax)

health psychology

study of how stress and behavior affect health and illness

(ex: studying how stress impacts the immune system)

abuse

physical, emotional, or sexual harm toward a person

(ex: child being physically hurt by a caregiver)

neglect

failure to provide basic needs like food, care, or attention.

(ex: child not being given proper food or supervision)

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)

traumatic events in childhood that increase risk of health and mental problems later

(ex: growing up with abuse, neglect, or family violence)

household dysfunction

family problems that create an unhealthy environment

(ex: living in a home with substance abuse or constant conflict)

positive psychology

scientific study of human strengths, happiness, and well-being

(ex: studying how gratitude and optimism improve mental health)

subjective well-being (SWB)

person's self-perceived happiness and life satisfaction

(ex: someone feeling satisfied with their life and relationships)

gratitude

feeling of appreciation for what one has

(ex: being thankful for supportive friends and family)

character strengths

positive traits that reflect a person's values and personality

(ex: kindness, honesty, or leadership)

signature strength

person's strongest and most natural positive trait

(ex: someone naturally showing compassion and empathy)

resilience

ability to recover from stress or adversity

(ex: bouncing back after failing a test and improving next time)

posttraumatic growth (PTG)

positive psychological change after experiencing trauma or adversity

(ex: becoming stronger and more appreciative of life after a difficult experience)

cultural norms

expected behaviors within a culture

(ex: respecting elders in some cultures)

cultural values

shared beliefs about what is important in a culture

(ex: valuing independence in the U.S.)

cognitive bias

systematic pattern of thinking errors that affects judgment

(ex: assuming something is dangerous without evidence)

confirmation bias

looking for information that supports existing beliefs

(ex: only reading articles that agree with your opinion)

psychopathology

study of psychological disorders

(ex: psychologists researching depression and anxiety)

psychological disorder

pattern of thoughts, feelings, or behaviors that causes distress or dysfunction

(ex: severe anxiety that interferes with daily life)

maladaptive

behavior that interferes with normal functioning or well-being

(ex: avoiding school because of extreme anxiety)

deviation from the social norm

behavior that differs greatly from what society considers normal

(ex: talking to imaginary people in public)

perception of stress

person feels significant emotional suffering

(ex: feeling overwhelming sadness for long periods)

level of dysfunction

behavior interferes with daily life or responsibilities

(ex: being unable to work or attend school)

biopsychosocial model

idea that disorders result from biological, psychological, and social factors

(ex: depression caused by genetics, negative thinking, and stressful life events)

diathesis

biological or psychological vulnerability to a disorder

(ex: genetic risk for anxiety)

diathesis-stress model

disorder develops when a vulnerability is triggered by stress

(ex: genetic risk for depression triggered by trauma)

biological perspective

explains disorders through genetics, brain structure, and chemicals

(ex: depression linked to low serotonin)

cognitive perspective

focuses on faulty thinking patterns

(ex: negative thinking causing depression)

behavioral perspective

focuses on learned behaviors and conditioning

(ex: phobias learned through past experiences)

psychodynamic perspective

focuses on unconscious conflicts and childhood experiences

(ex: anxiety caused by repressed trauma)

humanistic perspective

focuses on self-growth and unmet needs

(ex: low self-esteem leading to depression)

sociocultural perspective

focuses on social and cultural influences

(ex: poverty increasing stress and mental illness)

evolutionary perspective

explains disorders as adaptations or survival-related traits

(ex: anxiety helping humans detect danger)

eclectic approach

using multiple perspectives to understand and treat disorders

(ex: combining therapy, medication, and social support)

phobia

intense, irrational fear of a specific object or situation

(ex: being terrified of spiders)

specific phobia disorder

extreme fear of a particular object or situation that interferes with daily life

(ex: avoiding dogs because of fear)

acrophobia

fear of heights

(ex: refusing to go on tall buildings)

arachnophobia

fear of spiders

(ex: running away from spiders)

agoraphobia

fear of situations where escape may be difficult

(ex: avoiding crowded places or public spaces)

generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)

constant and excessive worry about everyday events

(ex: worrying all the time about school and family)

social anxiety disorder

fear of being judged in social situations

(ex: avoiding presentations)

panic attack

sudden intense fear with physical symptoms

(ex: racing heart and sweating suddenly)

panic disorder

repeated panic attacks and fear of future attacks

(ex: avoiding places where attacks happened)

learned association

fear develops through conditioning

(ex: fear of dogs after a bite)

taijin kyofusho (TKS)

fear of offending or embarrassing others; cultural disorder

(ex: fear of making others uncomfortable)

Ataque de nervios (ADN)

sudden emotional outburst; common in some cultures

(ex: crying or screaming after stress)

obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)

repeated unwanted thoughts and behaviors

(ex: washing hands repeatedly)

obsession

repeated unwanted thoughts

(ex: fear of germs)

compulsion

repetitive behavior to reduce anxiety

(ex: putting on hand sanitizer often)

hoarding disorder

difficulty throwing away items

(ex: keeping piles of old objects)

depressive disorder

disorders involving sadness and loss of interest

(ex: feeling hopeless for long periods)

major depressive disorder (MDD)

severe depression lasting at least 2 weeks

(ex: loss of energy and interest in activities)

persistent depressive disorder (PDD)

long-term mild depression

(ex: feeling sad for years)

bipolar disorder

mood disorder with mania and depression

(ex: extreme highs and lows)

bipolar |

severe mania and depression

(ex: extreme high energy and risky behavior)

bipolar ||

hypomania and depression

(ex: less severe mania with depression)

mania

extremely elevated mood and energy

(ex: talking fast and sleeping little)

hypomania

less severe form of mania

(ex: increased energy and confidence)

eating disorder

disorders involving abnormal eating behavior

(ex: extreme dieting)

bulimia nervosa

binge eating followed by purging

(ex: eating a lot, and then vomiting)

dissociative disorder

disruptions in memory or identity

(ex: memory loss after trauma)

dissociative amnesia

memory loss of traumatic events

(ex: forgetting a traumatic accident)

dissociative amnesia with fugue

memory loss with travel or identity confusion

(ex: leaving home and forgetting identity)

dissociative identity disorder

multiple identities in one person

(ex: different personalities taking control)

psychotic disorder

disorders involving loss of reality

(ex: seeing things that aren't real)

psychosis

loss of contact with reality

(ex: hallucinations or delusions)

schizophrenia

severe disorder with hallucinations, delusions, and disorganized thinking

(ex: hearing voices)

schizophrenia spectrum disorder

range of disorders related to schizophrenia

(ex: milder psychotic symptoms)

hallucination

sensory experience without stimulus

(ex: hearing voices)

delusion

false belief despite evidence

(ex: believing someone is spying on you)

word salad

disorganized speech

(ex: random unrelated words)

flat affect

reduced emotional expression

(ex: no facial emotion)

negative symptom

loss of normal behavior

(ex: lack of emotion or motivation)

catatonia (catatonic stupor)

immobility or lack of response

(ex: sitting still for hours)

dopamine hypothesis

schizophrenia linked to excess dopamine

(ex: too much dopamine causing hallucinations)

personality disorders

rigid and unhealthy personality patterns

(ex: extreme distrust of others)

antisocial personality disorder

lack of empathy and disregard for others

(ex: lying and harming people)

borderline personality disorder

unstable emotions and relationships

(ex: sudden mood changes)

narcisstic personality disorder

excessive need for admiration

(ex: believing you are superior)

avoidant personality disorder

avoiding social interaction due to fear of rejection

(ex: avoiding relationships)

dependent personality disorder

need to be taken care of by others

(ex: relying on others for decisions)

paranoid personality disorder

distrust of others

(ex: believing people want to harm you)

schizoid personality disorder

lack of interest in relationships

(ex: preferring isolation)

schizotypal personality disorder

odd behavior and beliefs

(ex: strange thinking patterns)

histrionic personality disorder

excessive emotional attention-seeking

(ex: dramatic behavior for attention)

obsessive-compulsive personality disorder

extreme perfectionism and control

(ex: being overly focused on order)

neurodevelopmental disorder

disorders that develop in childhood affecting brain development

(ex: ADHD or autism)

attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

difficulty focusing and controlling impulses

(ex: trouble sitting still in class)

austism spectrum disorder

difficulty with social interaction and communication

(ex: trouble understanding social cues)

developmental period

early life stage when these disorders appear

(ex: symptoms showing in childhood)