Stress & Physical Health

This set of flashcards covers key terms and concepts related to stress and physical health, including behavioral medicine, psychological aspects of stress, neurocognitive disorders, and eating disorders.

What is behavioral medicine?

A multidisciplinary field that includes medical and mental health professionals focusing on psychological factors in physical illness.

What do health psychologists specialize in?

Health psychologists specialize in understanding how psychological factors can influence physical health.

Define stress.

Stress is any challenging event that requires physiological, cognitive, and behavioral adaptation.

What are major life stressors?

Events like death of a loved one, incarceration, major illness, divorce, and job loss that can significantly impact an individual.

Critiques of stress assessment methods include:

Failure to distinguish between positive and negative events, and lack of consideration for the impact of specific stressors.

What is daily stress?

Stress from everyday hassles such as traffic, workplace conflicts, and family disagreements.

What is the fight or flight response?

A physiological response made up of several stress systems that prepare the body to either confront or flee from a threat.

What two systems make up the autonomic nervous system?

The sympathetic nervous system and the parasympathetic nervous system.

What is the sympathetic nervous system responsible for?

It activates the fight or flight response during stressful situations.

What does the parasympathetic nervous system promote?

It promotes the rest and digest functions of the body.

What hormones are released when the HPA axis is activated?

Corticotropin-Releasing Hormones, Epinephrine, and Cortisol.

What is psychoneuroimmunology?

The study of how long-term activation of stress systems can impair immune response and lead to health issues.

What are Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)?

Experiences leading to significant stress during childhood, impacting cognitive and social development.

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) are caused by:

Prenatal alcohol exposure leading to brain, behavior, and physical changes.

Define problem-focused coping.

Coping that addresses the problem directly to reduce stress.

Define emotion-focused coping.

Coping that aims to manage emotions in response to stressors.

What is resilience?

The ability to cope with life's stressors effectively.

List some health behaviors that promote physical health.

Eating a balanced diet, regular sleep, physical activity, and avoiding unhealthy behaviors.

What is obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)?

A sleep disorder where the airway becomes obstructed, leading to repeated awakenings.

What demographic tends to have higher rates of sleep disorders?

Black, African American, and Hispanic individuals.

Describe the biopsychosocial model of health.

A model explaining that health is shaped by biological, psychological, and social factors.

What is the social safety theory?

The theory that social relationships and safety impact physical and mental health.

What characterizes major neurocognitive disorders?

Gradual loss of memory and cognitive function, impacting daily activities.

What is delirium?

A short-term confused state associated with agitation and reduced attention.

Define dementia.

A gradual decline in cognitive function affecting memory and decision-making.

Who typically diagnoses neurocognitive disorders?

Neurologists and neuropsychologists.

List three types of major neurocognitive disorders.

Alzheimer’s disease, frontotemporal neurocognitive disorder, vascular neurocognitive disorder.

What is apraxia?

Difficulty performing purposeful movements despite having the necessary strength.

What differentiates anorexia nervosa from bulimia?

Anorexia involves restriction of intake and body weight loss; bulimia involves binge eating and purging.

List symptoms of bulimia nervosa.

Binge eating, purging, and overvaluation of body weight and shape.

What is binge eating disorder?

Episodes of binge eating without compensatory behaviors like purging.

What medical complications are associated with anorexia?

Anemia, kidney impairment, cardiovascular difficulties, and electrolyte imbalances.

Comorbid disorders with anorexia include:

OCD, depression, and anxiety disorders.

What is the treatment focus for bulimia?

Psychotherapy such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and medication for symptom management.

What is a common theme in anorexia treatment?

The emphasis on control and restriction of food intake.

How can gender identity be defined?

A person's sense of themselves as male, female, nonbinary, or another identity.

What is the distinction between paraphilia and paraphilic disorder?

A paraphilia only becomes a disorder if it causes distress or harm.

What treatments are available for gender dysphoria?

Gender-affirming surgery and hormone therapy.

What does the DSM-5 identify as an eating disorder?

Conditions such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorder.

What psychological factor commonly contributes to eating disorders?

Perfectionism and control issues.

What medical disorder is characterized by involuntary muscle movements?

Huntington's disease.

Define the term asexuality.

A sexual orientation characterized by a lack of or low sexual attraction.

What is the function of the hypothalamus in relation to eating disorders?

It plays a role in regulating hunger and metabolic processes.

Social Safety Model

Social relationships are a fundamental human evolutionary needs that directly impact physical and mental health

John Henryism

Is a behavioral phenomenon where individuals exhibit extreme perseverance and work ethic, often linked to stress and health outcomes.

Gender Dysphoria

clinically significant distress resulting from a conflict between a person's assigned sex at birth and their gender identity.

Significant overlap between dementia and depression

~25% of patients with dementia show signs of depression

Pseudodementia

showing signs of dementia that are actually a result of

depression

Huntington’s Disease

Movement disorder and cognitive deficits caused by degeneration in the

basal ganglia.

Parkinson’s and dementia

Only 20% of Parkinson’s patients develop

symptoms of dementia

Pica

eating nonnutritive substances (e.g., dirt, paper)

ARFID

Avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder

OSFED

Other specified feeding or eating disorder

AN has the highest mortality rate of any psychiatric disorder

~5% of patients die within 4 years of diagnosis

~18-20% of patients will die within 20 years

Two subtypes of AN

Restrictive and Binge-Purge

Percentage of weight for people with AN

Below 85% their average weight

Weight loss in AN

Average patient with anorexia nervosa loses 25-30% of their normal body weight

Percentage of patients with BN purging

90%

Rates of AN and BN

~5-10 times higher in girls/women compared to

boys/men