VC

Unit 5 Mental and Physical Health Study Guide

INTRODUCTION TO HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY

  • Health psychology examines how behaviors and mental processes relate to physical health and wellness.
  • Addresses the impact of stress and how individuals cope with stress.

Stress

  • Eustress: Positive stress that can motivate and enhance performance.
  • Distress: Negative stress that can lead to anxiety and decreased performance.
  • Traumatic vs. Daily Stressors:
    • Traumatic stressors are significant life events, while daily stressors are minor, everyday challenges.

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)

  • Definition: Stressful or traumatic events occurring in childhood that may impact long-term health.

Effects of Stress

  • Susceptibility to Disease: Stress can weaken the immune system, making individuals more vulnerable to illness.
  • Physiological Issues:
    • Hypertension (high blood pressure)
    • Immune suppression
    • Headaches

General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS)

  • Alarm Reaction: Initial response to stress.
  • Resistance Phase: Body adapts to stress, where the fight-flight-freeze mechanism is activated.
  • Exhaustion Phase: Prolonged stress leading to decreased stress tolerance and health issues.

Coping with Stress

  • Tend-and-Befriend Theory: A social response of seeking support in times of stress (often more prevalent in females).
  • Problem-Focused Coping: Directly addressing the stressor causing anxiety.
  • Emotion-Focused Coping: Managing emotional distress instead of the problem itself.

POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY

  • Studies how positive experiences, traits, and institutions contribute to well-being.

Positive Subjective Experiences

  • Gratitude: Recognition and appreciation of positive aspects in life, promoting subjective well-being.

Signature Strengths / Virtues

  • Six Categories:
    1. Wisdom
    2. Courage
    3. Humanity
    4. Justice
    5. Temperance
    6. Transcendence

Posttraumatic Growth

  • Psychological growth following traumatic experiences that enhances personal strength and resilience.

EXPLAINING AND CLASSIFYING PSYCHOLOGICAL DISORDERS

  • Definition and diagnosis are based on behaviors and mental processes considered disordered.

Factors Used to Identify Psychological Disorders

  • Dysfunction: Maladaptive functioning in daily life.
  • Perception of Distress: Significant emotional suffering experienced by the individual.
  • Deviation from Social Norm: Behaviors that are markedly different from accepted societal standards.

Positive vs. Negative Consequences of Diagnosing Psychological Disorders

  • Impacts of stigma, cultural norms, and the nature of the disorder.

Diagnostic Training and Tools

  • American Psychiatric Association (APA): Establishes guidelines for diagnosis.
  • Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM): A classification system for mental health disorders.
  • World Health Organization (WHO): Provides an international classification of diseases (ICD).

Approaches to Diagnosis

  • Eclectic Approach: Utilizing multiple psychological perspectives for understanding disorders.
  • Behavioral Perspective: Focuses on learned behaviors causing maladaptive responses.
  • Psychodynamic Perspective: Emphasizes unconscious processes and childhood experiences.
  • Humanistic Perspective: Centers on personal growth and self-actualization.
  • Cognitive Perspective: Examines maladaptive thoughts and beliefs.
  • Biological Perspective: Looks into genetic and physiological factors.
  • Sociocultural Perspective: Considers social and cultural influences on behavior.

Interaction Models

  • Biopsychosocial Model: Integrates biological, psychological, and social factors.
  • Diathesis-Stress Model: Describes how predispositions (diatheses) interact with stress to produce disorders.

SELECTION OF CATEGORIES OF PSYCHOLOGICAL DISORDERS

  • Overview of different categories, their symptoms, and possible causes.

Neurodevelopmental Disorders

  • Key Disorders: AD/HD, Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
  • Causes: Focus on environmental, physiological, and genetic factors.

Schizophrenic Spectrum Disorders

  • Characteristics: Can be acute or chronic; includes positive (delusions, hallucinations) and negative symptoms (flat affect).
  • Causes: Can involve genetics and neurotransmitter imbalances.

Depressive Disorders

  • Key Disorders: Major Depressive Disorder, Persistent Depressive Disorder
  • Causes: Biological, social, and environmental elements.

Bipolar Disorders

  • Key Disorders: Bipolar I and II
  • Causes: Similar to depressive disorders, including cyclic mood changes.

Anxiety Disorders

  • Disorders to Know: Phobias, Panic Disorder, Generalized Anxiety Disorder.
  • Cultural Considerations: Include culture-bound syndromes like Ataque de nervios.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders

  • Disorders: Including OCD and Hoarding Disorder with similarities in their causes.

Dissociative Disorders

  • Key Disorders: Dissociative Amnesia and Identity Disorder associated with trauma.

Trauma and Stressor-Related Disorders

  • Example: PTSD characterized by hypervigilance and flashbacks following traumatic experiences.

Feeding and Eating Disorders

  • Key Disorders: Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, with a mix of causes.

Personality Disorders

  • Characteristics and Clusters: highlight deviance from cultural norms, stability, and impairment across clusters A, B, and C.

TREATMENT OF PSYCHOLOGICAL DISORDERS

  • Overview of treatment types and ethical principles.

Treatment Types

  • Psychotherapies: Varied approaches including psychodynamic, cognitive, and behavioral methods.
  • Group Therapy vs. Individual Therapy: Group therapy provides support, while individual therapy focuses on personal growth.

Ethical Principles in Treatment

  • Core Values: Nonmaleficence, Fidelity, Integrity, Respect for rights and dignity.

Techniques Used in Psychological Therapies

  • Cognitive Restructuring: Changing negative thought patterns.
  • Applied Behavior Analysis: Techniques like exposure therapy and token economies.

Effectiveness of Therapies and Medications

  • Psychotropic Medications: Behavioral regulation through antidepressants, antianxiety medications, etc.
  • Potential Side Effects: Importance of consideration in therapy decisions.

Surgical and Invasive Interventions

  • Includes psychosurgery and modern techniques like Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS).