Mental and Physical Health Study Guide

Mental and Physical Health Overview

Well-Being
  • Definition: A state of being comfortable, healthy, or happy.
  • Significance: Central to mental health; encompasses emotional, physical, and social aspects.
Stress and Eustress
  • Stress:
    • Definition: An emotional or physical tension.
    • Effects: Can lead to various health issues, including mental disorders.
  • Eustress:
    • Definition: Positive stress that motivates individuals to achieve goals.
    • Examples: Preparing for a performance or competition.
Hypertension
  • Definition: High blood pressure which can result from long-term stress.
  • Implications: Increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)
  • Definition: Potentially traumatic events occurring from ages 0-17.
  • Impact: Can lead to lasting negative effects on health and well-being.
General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS)
  • Definition: Three-stage process (Alarm, Resistance, Exhaustion) describing the body's response to stress.
    • Alarm: Initial reaction to perceived stress.
    • Resistance: The body tries to adapt and cope.
    • Exhaustion: Body's resources are depleted, leading to collapse.
Effects of Stress on the Heart
  • Chronic stress negatively impacts cardiovascular health, increasing heart disease risk.
Personality Types: Type A and Type B
  • Type A: Characterized by competitiveness, impatience, and hostility.
  • Type B: More relaxed, easygoing personality.
Catharsis
  • Definition: The process of releasing strong or repressed emotions.
  • Importance: Can alleviate stress and emotional burdens.
Tend-and-Befriend Theory
  • Definition: Response to stress that involves nurturing others or seeking social support.
  • Relevance: Highlights the importance of social connections during stressful times.
Coping Strategies
  • Problem-focused Coping: Addresses the root cause of stress.
  • Emotion-focused Coping: Manages emotional responses to stress.
Behavioral Medicine
  • Definition: An interdisciplinary field integrating behavioral and biomedical sciences to prevent, diagnose, and treat illnesses.
Lymphocytes
  • Definition: A type of white blood cell involved in the immune response.
  • Role: Key players in fighting infections and diseases.
Psychoneuroimmunology
  • Definition: The study of the interaction between the nervous system, the endocrine system, and the immune system.
Anxiety Disorders
  • Definition: Disorders characterized by excessive fear, worry, and anxiety.
  • Examples: Phobias, panic disorder, social anxiety, and generalized anxiety disorder.
Medical Model
  • Definition: A framework for understanding and treating illness, emphasizing biological causes.
Adaptation-Level Phenomenon
  • Definition: Our judgments and perceptions are influenced by previous experiences, making us less sensitive to constant stimuli.
Relative Deprivation
  • Definition: Discontent arising from perceiving a gap between expectations and reality, often compared to others.
Positive Psychology
  • Overview: Focuses on human strengths, well-being, and optimal functioning.
  • Character Strengths/Virtues: Wisdom, courage, humanity, justice, temperance, transcendence.
Posttraumatic Growth
  • Definition: Positive psychological changes following trauma.
The 3 D’s of Abnormality
  • Concepts:
    • Deviance: Behavior that differs from societal norms.
    • Distress: Emotional suffering from abnormal behavior.
    • Dysfunction: Difficulty in functioning in daily life.
David Rosenhan Study
  • Study Focus: Examined the validity of psychiatric diagnoses.
DSM-5
  • Definition: The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; a classification system for mental disorders.
Diathesis-Stress Model
  • Concept: Mental disorders result from interaction between predisposed conditions and environmental stresses.
Neurodevelopmental Disorders
  • Examples: ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) and ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder).
Schizophrenia
  • Definition: A severe mental disorder characterized by hallucinations, delusions, and disorganized thinking.
  • Symptoms: Impaired functioning, varying severity.
Depressive Disorders
  • Definition: Characterized by persistent sadness.
    • MDD: Major Depressive Disorder.
    • PDD: Persistent Depressive Disorder.
Difference Between Fear and Phobia
  • Fear: Normal response to danger.
  • Phobia: Excessive and irrational fear of specific objects or situations.
Bipolar Disorders
  • Types:
    • Bipolar I: Involves manic episodes.
    • Bipolar II: Involves hypomanic episodes.
Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders
  • Definition: Characterized by unwanted thoughts (obsessions) and repetitive behaviors (compulsions).
  • Hoarding: Accumulation of items to the point where it disrupts daily life.
Dissociative Disorders
  • Examples:
    • Dissociative Amnesia: Memory loss related to specific events.
    • Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID): Characterized by the presence of two or more distinct identities.
Trauma and Stressor-Related Disorders
  • Example: PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder), a mental health condition triggered by traumatic events.
Feeding and Eating Disorders
  • Definition: Serious mental illnesses related to unhealthy eating behaviors and distorted body image concerns.
Personality Disorders
  • Categories:
    • Odd: Suspicious behavior.
    • Dramatic or Emotional: Flamboyant or erratic behaviors.
    • Anxious or Fearful: Patterns of behavior related to anxiety and fear.