AP Psychology Unit Five Notes

Mental & Physical Health AP Psychology Unit Five

Learning Targets

  • Health Psychology

    • Addresses issues of physical health and wellness via behavior and mental processes.

  • Stress

    • Applies to both behavior and mental processes.

  • Reactions and Coping Mechanisms

    • Responses to stress and coping strategies affect behavior and mental processes.

  • Positive Psychology

    • Focuses on human strengths and positive subjective experiences.

  • Defining Psychological Disorders

    • Various approaches to defining and understanding psychological disorders.

  • Symptoms and Causes

    • Discuss symptoms and potential causes of neurodevelopmental, schizophrenic spectrum, depressive, bipolar, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive, dissociative, trauma and stressor-related, feeding, eating, personality disorders.

  • Research and Treatment Trends

    • Current research methodologies and treatment approaches for psychological disorders.

Module 5.1: Introduction to Health Psychology

  • Health Psychology Overview

    • A branch contributing to behavioral medicine.

  • Psychoneuroimmunology

    • Examines psychological, neural, and endocrine impacts on the immune system.

Effects of Stress on Health

  • Impact on Immune System

    • Stress diverts energy from immune processes, affecting:

    • B Lymphocytes: Fight bacterial infection.

    • T Lymphocytes: Attack diseased cells.

    • Macrophages: Ingest harmful invaders.

    • Natural Killer Cells: Attack viruses and cancerous cells.

    • Illness Connection: Stress alters immune functioning, increasing vulnerability to diseases.

Understanding Stress

  • Definition of Stress

    • An appraisal and response process to perceived threats or challenges.

  • Types of Stressors

    • Catastrophes: Large-scale and unpredictable (e.g., natural disasters).

    • Significant Life Changes: Major life events (e.g., marriage, divorce).

    • Daily Hassles: Minor irritations (e.g., traffic, tech issues).

Stress and Individual Responses

Appraisal and Response to Stress

  • Cognitive Appraisal

    • Stress is perceived based on individual interpretation of events.

  • Conflict Types

    • Approach-Approach Conflict: Choosing between two positives.

    • Avoidance-Avoidance Conflict: Choosing between two negatives.

    • Approach-Avoidance Conflict: Concurrent positive and negative aspects to a situation.

Hans Selye's General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS)

  • Three phases of stress response:

    1. Alarm Phase

    • Activation of the sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight).

    1. Resistance Phase

    • Body maintains high energy to cope with prolonged stressors.

    1. Exhaustion Phase

    • Depletion of resources, leading to vulnerability to illness.

Effects of Prolonged Stress

  • Physical and Emotional Impact

    • Chronic stress leads to health issues, impaired cognitive functions, and risks like shortened telomeres.

  • Gender Differences

    • Tend-and-befriend response in women versus withdrawal in men.

Stress and Heart Disease

  • Coronary Heart Disease

    • Linked with Type A personalities (e.g., competitive, hostile).

  • Stress Management Tip

    • Emotional regulation strategies (e.g., waiting, distracting).

Module 5.2: Positive Psychology

  • Focus Shift

    • From diagnosing problems to fostering strengths and virtues for flourishing.

  • Subjective Well-Being

    • Perception of happiness relative to experiences.

Factors Influencing Happiness

  • Optimism

    • Leads to better health outcomes such as stronger immune response.

  • Social Support

    • Critical for reducing stress and fostering health.

  • Practical Strategies for Happiness

    • Time management, engaging enjoyable activities, exercise, nurturing relationships, gratitude practices.

Module 5.3: Psychological Disorders

  • Nature of Psychological Disorders

    • Clinically significant disturbances in cognition, emotion, and behavior (3 D's: dysfunctional, deviant, distressing).

  • DSM-V Overview

    • Provides criteria for diagnosing mental illnesses; discusses comorbidity.

Prevalence of Disorders**

  • Reports on mental health disorders amongst the U.S. population, indicating notable conditions:

    • Depressive/Bipolar disorders: 9.3%

    • Anxiety Disorders: 3.1-8.7%

    • Schizophrenia: 1.1%

Understanding Specific Disorders

Anxiety Disorders

  • Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

    • Persistent tension and unease without clear reasons.

  • Phobias

    • Severe and irrational fears towards specific objects/events.

  • Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

    • Characterized by intrusive thoughts (obsessions) and compulsive behaviors.

Mood Disorders

  • Major Depressive Disorder

    • Two weeks of depressed mood plus at least five additional symptoms.

  • Bipolar Disorder

    • Alternating cycles of depression and mania.

Schizophrenia

  • Characteristics

    • Delusions, hallucinations, disorganized thoughts.

  • Onset

    • Typically occurs in late adolescence or early adulthood.

Module 5.4: Treatment of Psychological Disorders

Overview of Therapy Types

  • Psychotherapy

    • Various approaches including psychodynamic, cognitive, humanistic, and behavioral therapies.

  • Biomedical Therapy

    • Involves medication and medical procedures.

Effectiveness of Therapy**

  • Evidence-Based Practices

    • Commitment to therapeutic alliances and methods supported by research ensures beneficial outcomes.