Unite 5 vocab

Health Psychology - examines how biological, social, and psychological factors influence health and illness

Hypertension - when blood pressure remains consistently high over time

Immune suppression - a decrease in the activation or efficacy of the immune system, leading to a reduced ability to fight off infections and diseases 

Eustress - the positive stress response, involving optimal levels of stimulation

General adaptation syndrome (gas) - describes the process your body goes through when you are exposed to any kind of stress, positive or negative

Alarm - the initial stress response involves physical symptoms such as increased heart rate, elevated blood pressure, and a surge of adrenaline

Resistance -  the ability to maintain one's own beliefs and behaviors in the face of pressure to conform or comply with the expectations of others

Fight-or-flight response - an automatic physiological reaction to an event that is perceived as stressful or frightening

Problem-focused coping - a technique in which an individual addresses a problem directly as a way to eliminate it

Emotion-focused coping - functions to regulate (tolerate, reduce, or eliminate) the physiological, emotional, cognitive, and behavioral reactions that accompany the experience of stressful encounters

Distress - the unpleasant feelings or emotions that you may have when you feel overwhelmed

Adverse childhood experiences - disruptions to the promotion of safe, stable, and nurturing family relationships and are characterized by stressful or traumatic events that occur during an individual's first 18 years of life

Tend-and-befriend theory - humans, particularly females, often respond to stress by tending to young ones and by seeking connection or befriending one another

Positive psychology - focuses on factors that contribute to individual and societal thriving. It emphasizes positive emotions, resilience, and psychological health, shifting away from traditional psychology's focus on pathology and dysfunction to a more balanced perspective

Well-being - experiencing positive emotions such as happiness, contentment, satisfaction with life, and overall psychological wellness

Gratitude - a sense of happiness and thankfulness in response to a fortunate happenstance or tangible gift

Signature strengths - those character strengths that are most essential to who we are

Character strengths - a family of positive traits expressed through a person's thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that are universally recognized for the strength that they create in individuals and communities

Temperance - Forgiveness, humility, and self-regulation

Transcendence - surpassing or going beyond one's personal self and experiencing a greater sense of purpose, connection, or unity with others, nature, or some form of higher power

Psychological Disorder - impacts one's cognition, emotion, or behavior, and these behaviors are maladaptive

Dysfunction - disturbances in a person's thinking, emotional regulation, or behavior that reflects significant dysfunction in psychological, biological, or developmental processes underlying mental functioning. In other words, dysfunction refers to a breakdown in cognition, emotion, and/or behavior

Distress -  emotional or mental suffering, typically caused by life stressors or internal conflicts

Stigma - negative or discriminatory attitudes that others may have about mental illness

American Psychiatric Association - a professional organization of psychiatrists that promotes psychiatry and educates people about the field

Eclectic approach - integrating several therapeutic strategies and techniques based on what will be most beneficial for the client

Behavioral perspective - acting throughout life as a result of some form of motivation or incentive

Maladaptive behaviors - actions or responses that are ineffective in helping individuals cope with their environment

Psychodynamic perspective - relies heavily on how the past has affected an individual's psychological states

Humanistic perspective - a way of evaluating an individual as a whole, rather than looking at them only through a smaller aspect of their person

Cognitive Perspective - a psychological approach that focuses on understanding human behavior by examining mental processes such as perception, memory, and thinking

Maladaptive thoughts - negative and irrational thoughts or beliefs that contribute to unhealthy behaviors and emotional distress

Biopsychosocial model - an integrated approach to psychology that incorporates three different perspectives and types of analysis: biological, psychological, and social-cultural 

Diathesis stress model - suggests that the development of psychological disorders is influenced by both a genetic predisposition (diathesis) and environmental stressors

Diagnostic manual of mental disorders - The diagnostic tool published by the American Psychiatric Association, used to categorize and diagnose psychological disorders

World Health Organization - A part of the United Nations that deals with major health issues around the world

International classification of mental disorders - a classification system for all physical and mental diseases produced by the World Health Organization (WHO)

Evolutionary perspectives - based on Charles Darwin's theory of natural selection. So, an individual's thoughts and behaviors are based on what would give them the best chance of survival; subsequently, the behaviors that give the best chance of survival are passed on to further generations.

Sociocultural perspective - considers the way that different individuals interact with their social groups and how these social groups influence different individuals and how they develop throughout their lives

Maladaptive relationships - actions or responses that hinder successful interactions with others or negatively impact relationships

Biological perspective - relates to the way that people act in terms of how they came to be. With this perspective, genetics in the human body affect the way that they react to certain situations or the way that they act in different situations. Has to do with the brain, nervous system, and genetics. 

Diathesis - suggests that the development of psychological disorders is influenced by both a genetic predisposition (diathesis) and environmental stressors

Neurodevelopmental disorders - psychiatric conditions arising inearly life featuring abnormalities in the central nervous system development

Schizophrenic spectrum disorders - a serious mental health condition that affects how people think, feel, and behave. It may result in a mix of hallucinations, delusions, and disorganized thinking and behavior.

Delusions - a fixed false belief based on an inaccurate interpretation of an external reality despite evidence to the contrary

Delusions of persecution - when you're convinced that someone is mistreating, plotting against, or planning to harm you or your loved ones

Delusions of grandeur - a person's belief that they are someone other than who they are, such as a supernatural figure or a celebrity

Hallucinations - a false perception of objects or events involving your senses

Disorganized thoughts/speech - thoughts and speech that are jumbled or do not make sense

Word salad - confused or unintelligible mixture of seemingly random words and phrases

Disorganized motor behavior - movements that can range from childlike silliness to unpredictable agitation or can manifest as repeated movements without purpose

Depressive disorders - a mood disorder that causes a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest

Major Depressive Disorder - a mental health condition that causes a persistently low or depressed mood and a loss of interest in activities that once brought joy

Bipolar - a serious mental illness that causes unusual shifts in mood, ranging from extreme highs (mania or “manic” episodes) to lows (depression or “depressive” episode)

Anxiety disorders - differ from normal feelings of nervousness or anxiousness and involve excessive fear or anxiety

Specific Phobia - an intense, irrational fear of something that poses little or no actual danger

Acrophobia - a mental health condition in which the individual experiences an intense fear of heights

Agoraphobia - a type of anxiety disorder. Agoraphobia involves fearing and avoiding places or situations that might cause panic and feelings of being trapped, helpless or embarrassed

Panic disorder - an anxiety disorder characterized by unexpected and repeated episodes of intense fear accompanied by physical symptoms that may include chest pain, heart palpitations, shortness of breath, dizziness, or abdominal distress

Panic attacks - an abrupt surge of intense fear or discomfort

Obsessive-compulsive disorder - a disorder marked by uncontrollable and recurring thoughts (obsessions), repetitive and excessive behaviors (compulsions), or both

Dissociative disorder - mental health conditions that involve experiencing a loss of connection between thoughts, memories, feelings, surroundings, behavior and identity

Dissociations -  mental process where a person experiences a disconnection from their thoughts, feelings, memories, or sense of self.

Trauma and stressor related disorders - a group of emotional and behavioral problems that may result from childhood traumatic and stressful experiences

Hypervigilance - the elevated state of constantly assessing potential threats around you

Personality disorders - long-term patterns of behavior and inner experiences that differ significantly from what is expected. They affect at least two of these areas: Way of thinking about oneself and others. Way of responding emotionally. Way of relating to other people

Cluster A personality disorders - a condition characterized by odd, eccentric, and unusual behaviors or beliefs

Cluster B personality disorders - marked by inappropriate, volatile emotionality and often unpredictable behavior

Cluster C personality disorders - a group of personality disorders that cause long-term feelings of anxiety and insecurity

Catonia - a disorder that disrupts a person's awareness of the world around them

Stupor - The lack of critical mental function and a level of consciousness, in which an affected person is almost entirely unresponsive and responds only to intense stimuli such as pain

Catonic Stupor - a state of extreme immobility and unresponsiveness that can occur in individuals with severe mental illness, such as schizophrenia

Negative symptoms - a reduction or absence of normal behaviors and functions that are typically present in healthy individuals

Positive symptoms - abnormal behaviors, thoughts, or perceptions that are "added on" to a person's experience

Schizophrenia - a serious mental illness characterized by incoherent or illogical thoughts, bizarre behavior and speech, and delusions or hallucinations, such as hearing voices

Dopamine hypothesis - the theory that schizophrenia is primarily caused by an excessive level of dopamine activity in the brain

Persistant depressive disorder - a chronic, long-lasting form of depression characterized by a low-grade, persistent sadness and other depressive symptoms that last for at least two years

Culture bound anxiety disorder - a psychological disorder, characterized by anxiety symptoms, that is unique to a specific culture and is not readily recognized or classified within standard Western psychiatric diagnoses

Ataq de nervous - a culturally bound syndrome, primarily seen in Hispanic populations, characterized by an intense episode of emotional distress often triggered by a stressful event, manifesting with symptoms like crying, shouting, trembling, and feeling out of control

Tajin kyofusho - a culturally bound form of social anxiety disorder, primarily found in Japanese culture, where individuals have an intense fear of offending or embarrassing others through their appearance, body odor, or behavior, often focusing on the idea that their physical characteristics are displeasing to others, rather than fearing judgment directed at themselves

Obsessions - a recurring, intrusive thought, image, or urge that is unwanted and causes significant anxiety or distress, often experienced as being outside of one's control

Compulsions - a repetitive behavior or mental act that an individual feels driven to perform in response to an obsession, typically to reduce anxiety or prevent a feared event, often interfering with daily life

Emotional detachment - a state of reduced emotional involvement and connection with others

Meta analysis - a statistical method used in psychology to combine and analyze the results of multiple studies on a specific research question

Evidence based interventions - treatments that have been scientifically tested and shown to be effective for treating a specific problem or population

Pyschotropic medication - a broad category of drugs that affect mood, behavior, thoughts, and perceptions

Nonmaleficence - avoiding intentional harm to others

Fidelity - the degree of accuracy and faithfulness in replicating or implementing a specific intervention, protocol, or treatment

Tardive Dyskinesia - a chronic movement disorder characterized by involuntary, repetitive, and purposeless movements that typically develop as a side effect of long-term use of antipsychotic medications.