4 P's for Mental Health Flashcards
Contributing biological factors
- GABA dysfunction, controls anxiety (phobias are an anxiety disorder) causes high anxiety therefore causing phobias.
- GABA has an inhibitory role, so the post synaptic neuron is less likely to fire.
- Regulates anxiety, arousal and sleep.
- GABA also plays a role in anxiety as it acts as a calming agent or a brake to the excitatory neurotransmitters that lead to anxiety
- Stress response can be activated by a perceived threat or impending harm at the sight or thought of a phobic stimulus.
- Stress hormones are released into the bloodstream
Contributing psychological factors
Behavioural models
*According to behavioural models, phobias are influenced by environmental factors.
*Specific phobia may be learnt through classical conditioning and maintained by operant conditioning.
Cognitive models
*Emphasises the thought process on feelings and behaviour
Cognitive bias
*A tendency to think in a way that involves errors of judgment and faulty decision making
Memory bias
*Memory encoded inaccurately and distorted, tend to remember the negative or threatening information about the phobic stimulus.
(remember the one time that something went wrong)
Catastrophic think
*Over estimating the threat, irrational, obsessive thinking.
(someone with a dog phobia, they may think that any dog they encounter will attack them and leave them with permanent facial disfigurement)
Contributing social factors
Environmental triggers
*Direct exposure to a traumatic or distressing event (bitten by a dog)
*Witnessing other people experiencing a traumatic event (seeing someone be bitten) *Reading or hearing about a traumatic event (hearing a story about someone being bit)
Stigma around seeking treatment: “mark of disgrace” labels and separates a person so less likely to seek help due to shame or embarrassment.
Long term potentiation (LTP)
*Amygdala - role in initiating and processing emotional response such as fear.
*Hippocampus - involved in formation of declarative memories
The development of phobias is substantially influenced by learning through experiences.
Physical changes occurring as a result of repeated stimulation of the neural pathway during learning.
The 4 P’s
- Protective
- Predisposing
- Precipitating
- Perpetuating
Protective factors
Prevent the onset and reduce the re occurrence of mental disorders.
Predisposing factors
Increased susceptibility. (born with it)
Precipitating factors
Increases susceptibility and contribute to the occurrence of mental disorders.
Perpetuating factors
Inhibits recovery of a mental disorder.
Protective biological factors
Adequate sleep
Good diet
Protective psychological factors
CBT
Protective social factors
Psycoeducation
Support from family and friends
Predisposing biological factors
Genetic vulnrability
Predisposing psychological factors
none
Predisposing social factors
none
