9C- the biopsychosocial approach to maintaining and protecting mental wellbeing

Question 1

contrast internal and external factors

Answer 1

internal factors originate within a person and external factors originate outside a person

Question 2

what are some types of internal factors

Answer 2

biological factors and psychological factors

Question 3

what is a type of external factor

Answer 3

social factors

Question 4

what are some biological factors

Answer 4

genetics
sex
neurotransmitter function
hormones
immune function
nervous system activity
physical health.

Question 5

what are some psychological factors

Answer 5

styles of thinking
beliefs and attitudes
emotions
learning and memory
personality traits.

Question 6

what are some social factors

Answer 6

relationships
early life experience
education level
income
social support
stability of accommodation
experience of abuse
cultural values
employment
discrimination.

Question 7

contrast stress, anxiety and phobia: when are they experienced

Answer 7

stress- Typically, people experience this in situations in daily life
anxiety- Typically, people experience this in situations in daily life
phobia- not experienced by most people in daily life

Question 8

contrast stress, anxiety and phobia: whether a mental disorder

Answer 8

stress- may contribute to developing a mental disorder
anxiety- may contribute to developing a mental disorder
phobia- a diagnosed mental disorder

Question 9

contrast stress, anxiety and phobia: level of impact

Answer 9

stress- can impact day-day functioning if not well managed
anxiety- can impact day to day functioning if not well managed
phobia- significantly impacts on day to day functioning if not well managed

Question 10

contrast stress, anxiety and phobia: adaptive or helpful

Answer 10

stress- can be adaptive and helpful in some situations
anxiety- can be adaptive and helpful in some situations
phobia- not typically adaptive and helpful

Question 11

contrast stress, anxiety and phobia: experienced in response to

Answer 11

stress- can be experienced in response to a wide range of objects/events
anxiety- can be experienced in response to a wide range of objects/events
phobia- typically experienced in relation to a specific object/event

Question 12

contrast stress, anxiety and phobias

Answer 12

Stress is a state of mental or emotional and physiological tension resulting from factors that are perceived to challenge or threaten our ability to cope.

Anxiety is an emotion akin to worrying and uneasiness that something is wrong or something bad is going to happen, and is usually accompanied by physiological signs.

Phobias are persistent, intense, irrational fear of a specific object or event. The person’s fear of the object or event is so intense that they try to avoid the feared stimulus or if faced with it, experience acute physiological arousal- FFF response

Question 13

what are some biological factors when experiencing stress and anxiety

Answer 13

Genetic vulnerability/predisposition
Poor sleep
Substance use/misuse
Poor response to medication due to genetic factors
Lack of exercise
Disease and injury

Question 14

what are some psychological factors when experiencing stress and anxiety

Answer 14

Personality traits such as poor self-efficacy
Rumination
Impaired reasoning and coping skills

Question 15

what are some social factors when experiencing stress and anxiety

Answer 15

Loss of a significant relationship
Lack of support from family and friends (loneliness)
Poverty

Question 16

what are some biological factors when experiencing phobias

Answer 16

Neurotransmitter dysfunction (GABA)
Family history of mental health problems
Gender (more common in females)
The role of stress response
Long-term potentiation (constant pairing of fear + object of fear)

Question 17

what are some psychological factors when experiencing phobias

Answer 17

Developmental stage (specific phobias usually develop in childhood)
Personality traits such as negativity and high inhibition
Traumatic event results in classical conditioning of phobic object and fear (behavioural model)
Avoidance – negative reinforcement/ operant conditioning (behavioural model)
Cognitive bias including memory bias and catastrophic thinking (cognitive model)

Question 18

what are some social factors when experiencing phobias

Answer 18

Parental modelling
Family history of mental health problems
Specific environmental trigger
Transmission of threat information
Stigma related to receiving treatment
Family involvement and accommodation

Question 19

Describe the difference between internal and external factors that can influence mental wellbeing.

Answer 19

Internal factors are factors that can influence mental wellbeing that originate from within an individual, such as genetics and hormones, whereas external factor are factors that can influence mental wellbeing that originate from outside an individual, such as the physical and social environment.

Question 20

Outline how the biopsychosocial model categorises internal and external factors, and explain why this model may be useful in considering the role such factors play in mental wellbeing.

Answer 20

The biopsychosocial model is based on the idea that an illness does not have a single cause but is a result of the close interaction between biological, psychological and social factors, and this can be a useful way of thinking about the range of internal and external factors that influence mental wellbeing.

These three factors can be broken into internal (biological and psychological) and external (social) categories.

Question 21

What is the difference between anxiety and an anxiety disorder?

Answer 21

Anxiety is a state of physiological arousal associated with feelings of apprehension, worry or uneasiness that something is wrong or that something unpleasant is about to happen, whereas an anxiety disorder is a disorder that is characterised by chronic and/or severe feelings of anxiety, distress, nervousness and apprehension or fear about the future, with a negative effect.

Question 22

List three characteristics associated with experiencing a phobia.

Answer 22

a diagnosed mental disorder
significantly impacts on day-to-day functioning if not well managed
not typically adaptive and helpful

Question 23

What is stress?

Answer 23

Stress is a state of physiological and psychological arousal/tension, produced by internal or external factors, which are perceived to challenge or exceed a person’s ability or resources to cope.

Question 24

Explain why a continuum is a reasonable method of representing mental wellbeing.

Answer 24

A continuum demonstrates that mental wellbeing can range from low to high and that it is dynamic; that is, it can change often. Therefore, a continuum is a reasonable representation of mental wellbeing because this aspect of health can vary for individuals on a daily basis.

Question 25

Justify why external factors that influence mental wellbeing may be easier to modify than internal factors.

Answer 25

External factors such as the social and physical environment may be easier for an individual to alter than internal factors. It is easier to change a group of friends than it is to change genetics and hormone levels, which are often predetermined biological functions, and therefore very difficult for to alter without medical help.

Question 26

Using a description of each as your basis, distinguish between stress, anxiety and phobias.

Answer 26

Stress is a state of physiological and psychological arousal/tension, produced by internal or external factors, which are perceived to challenge or exceed a person’s ability or resources to cope. Anxiety is a state of physiological arousal associated with feelings of apprehension, worry or uneasiness that something is wrong or that something unpleasant is about to happen. A phobia is a persistent, intense, irrational fear of a specific object or event.

Question 27

Explain how experiencing anxiety could be adaptive and helpful in some situations.

Answer 27

In some situations, anxiety may act as a motivator for people to complete a task. For example, if you are anxious about getting a piece of work done for school, you may start the work earlier than if you were not anxious, and this may mean you get the task done ahead of time to relieve the associated anxiety.

Question 28

protective factor

Answer 28

a factor that plays a role in decreasing the chance of developing a mental disorder

Question 29

biological risk factor

Answer 29

a factor that relates to the physiological functioning of the body, and may contribute to mental disorders

Question 30

genetic vulnerability

Answer 30

an increased likelihood that a person will develop a particular mental disorder because of their DNA

Question 31

psychological risk factor

Answer 31

a factor that relates to the functioning of the brain and the mind, which may contribute to mental disorders

Question 32

rumination

Answer 32

thinking about and focusing on negative thoughts and experiences

Question 33

self efficacy

Answer 33

a person’s confidence that they can complete life tasks and meet their goals

Question 34

social risk factor

Answer 34

a factor that relates to a persons social contacts and how culture and the social environment can influence the development of mental disorders

Question 35

disorganised insecure attachment

Answer 35

occurs when a child does not receive consistent care or emotional support from a primary caregiver early in life; leads to inconsistent behaviour being displayed towards this caregiver by the child

Question 36

stigma

Answer 36

the feeling of shame or disgrace associated with a personal characteristic that indicates you belong to a culturally devalued group in society – this can be real or imagined

Question 37

mindfulness meditation

Answer 37

the practice of observing the present moment, suspending judgements, and focusing on something calm and peaceful