anxiety and depression Flashcards
what is the estimated amount of people that suffer from a mental health condition?
around 1 in 4
which levels of mental health can exercise be used to help?
all levels
whether just to improve mental well-being
can improve sub-clinical levels (bouts of anxiety and depression after bad events)
can improve those with clinical disorders
what category of disorders do anxiety and depression fall into?
neurotic disorders (emotional response) common mental health disorders
what are conduct disorders and who typically has them?
not common and mainly in boys in childhood
e.g oppositional defiant disorder (disobeying authority)
what is mental health according to the World Health Organisation?
the well-being in which individuals realise their own potential, can cope with life stresses, can work productively and contribute to the wider community
prevalence of mental health problems out of 1000?
300 will experience mental health problems
230 will go to GP
102 will be diagnosed
24 referred to specialist
prevalence of any mental health disorder in 1993 compared to 2014?
1993 - 15.5%
2014 - 18.9%
number of those suffering may not have increased and instead could be higher levels due to ore reporting and diagnosing
prevalence in men compared to women?
women higher prevalence in all common mental health disorders than males
men have higher prevalence as children but mainly conduct disorders
link between having a mental health disorder in childhood and adulthood?
having a mental health disorder before the age of 14 makes it more likely to have recurrent symptoms in adulthood
link between health problems and depression?
higher rates of depression among those with 2 or more chronic health problems
what are some psychological symptoms of depression?
lowered mood
lowered self-esteem
what are the 3 characteristics of neurotic disorders?
interfere with normal functioning
impair emotional and physical well-being
effects behaviour
what are some physical symptoms of depression?
changes in sleep behaviour
less energy
what are some social symptoms of depression?
neglecting hobbies
struggling with interactions
what are some psychological symptoms of anxiety?
withdrawn
difficulty concentrating
what is a physical symptom of anxiety?
pulling hair out
what is anxiety?
type of fear associated with the thought of a threat or something going wrong
what are 2 ways of diagnosing common mental health problems?
- diagnosis and statistics manual
2. international classification of diseases
describe anti-depressants as a form of treatment?
around 45% of GPs give them as the 1st choice of treatment
typically SSRIs which keep happy messages going to the brain by preventing the reabsorption of serotonin
what are other forms of treatment for depression and anxiety?
CBT
counselling
exercise
electro convulsive therapy
what % of GPs would prescribe exercise as first form of treatment or even in top 3?
and why?
1st - 3%
top 3 - 25%
they’re pro exercise but don’t think there’s a large enough evidence base (incorrect as wouldn’t be in NICE guidelines without a large evidence base)
also, it isn’t a short-term, quick fix solutionand it is difficult to get people started
what are the 4 psychological mechanisms for why physical activity can help mental health?
distraction - when you are new to something, learning and performing it can distract you from your feelings but when profficient, no longer works (not much evidence)
mastery - feel better and increases self-efficacy
coping - different form of coping and increases coping self-efficacy
enhanced feelings of control over treatment (more than medicine) and life in general
what is the psycho-social mechanism for why PA can help mental health?
social interaction hypothesis - doing PA facilitates more social situations so increases confidence, argues it is the social situation and not exercise that helps mental health
what are the 2 biological mechanisms for why pa can help mental health?
increase Vo2 max - perception of higher mastery
increases amount of neurotransmitters - e.g serotonin which increases happy messages in the body (similar to the effect of SSRIs)
increase in cerebral blood flow
reductions in muscle tension
what did the Goodwin et al. study find?
negative relationship between physical activity and depression + anxiety
what did Chekroud et al find?
about frequency, time and type
40% in poor mental health days within a month when exercising as 11 compared to 7
45mins of exercise produced lowest burden of disease so highest mental health (in all activites)
biggest reduction of mental health burden when sports competitive
best to exercise 3 to 5 times a week