Mental disorders: development & progression factors

Question 1

What are risk factors?

Answer 1

Factors which contribute to the likelihood of a person either suffering from a mental disorder or experiencing a relapse.

Question 2

What are different factors which affect mental health?

Answer 2

> Individual attributes
Social circumstances
Environmental factors

Question 3

What are the 4 P’s?

Answer 3

> Predisposing
Precipitating
Perpetuating
Protective

Question 4

What is a biological risk factor?

Answer 4

Biological predisposition to develop a certain disorder or disease:

> Genetic predispositions
Response to medication (genetic factors inhibit effective use of medication)
Subtance use
Lack of sleep

Question 5

Psychological risk factors include…

Answer 5

> Rumination
> Stress
> Impaired reasoning and memory
> Personality
> Poor self-efficacy

Question 6

What is rumination?

Answer 6

Having a focused attention on symptoms and causes rather than a solution.

It is the obsessive thinking and worrying about the negative aspects of a past, present or future situation. It can adversely affect mental health if a person is unable to stop ruminating about the negative aspects of life without developing any strategies to address their perceived problems.

Question 7

What is an example of a genetic vulnerability?

Answer 7

Biological relatives of people with schizophrenia have an 10% risk of developing the disorder, as compared with 1% in the general population.

Question 8

What is self-efficacy?

Answer 8

A person’s general coping strategies and their perception of their ability to control the events that happen in their lives.

The belief in our own ability to succeed and overcome.

Question 9

Social risk factors include…

Answer 9

> Disorganised attachment
Loss of significant relationship
Stigma

Question 10

What is disorganised attachment?

Answer 10

When there is a threatening, abusive, or absent base which leads to confusion as a child, where there’s disorganised thinking when it comes to safety –> leading to an avoidant personality, lack of trust and scepticism of other people.

Question 11

What is a cumulative risk?

Answer 11

The accumulation of multiple risk factors that makes the development of a mental illness more likely.