Mental Health Flashcards
Mental Health Problem
When difficulties experienced by a person are mild, temporary and able to be treated within a relatively short period of time
Mental Health
State of emotional and social well being in which individuals realise their own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and can contribute to their community
Mental illness
Psychological dysfunction that usually involves impairment in coping ability with feelings and behaviours that are atypical and inappropriate within their culture
Psychological dysfunction
Breakdown in cognitive, emotional and/or behavioural functioning, interfering with ability to adjust to challenges of everyday life.
Normal
A behaviour is normal when it helps a person to assimilate appropriately into their society and culture and to function independently as expected for their age
Abnormal
When a behaviour is statistically unusual, is not socially approved, causes distress to the person or interferes with an individual’s ability to function
Socio-Cultural approach to normality
Behaviour that is accepted in a particular society or culture, but not in others
Historical approach to normality
Behaviour that is accepted, however it depends on the period of time
Situational approach to normality
Behaviour that is accepted in a particular situation
Medical approach to normality
Abnormal behaviour is a biological cause and can be diagnosed and treated
Statistical approach to normality
Any behaviour characteristic in a large group of individuals is distributed in a particular way; that is, the normal distribution
Functional approach to normality
Normal behaviours help the individual function in society
Classification
Organising items into groups based on their shared characteristics
Categorical approaches
Organises mental disorders into categories, each with specific symptoms and characteristics
DSM-IV
Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders
Categorical system for diagnosing and classifying mental disorders based on recognisable symptoms that are precisely described for each disorder
Symptoms
Prognosis
Progression of symptoms
Prevalence
Prognosis
Outlook for patient in long term
Diagnostic criteria
Indicates symptoms that are characteristic of the disorder, therefore enabling assessment of the prescience of the disorder
Inclusions criteria
Symptoms that must be present for the disorder to be diagnosed
Exclusion criteria
Symptoms that must not be present for the disorder to be diagnosed
Polythetic criteria
Only some symptoms must be present in order for the disorder to be diagnosed
Axis I of DSM IV
Clinical disorders and other conditions that may be a focus of clinal attention
Describes all mental disorders
Axis II if DSM IV
Personality disorders and intellectual disabilities
Personality disorders
Pattern of inflexible and maladaptive ways of think, feeling and behaving that are often socially unacceptable and have been evident over a long period of time
Eg antisocial personality disorder
Intellectual disabilities
Significantly below average level on intellectual functioning
Difficulty in coping with everyday life
Eg. Dependent personality disorder
Axis III of DSM IV
General medical conditions that are not mentally based
Axis IV of DSM IV
Psychosocial and environmental problems
Potential stressors in everyday life
Can speed up development / worsen disease
Eg. Divorce, debt, trauma, losing a job…
Axis V of DSM IV
Global assessment of functioning
GAF
Assesses individual’s overall level of psychological, social and occupational function
Out of 100
Lower score=worse
ICD 10
International classification of diseases and related health problems
Categorical system for diagnosing and classifying disease and mental disorders based on recognisable symptoms
Dimensional approach
Quantifies an individuals symptoms/characteristics into a numerical value and is compadre with ‘statistically normal’ expected values
Graded dimensional approach
Giving a score out of 100 for their functioning
Diagnosis at a particular point in time
Transitional approach
Giving person several questionnaires/ assessments over time to assess change in mental health
MMPI
Scaled based on dimensional approach
Biopsychosocial model
Holistic approach to considering physical and mental health interns of the dynamic interaction and integration of biological, psychological and social factors
Biological factors
Physiologically based/ determined influences, often not under out control
Psychological factors
All influences associated with mental processes
Social factors
Social and cultural
Stress
State of physiological and psychological arousal produced by internal or external stressors that are perceived by the individual as challenging or exceeding their ability in resources to cope
Stressor
- physical
- psychological
- internal
- external
And person, situation or event that produces stress
- places body under stress
- how stress is precisely by each person
- coming from within
- coming from outside
Stress response
Involved physiological and psychological changes that people experience when they are confronted by a stressor
Mild stress response
Elevated level of arousal that can enhance performance
Acute stress response
Suddenly produces a high level of arousal for a short amount of time
Chronic stress response
High level p of arousal over a long period of time
Fight flight response
Involuntary reaction resulting in a state so physiological readiness to deal with a sudden and immediate threat by either confronting it or running away to safety
Eg. Increased hear rate, pupil dilate, increased respiration
HPA axis
Hypothalamus Pituitary Adrenal axis
Hypothalamus -> pituitary -> ACTH -> adrenal -> adrenaline, noradrenaline and cortisol -> fight flight response
Eustress
Positive psychological response to a stressor, as indicate by presence of positive psychological states such as feeling enthusiastic, excited, active and alert
Distress
Negative psychological response to a stressor, as indicated by presence of negative psychological states such as anger, anxiety, irritability , tension
Psychological responses to stress, behavioural changes
How a person looks talks or acts
Psychological responses to stress, emotional changes
Influences that way a person feels
Psychological responses to stress, cognitive
Difficulties in maintaining focus, concentration, making decisions, thing clearly
Catastrophising
When an individual dwells on and over emphasises the potential consequences of negative events
Disease
A condition with a known cause, predictable course and standard protocols of treatment
Disorder
A set of symptoms that interfere with daily functioning. Symptoms are reasonably consistent among patients but causes may differ
Mental disorder
Exaggerated forms of thoughts, feelings and behaviour implying the existence of a clinically recognisable set of symptoms and behaviours that usually need treatment to be alleviated
Neurosis
A disorder in which a person experiences dysfunctional things, but realises that the thinking is irrational
Psychosis
A disorder in which a person experiences dysfunctional thinking but does not realised that the thinking is irrational- lost touch ti with reality
Syndrome
A particular profile of symptoms
Lazarus and Folkman’s transactional model of stress and coping
Stress involves an encounter between an individual and their external environment, and that a stress response depends on the individual’s interpretation of the stressor and their ability to cope with it
Primary appraisal
Evaluating significance of the situation
Harm loss
Assessment of how much damage has occurred
Threat
Assessment of harm loss that hasn’t yet occurred, but may occur in the futurs
Challenge
Potential for personal gain
Coping
Process of constantly changing cognitive and behavioural efforts to manage specific internal and/ or external stressors that have appraised as exceeding the resources of the person
Secondary appraisal
Evaluation of out coping options and resources and out options for dealing with the stressful situation
Reappraisal
Determining the extent to which additional resources are needed to cope with the situation
Problem focused coping
Efforts to manage/ change the cause or source of problem
Emotional focused coping
Strategies attending the emotional responses to a stressor
Social readjustment
Amount of change in lifestyle a person is forced to make following a specific event in their life
Acculturation
Adopting the values, customs and language of a new culture
Homeostasis
Bodily ability to maintain a stable physiological environment by keeping certain bodily conditions constant
Allostasis
Body’s ability to maintain a stable physiological environment by adjusting and changing to meet internal and external demands
Allostatic load
Cumulative effects of out body trying to reestablish allostasis in response to frequent and intense stressors
Allostasis overload
When the demands of a stressor exceed the body’s ability to repeatedly adapt, the person is no longer able to meet the demands
Allostasis model
Acknowledges that all types of factors within the individual and their external environment are potential stressors
Autonomic arousal
The response of the autonomic nervous system generally operating below the level of conscious awareness
Biofeedback
Technique that enables an individual to receive information on the state of bodily processes and with appropriate training, learn to control a related physiological response suing thought processes
Meditation
Intentional attempt to bring about a deeply relaxed state in order to reduce one or more effects of stress related symptoms
Relaxation
Any activity that brings about a state of reduces psychological and/ or physiological tension
Physical exercise
Physical activity that is usually planned and performed to improve/ maintain one’s physical condition
Aerobic exercise
Sustained increase in oxygen consumption and promotes cardiovascular fitness
Eg running
Anaerobic exercise
Short bursts of muscular activity that can strengthen muscles and improve flexibility
Eg. Weight training
Social support
Help or assistance from other people when needed
Appraisal support
Help from another person that improves the individual’s understanding if the stressful event and the resources and coping strategies that may be needed to deal with it
Tangible assistance
Provision of material support such as services, financial assistance or goods that may help offset effects of a stressful event
Informational support
Information from people about how to cope with stressor
Emotional stress
Targets emotional reactions by reassurance
