Mental Health Flashcards
Mental Health
Mental health is a state of well-being in which the individual realises his or her own
abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully and is bale to make a contribution to his or her community.
What are the most common mental health problems in the UK?
- Depression
- Generalised Anxiety Disorder
- Panic disorder
- Phobias
- Social Anxiety Disorder
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Why are mental health problems dangerous?
- They have a negative impact on quality of life (employment, ADLs, family)
- They increase the risk of physical illness (chronic conditions)
- They increase mortality from physical illness (e.g. heart disease)
- Depression is a major risk factor for suicide
- There is a correlation between household income and the incidence of CMHPs - better-off men are three times less likely to suffer from CMHP.
What types of mental health interventions are there?
• Community level
• Service organization level
• Individual level
• IAPT service model (Improving Access to Psychological Therapies) (designed to provide faster access for people with mental health disorders)
- high intensity care (severe depression, panic disorder, social phobia, PTSD)
- low intensity care (mild depression, mild OCD, mild GAD)
What is stress?
Stress occurs when the demands made upon an individual are greater than their ability to
cope. (Atkinson, 1999)
What are two types of stress?
1) DISTRESS -ve
a negative stress which is damaging and harmful
2) EUSTRESS +ve
a positive stress which is beneficial and motivating
What are acute and chronic causes of stress?
Acute - noise, danger, infections, injuries, hunger
Chronic - health, home, finances, work, family, friends
Give some examples of internal and external stressors
Internal stressors
a. physical -inflammation, infection
b. psychological - attitudes, believes, personal expectations, worries
External stressors - environment, work, social and cultural pressures
What are the main responses to stress?
Fight or flight
- this is an automatic response to external acute stressors
- this elicits a physiological response
a) hypothalamus: sympathetic system and andrenocorticostreoid system
b) both adrenal medulla and adrenal cortex (cortisol) activated
c) activation of various organs and inhibitions of the others : (depending Flight/fight)
What are the body’s responses to stress?
a) lungs - take in more oxygen, hyperventilation
b) blood flow -increases by up to 400%
c) skeletal muscles - tense
d) spleen - more RBCs are discharged
e) skin - blood flow directed away to support skeletal muscles and heart
f) mouth - drier as salvia and mucus dry up
g) immune system - WBCs are redistributed
What is general adaptation syndrome?
General adaptation syndrome are three predictable stages the body uses to respond to stressors
1) Alarm stage - burst of energy when the threat was identified
2) Resistance/Adaptation stage - the body attempts to resist or adapt to the stressor
3) Exhaustion - body runs out of energy
What are the five signs of stress?
1) BIOCHEMICAL - endorphin and cortisol levels altered
2) PYSIOLOGICAL - shallow breathing, raised BP, more HCL produced
3) BEHAVIOURAL - overeating, anorexia, insomnia, more alcohol, smoking
4) COGNITIVE - negative thoughts, no concentration, , worse memory, tension headaches
5) EMOTIONAL - mood swings, irritability, aggression, boredom, apathy, tearfulness
What is the stress-illness model?
An individuals susceptibility to disease or illness is increased because an individual is exposed to stressors which cause strain upon the individual, leading to psychological and physiological changes.
What is the diagnostic criteria of PTSD
• The person experienced an event that involved actual or threatened death or serious
injury or a threat to physical integrity
• The person’s response involved intense fear, helplessness, or horror.
What are the symptoms of PTSD
- The event is persistently re-experienced in recollections and dreams
- Persistent avoidance of stimuli associated with the event
- Persistent symptoms of increase arousal (insomnia, irritability etc.)
