Mental Health

Question 1

Normality

Answer 1

A pattern of thoughts, feelings or behaviour that conforms to a usual, typical or expected standard.

Question 2

Socio-cultural approach

Answer 2

Thoughts, feelings and behaviour that are appropriate or acceptable in a particular society or culture are viewed as normal and those that are inappropriate or unacceptable are considered abnormal.

Question 3

Functional approach

Answer 3

Thoughts, feelings and behaviour are viewed as normal if the person is able to cope with living independently in society, but is considered abnormal if the individual is unable to function effectively in society.

Question 4

Historical approach

Answer 4

What is considered normal and abnormal in a particular society or culture depends on the period when the judgement is made.

Question 5

Situational approach

Answer 5

Thoughts, feelings and behaviour that may be considered normal in one situation, may be considered abnormal in another.

Question 6

Medical approach

Answer 6

Abnormal thoughts, feelings or behaviour that are viewed as having an underlying biological cause and can usually be diagnosed and treated.

Question 7

Statistical approach

Answer 7

Any behaviour or characteristic in a large group of individuals is distributed in a particular way, that is, in a normal distribution.
Generally if a large group of people think, feel or behave in a certain way it is considered normal.

Question 8

Mental health

Answer 8

The capacity of an individual to interact with others and the environment in ways that promote subjective wellbeing, optimal development throughout the lifespan and effective use of a person’s cognitive, emotional and social abilities.

Question 9

Mental health problem

Answer 9

When distress persists, and/or certain thoughts or feelings begin to interfere with daily life.

Question 10

Mental illness

Answer 10

A psychological disorder that significantly interferes with an individual’s cognitive, emotional and/or social abilities.

Question 11

Classification

Answer 11

The organisation of items into groups on the basis of their common properties.

Question 12

Categorical approach

Answer 12

Organises and describes mental conditions and disorders in terms of different categories and subcategories, each with symptoms and characteristics that are typical of specific mental conditions and disorders.

Question 13

DSM

Answer 13

A categorical system for diagnosing and classifying mental disorders based on recognisable symptoms that are precisely described for each disorder.

Question 14

ICD

Answer 14

A categorical system for diagnosing and classifying diseases and mental disorders based on recognisable symptoms that are precisely described for each disease and each disorder.

Question 15

Dimensional approach

Answer 15

Quantifies a person’s symptoms or other characteristics of interest and represents them with numerical values on one or more scales or continuums, rather than assigning them to a mental disorder category.

Question 16

Biopsychosocial framework

Answer 16

An approach to describing and explaining how biological, psychological and social factors combine and interact to influence a person’s physical and mental health.

Question 17

Biological factors

Answer 17

Involve physiologically based or determined influences, often not under our control, such as the genes we inherit.

Question 18

Psychological factors

Answer 18

Involve all those influences associated with mental processes such as how we think; learn; make decisions; solve problems etc.

Question 19

Social factors

Answer 19

Described broadly to include such factors as our skills in interacting with others, the range and quality of our interpersonal relationships etc.

Question 20

Stressor

Answer 20

Any person, object, situation or event that produces stress.

Question 21

Stress

Answer 21

A state of physiological and psychological arousal produced by internal or external stressors that are perceived by the individual as challenging or exceeding their ability or resources to cope.

Question 22

Stress response

Answer 22

A reaction that involves the physiological and psychological changes people experience when confronted by a stressor.

Question 23

Fight-flight response

Answer 23

An involuntary reaction resulting in a state of physiological readiness to deal with a sudden and immediate threat by either confronting it or running away to safety.

Question 24

HPA axis

Answer 24

Involves the hypothalamus, the pituitary gland and the adrenal cortex.

Question 25

Eustress

Answer 25

A positive psychological response to a stressor, as indicated by the presence of positive psychological states such as feeling enthusiastic.

Question 26

Distress

Answer 26

A negative psychological response to a stressor as indicated by the presence of negative psychological states such as anger, anxiety, nervousness, irritability or tension.

Question 27

Transactional model of stress and coping

Answer 27

Proposes that stress involves an encounter between an individual and their external environment, and that a stress response depends on the individuals’ interpretation of the stressor and their ability to cope with it.

Question 28

Primary appraisal

Answer 28

Involves evaluating or judging the significance of the situation.
Eg ‘Does this matter to me?”

Question 29

Secondary appraisal

Answer 29

We evaluate our coping options and resources and our options for dealing with the stressful situation.

Question 30

Reappraisal

Answer 30

We determine the extent to which additional resources are needed to cope with the situation.

Question 31

Coping

Answer 31

The process of constantly changing cognitive and behavioural efforts to mange specific internal and/or external stressors that are appraised as taxing or exceeding the resources of the person.

Question 32

Problem-focused coping

Answer 32

Involves efforts to mange or change the cause or source of the stress; that is; the stressor.

Question 33

Emotion-focused coping

Answer 33

Involves efforts to deal with our emotional response to the stressor.

Question 34

Social readjustment

Answer 34

Refers to the amount of change, or adjustment, in a lifestyle a person is forced to make following a specific event in their life.

Question 35

Allostasis

Answer 35

Refers to the body’s ability to maintain a stable physiological environment by adjusting and changing to meet internal and external demands.

Question 36

Allostatic load

Answer 36

The cumulative negative effects of wear and tear on the body and brain experienced due to repeated cycles of allostatic changes and/or the inefficient turning on and turning off of these responses.

Question 37

Allostatic overload

Answer 37

Considered to represent the point at which a person actually develops a serious health problem, such as a physical disease, and/or a mental disorder.

Question 38

Biofeedback

Answer 38

A technique that enables an individual to receive information about the state of a bodily process.

Question 39

Meditation

Answer 39

A specific technique that involves altering ones state of consciousness by focusing attention or thoughts on a single internal stimulus.

Question 40

Relaxation

Answer 40

The process of reducing psychological and/or physiological arousal.

Question 41

Physical exercise

Answer 41

Physical activity that is usually planned and performed to improve or maintain your physical condition.

Question 42

Social support

Answer 42

Help or assistance provided by other people when needed.