Module 1 Flashcards
1
Q
What four key types of food have been explored recently in the literature?
A
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Sugar: WHO recommends no more than 10% daily intake as sugars
- Sugar shrinks more regulation areas of brain
- International studies show link between sugar consumption and depression
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Carbohydrates; Carbohydrates have been linked to enhanced mood in clinical and non-clinical populations, reducing anger, anxiety and depression.
- Note differences in refined v unrefined.
- Benefits to weight loss in low carb diets
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Omega-3; three fatty acids found in seafood, seeds etc
- Low omega 3 linked to depression
- Links to enhanced mood, health, dementia risk
- Evidence of supplements is mixed
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Fermented foods; recent focus on kimchi and gut bacteria foods
- Compelling evidence for gut health and anxiety and depression
- Mostly correlational so far
2
Q
What are some key points made by Prof Jacka regarding the relationship between diet and mental health?
A
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Early life period; Average age of mental illness onset is getting lower (6 for anxiety, 13 for depression) and more prevalent
- Coincides with rapid obesity increases (factors such as inflammation and oxidative stress in gut)
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Geelong Osteoporosis Study: Large randomly selection longitudinal study.
- Regular updates on SCID, food questionaaires, demographic and medical assessment
- Unhealthy eating patterns linked to mood disorders (not anxiety in this study) independent of other confounding factors
- Replicated in Norwegen Study
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JAMA study; Cohort prospective study, students measured over time
- excluded pre-existing depression
- Higher adherance to medditeranean diet = reduced depression risk
- No evidence of adverse causality
3
Q
What links does Parletta (2016) identify between diet and mental health?
A
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An epidemic; 63% of Australians are overweight or obese; chronic diseases are an epidemic. 1/7 children/teens experience mental heath or conduct problems.
- Issues with awareness, time, and money.
- Importance of eating whole, unprocessed foods:
- Inflammation increases depression risk
- Omega-3 more concentrated in brain than any other part of body. DHA plays structural and transport role. Supplements reduce ADHD symptoms
- Magnesium and Zinc; essential in neurotransmitter synthesis and regulation, sleep, oxygen transport
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Iron, iodine, selenium, vitamins B, C, D, E;
- Supplements for mineral/vitamin deficiencies increase IQ
- Gut and Brain; gut-brain axis affects absorbtion of nutrients
- Healthy fats; cholesterol is a myth
4
Q
What are the psychological effects of coffee and chocolate?
A
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Coffee; Benefits at low levels for functioning
- Lucas et al (2011) women who drank coffee 20% less likely to be depressed
- Dawkins et al (2011); both caffeine and expectations of caffeine enhance attention
- Best to limit to less than 6 cups a day
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Chocolate; benefits at low levels (of dark chocolate mostly)
- Increased self-reported well-being among men
- enhanced cognition, reduced cancer, diabetes in older people who consumed small amounts of dark chocolate
- Lower blood pressure, cortisol, processing of sugar
- Chocolate contain chemicals which relax, increase blood flow and stimulate + endorphins
- Processed chocolates have boomerang effect, too much sugar
5
Q
What are some of the links between physical activity and mental health?
A
- WHO recommends 150mins moderate activity or 75mins high intensity activity per week (about 55% Aus meet this)
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Robust amount of evidence for anxiety depression (incl meta-meta analyses)
- Cardiovascular/strength reduces depressive symptoms clinical and non-clinical. Moderate effect size.
- Acute anxiety benefits from excercise similarly to meditation/relaxation. Small effect size.
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Evidence is not yet causal since depression definitely reduces tendency toward exercise
- Longitudinal study by Hiles 2017 - supports a bi-directional relationship
- Evidence of benefits for cognition/reduction of dementia 28% and alzheimers 45%
- Body Image; Fitspiration and idealised fitness goals online can lead to shame, eating disorders and compulsive exercise.
6
Q
What are some potential explanations for the benefits of excercise for the brain?
A
- Personality; Physical activity associated with lower neuroticism, higher extroversion and conscientiousness (opposite to depression/anxiety)
- Social; Increased self-efficacy, resilience and strengthened social networks
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Biological; Wendy Suzuki ted-talk
- Release of neurotransmitters in short term
- Increased attention and focus
- Growth in the hippocampas long term (memory)
- Protective effects for aging in pre-frontal cortex and hippocampus
7
Q
What is the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB)?
A
- Ajzen 1985: Extension of Theory of Reasoned Action (intention is a direct antecedent to behaviour, and is shaped by attitude and social factors)
- Three components:
- Behavioural Intentions: individual’s readiness to engage in a behaviour
- Attitudes: Pos or neg evaluation re a behaviour (note toward engaging in the behaviour not the behaviour itself)
- Subjective Norms: perceived social pressure to engage in a behaviour
- Extended to include Perceived Behavioural Control (PBC): how easily the individuals feels the behaviour can be completed. Also directly predicts behaviour)
- Dominant account of cognition and behaviour in social psychology. Widely supported. Explains variance in intention (39%) and behaviour (27%). PBC biggest factor.
8
Q
What is the Health Belief Model (HBM)?
A
- Developed in 50s by Hochbaum et al. Posits that a person will engage in a positive or preventative health behaviour based on four key constructs:
- Percieved susceptibility: feelings of vulnerability to health problem
- Percieved severity: how harmful consequences of not doing the action would be
- Perceived benefits: beliefs of efficacy of action
- Perceived barriers: barriers to taking that action
- Later versions of model added two more variables:
- Cues to action: stimuli to prompt decision making (internal ie symptoms or external)
- Self-efficacy beliefs in ability to take action
9
Q
What are some limitations of the TPB and HBM frameworks?
A
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Functional similarity; some argue both measure the same constructs at different levels of specification
- However perceived suscpetibility isnt in the TPB and intention is not in the HBM
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Theory Planned Behaviour
- Too rational (no affective/emotional factors)
- No guidance on how to change behavior
- Measurement issues; no alphas above .80, lots of unexplained variance. Increases when attitude measured matches level of specificity of the behaviour
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Health Belief Model
- Also too cognitive, in particular doesn’t include fear
- Few studies have testing all the elements, particularly cues to action
10
Q
What is the Broaden and Build Theory of Positive Emotions?
A
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Theory by Frederickson; positive emotions broaden our awareness, promote novel thoughts which then builds skills, resources, resilience.
- Broadening then promotes more positive emotions, which promotes growth etc
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Benefits of positive emotions:
- Increased optimism and self-esteem
- Promotes opportunities for personal growth
- Lower rates of post-natal depression
- Positive language patterns online linked to reduced heart disease risk
11
Q
What are some limitations of the Broaden and Build Model?
A
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Not all positive emotions broaden attention - depends on action tendencies
- Inducing high approach positive emotions like desire narrow focus
- Most studies examine low approach positive emotions like amusement
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Doesn’t account for effects of negative emotions
- Eg Fear (promotes defence) disgust (promotes specific focus) anger (promotes action and risk taking)
- Social benefits of scepticism, noticing deception
- Negative emotions can increase effort and task focus, memory
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Mixed emotions; can provide benefits of both positive and negative emotions at once,
- Often cause discomfort and cognitive dissonance; people often try to resolve them
- Mixed emotions harder to recall
12
Q
What are some popular body based interventions?
A
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Yoga; although mechanism unclear, shows benefits for complex PTSD and schizophrenia
- Decreased perceived stress, increased quality of life
- Lower self reported blood pressure,
- Better overall mood
-
Body Psychotherapy; rate and monitor physical sensations to control the somatic nervous system including exercise
- Increases control and coping mechanisms
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Progressive Muscle Relaxation; learn to repeatedly tense and relax different muscle groups
- Medium to large effect for anxiety
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Dance Therapy; Based on theory that emotion and movement are linked. Express emotion through dance.
- Found to be useful adjunct to cancer care, those with past body trauma
- Benefits for schizophrenia (not stand alone)
13
Q
What did Hegberg and Tone find regarding physical activity (PA) and stress resilience?
A
- Study Aims/Design: Examined mediating effect of trait anxiety on relationship between PA and resilience
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Findings; PA increased self-percieved resilience among individuals with high trait anxiety but not low/moderate.
- Interaction term was small but significant
- PA protective for generally at risk individuals (adding to previous anxiety sensitivity research)
- Association was present across levels of PA
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Limitations/interpretations
- More room for improvement/effects with higher anxiety, effects more visible
- Anxiety symptoms similar to exercise effects; potentially familiarity reduces fear of heatrate, sweating etc
- Average trait anxiety in sample was very high, undergraduates.
14
Q
What did Frederick outline regarding the Broaden and Build model of positive emotions?
A
- 50% trait positivity appears to be biological, others are life circumstances and habits
- Benefits of positive emotions:
- Found to expand awareness in encoding in behavioural and brain scan studies
- Increased awareness may account for benefits to creativity, resilience, memory etc
- RCTs found loving kindness meditation increased reported positive emotions, mindfulness, self-reported health
- Steady increase of reporting each positive emotion over time
- Relationship between meditation time and response tripled in size over 9-weeks
- Spirals: positive spiral can counter negative spirals
- Initial evidence for benefits to negative schizophrenia symptoms, depression symptoms
15
Q
What was Das and Evans study on the Health Belief Model (HBM)?
A
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Study design: Examined weight management barriers to first year college students.
- 45 students answer qs in group sessions with feedback and discussion
- Compounded questions on eating well and being physically active
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FIndings and Comments;
- Percieved susceptibility; both men and women feared health outcomes, and reduced attractiveness
- Seriousness; all feared reduction of quality of life, men also saw risk to future careers
- Benefits; Increased self esteem, social connectiveness, women rated cognitive benefits
- Barriers identified were lack of social support, lack of motivation, lack of accessable options
- Self-efficacy; students felt a lack of knowledge
- Cues; all students reported uni lead promotions would be effective
