Psych #1 Test

Question 1

Why is Sleep important for mental health? What Kind of relationship do they have?

Answer 1

Sleep deprivation can affect mental health. People with existing mental disorders are likely to have sleep disorders.
Lack of sleep leads to a lack of REM sleep which is when the brain is restored. This can contribute to mental health disorders.

Question 2

What are the theories of sleep?

Answer 2

1. Repair and Restoration
2. Evolutionary Theory

Question 3

Explain Repair and Restoration.

Answer 3

• During REM sleep the body increases cell division and protein synthesis.
• The body repairs and restores basic body functions and strengthens the immune system from daily activities and possibly sleep deprivation.

Question 4

Explain Evolutionary Theory

Answer 4

• Sleep to conserve energy during periods of Inactivity
• Over periods species have evolved to enhance survival by sleeping during times when being awake would put them at danger.
• We sleep at night as its dark and we cant see predators and food.

Question 5

What does the evolutionary theory not explain?

Answer 5

Doesn’t explain why species lose consciousness when asleep if they sleep during times when most at risk.

Question 6

What Is Sleep Deprivation?

Answer 6

Sleep deprivation increases as sleep debt increases. It is bad for physical and mental health. As there are increased rates of cancer, CVD, infection and brain function decreases.
There are two kinds of sleep deprivation.
Partial sleep deprivation is when most nights of the week you won’t get enough sleep causing sleepiness, desire to nap, and irritable mood.
Continuous sleep deprivation is when you don’t sleep for a while.

Question 7

Societal Factors of Sleep Deprivation

Answer 7

1. Co-sleeping - sharing a bed or room can influence sleep deprivation.
2. Social media use - Research has shown that individuals who use social media have more trouble falling to sleep at night.
3. Shift work - People who work shift work tend to loose hours of sleep each night or day, this builds up sleep debt.

Question 8

Personal factors of Sleep deprivation

Answer 8

1. Personal Decisions - An individual may make choices that reduce the amount of time available to sleep e.g. watching TV.
2. Sleeping disorders - An individual may have a sleeping disorder that reduces the quality and therefore quantity of their sleep.
3. Stress - Chronic stress can cause a heightened state of arousal, this can delay onset sleep times.

Question 9

What is Stress?

Answer 9

Stress is a normal physiological and psychological response to things that happen in daily life.
It is a response to a stressor.

Question 10

What are the types of stress

Answer 10

Eustress - Good motivating stress
Distress - Overwhelming and anxiety
Acute - Day to day stress
Chronic - stressor over a long period of time.

Question 11

What is Fight or Flight

Answer 11

The body struggles to manage well-being when it is at threat so has a stress response known as fight or flight.
Sympathetic nervous system prepares to fight or flight.

Question 12

What Is the freeze from fight and flight

Answer 12

New concept
The body struggles to manage well-being when it is at threat so has a stress response and freezes.
Due to the parasympathetic nervous system relaxing the body.

Question 13

Physiological response to stress

Answer 13

• The body when exposed to a stressor activates the automatic nervous system.
• There are two branches.
• Sympathetic Nervous system arouses the body for fight or flight
• The parasympathetic nervous system relaxes the body to freeze response.

Question 14

Psychological Response to stress

Answer 14

A heightened state of emotions may be angry, or sad.

Question 15

Good effects of fight or flight

Answer 15

• Released adrenaline that helps provide energy by increasing heart rate.
• Cortisol increases glucose in blood bloodstream which provides energy for the brain and nervous system.

Question 16

Bad effects of fight or flight

Answer 16

• If always stressed overexposure to cortisol can lead to anxiety and depression.

Question 17

General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS)

Answer 17

By hans selye GAS is the body’s way of adapting to a threat to better equip it to survive. There are three stages.

Question 18

Explain three stages of GAS in detail.

Answer 18

1. Alarm stage - Distress signal sent to part of the brain called the hypothalamus which triggers the release of adrenaline and cortisol (stress hormones) Body is activated for fight or flight here.
2. Resistance stage - The body tries to counteract the physiological changes from the alarm stage which is governed by the parasympathetic nervous system reducing amounts of cortisol. If the stress situation continues body stays alert and continues releasing stress hormones, causing irritable mood.
3. Exhaustion stage- The body depletes energy from trying to recover from the alarm and resistance stages. The immune system is weakened.

Question 19

What are some coping strategies for stress?

Answer 19

• time management
• exercise
• relaxing music
• meditation