Relationship between Physical and Mental Health Flashcards
how are mental and physical health related?
Mental health and physical health are closely connected.
A healthy person has good physical, mental and social wellbeing.
Bad mental health can cause bad physical health and vice versa
Many factors influence mental and physical health e.g. genetics, environment, relationships, education and employment
It is important to have healthy coping skills for mental health problems
what are some indicators of psychological stress?
Indictors of physiological stress:
If you are placed in new situations
Unpredictable things happen to you
Uncontrollable things happen to you 🡪 lack of control results in learned helpless resulting in stress
Loss of perceived control is a big predictor of stress
what are 2 coping strategies that ppl may use to deal with stress?
Avoidance and Distraction
explain the 2 coping strategies
Avoidance is passive.
You temporarily block out feelings of anxiety and fear as a way of evading the issue whilst you try to find the solution.
Distraction is active and time limited.
When we are deep in stressful situation, we can take a break which can help us. By distracting ourself e.g. by watching TV we can clear our minds and bodies so going back to the activity becomes less stress inducing.
what makes someone more prone to depression?
Sometimes people have vulnerabilities that make them more prone to depression.
E.g. losing your mother at a young age
low self-esteem
low social economic status are all vulnerabilities.
So when a person has a major stressful event they will be more likely to go into depression.
what are the different signs of stress?
what are the psychological and physical effects of stress?
what risky health behaviours can stress lead to?
what is clinical depression a risk factor for?
Clinical Depression is a risk factor for all-cause mortality (all causes of death), and morbidity
It is also a risk for cardiac mortality in people with coronary heart disease.
how does stress relate to gastrointestinal health?
There is a relationship between stress and the GI system.
E.g. exposure to a stress accelerates transfer of water from small intestine to large intestine leading to a gut churning feeling.
Stress effects Bowel function
A biopsychosocial approach is required for GI medicine, e.g. are ulcers caused by a bacterium or by stress and lifestyle factors
what does stress in pregnancy effect?
Stress in pregnancy can impact child outcome via epigenetics e.g. differences in DNA methylation
explain the difference between the placebo and nocebo effect
Placebo effect
Fake treatment that has no active ingredient results in reports of feeling better
Nocebo effect
Develop symptoms even thought you have not been exposed to a pathogen.
E.g. students were given substance to inhale and they were told it was a toxin and would make them ill even though it was just air.
Students began to report symptoms.
what are the physical manifestations of a mental illness?
It is the presentation of physical symptoms due to a mental health condition.
Varies across cultures
In cultures where mental health is seen to have serious stigmatizing consequences physical presentation of symptoms is more common.
Culture bound syndromes are a thing
explain the concept of vulnerability and resilience to stress
Majority of people are resilient to stress
Trauma and serious events occur to 50% of people - however prevalence of PTSD is 10% - Most people who experience a traumatic event recover.
“Dandelion” Children and “Orchid” Children
Dandelion children are in the majority and are usually able to cope with stress and hardships.
Orchid children are in the minority and are more sensitive to good and bad environments
They’ll do exceptionally well in a good environment
They’ll do poorly in a bad environment
They find it difficult to cope with stress.
What are the keys to a longer, happier life?
To maintain a sense of purpose,
positive relationships
healthy habits including eating healthy,
sufficient exercise
sufficient sleep
