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Stress and Mental Health > Textbook 1 > Flashcards

Textbook 1 Flashcards

1
Q

Processive Stressor

A

A stressor that involves information processing

- Understanding the threat requires multiple and complex cognitive processes

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2
Q

Psychogenic stressor

A

A purely physiological nature

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3
Q

Physical/neurogenic stressors

A

Stressors associated with a certain illness or pain

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4
Q

Systemic stressors

A

Does not involve any information processing, it entails an insult to our biological system
–> We might not be aware of them

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5
Q

Is there one stress center in the brain?

A

No, there appear to be multiple pathways that respond to different types of stressors

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6
Q

Psychosocial stressors have more of an effect on ___

A

Women

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7
Q

Job strain or competition stressors have more effect on ____

A

Men

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8
Q

Anticipation stressors are usually accompanied by

A

Anxiety

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9
Q

Ambiguous stressors are usually accompanied by

A

disorganized cogntions

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10
Q

Do stressors occur in isolation from one another?

A

No, you can have many stressors and different types of stressors at one time

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11
Q

Which type of stressor may affect our endocrine system and make us depressed-like

A

Systemic stressors

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12
Q

How could our lack of awareness of systematic stressors make us think we are depressed

A

Because the internal illness produces depression-like behaviours, but if we do not know we are sick then we assume we are just depressed

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13
Q

Can we compare whether one stressor is more severe than another?

A

Not really because each stressor has its own unique characteristics

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14
Q

In what ways is having control over the occurrence and termination of a stressor beneficial?

A

It has been proven to help people both physiologically and physically

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15
Q

It is not the ability to control the stressor itself that helps but rather__

A

the ability to control the stressor’s termination

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16
Q

How does failure affect performance?

A

Students who perform an unsolvable task will perform just as poorly as depressed individuals on a subsequent task

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17
Q

The impacts of stressors on psychological and physical well being is influenced by:

A

Predictability
Uncertainty
Ambiguity

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18
Q

Predictability vs Uncertainty

A 
Predictability = knowing an event will happen but not when 
Uncertainty = not knowing whether an event will happen or not
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19
Q

How do people deal with uncertainty?

A

Some people take a laid back view but other people do not deal with it well and it can be potentially pathogenic

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20
Q

Ambiguous

A

When the stimulus context does not provide sufficient or inconsistent information so you cannot determine whether and when an event will occur

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21
Q

Which events are more unpleasant: predictable or unpredictable and why?

A

Unpredictable, because we cannot prepare, and we might be on edge all the time until it happens

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22
Q

What does a high intolerance for uncertainty predict?

A

Anxiety and information seeking behaviours

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23
Q

What are the 2 appraisal processes of uncertainty and what does it mean?

A

When people encounter a negative situation (inference) they try to look for hope despite the odds (illusion)
–> Expect the worst but hope for the best

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24
Q

Black Swan Theory

A

Major events happen so infrequently and are mainly unpredictable, but they have a strong impact so people start to believe that we should have been able to predict it had we only had the right data

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25
Q

How do chronic and predictable stressors affect us>

A

We are often able to adapt and even take charge of the situation

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26
Q

Homotypic stressors

A

Stressors that are chronic but don’t change

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27
Q

Heterotypic stressors

A

Stressors that are chronic, intermittent, unpredictable, ambiguous and vary across days

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28
Q

Are heterotypic or homotypic stressors harder to adapt to?

A

Heteropytic because they vary so much

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29
Q

“Type 2” allostatic overload

A

Is the result of social conflict or other forms of social disturbances

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30
Q

What are some reasons why stress scales do not work?

A
  • Do not consider situation/context
  • Some stressors also have positive valence
  • Are asked after events have occurs (retrospective bias)
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31
Q

How to deal with minor stressor

A
  1. Don’t have a melt down

2. Put things in perspective

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32
Q

What is mindfullness?

A

To appraise the present situation properly, without worrying about secondary issues and not being negative automatically

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33
Q

What is the best real time way to collect data on stress

A

Have participants keep a diary

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34
Q

Vulnerability

A

How susceptible a person is to a psychological or physical health issues

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35
Q

Resilience

A

Factors that limit or prevent these events from having adverse effects, or the ability to recover

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36
Q

What illnesses result from stress for a particular person?

A

The “weak link” is where people will usually show illness when there is a stressor

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37
Q

Characteristics that influence resilience

A

Self efficacy, internal locus of control, optimism, hardiness, hope, self empowerment, and acceptance of illness

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38
Q

What are 2 things that can make it hard to study the genetics of a disease?

A
  1. The illness has to be properly diagnosed

2. The same illness can be many different symptoms

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39
Q

Pleiotropy

A

When a single gene can have more than a single phenotype outcome

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40
Q

How can we observe the role of genes in animals

A

We can delete or insert a gene and see what effects that has on the animal

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41
Q 
Endophenotypical analyses 
(Individualized treatment)
A

Trying to find genes related to symptoms of a specific illness, and using that information to inform treatment choices

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42
Q

Personality trait most tied with stress reactivity

A

Neuroticism

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43
Q

Do only young people become neurologically affected by stressful events?

A

No, stressful events at any age can result in profound brain changes and mental health disorders can emerge as a result

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44
Q

How does stress of a pregnant mother affect the fetus?

A

Corticotropin releasing hormone enters the uterus and can effect the prenatal brain

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45
Q

When are teratogens the most harmful to the fetus?

A

In the first trimester

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46
Q

Why can it be difficult to determine how postnatal children are affected by stressors

A

Because we do not know if they process stressors the same way adults do

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47
Q

Which part of the brain is larger in children brought up in nurturing homes vs non-nurturing homes

A

Hippocampus

it is 10% bigger

48
Q

Toxic vs tolerable stressors

A

Tolerable stressors are able to coped with with the right social support
Toxic stressors are more likely to lead to pathology

49
Q

How is stress response different in older individuals

A

Stress hormones are elevated under basal conditions, and it takes them longer to return to baseline after a stressors

50
Q

Why are older individuals potentially more sensitive to stress?

A
  • There is already more wear and tear on their body systems

- They lack social support

51
Q

Why are older people more gullible?

A

A dysfunctioning in the ventral medial prefrontal cortex (which is necessary for disbelief)

52
Q

Other than memories, how do prior stressful experiences affect our ability to cope presently? What is this called?

A

The characteristics of the neurons themselves have changed so the response to later stimulation is enhanced

–> Sensitization

53
Q

Does sensitization always happen in the same way?

A

No, there are many mechanisms of sensitization

54
Q

After sensitization, how big do the stressors need to be to activate it?

A

The first stressor is likely to have been big but subsequent stressors can be very small and produce large effects

55
Q

Sensitization & perception

A

After a large stressor, it may alter how we perceive the world (potentially for the worse)

56
Q

Stress generation

A

Occasions on which individuals, because of their circumstances, may bring stress onto themselves

57
Q

How we perceive or cognitively appraise stressors has a lot to do with ____ which might contribute to whether or not we develop _____

A

Our coping strategies

Pathologies

58
Q

Can appraisal –> coping go both ways?

A

Yes, coping can lead to appraisals and appraisals can lead to coping

59
Q

What are appraisals largely based on?

A

People’s abilities, beliefs, previous experiences, and resources

60
Q

Threat vs Challenge

A 
Threat = negative emotions 
Challenge = positive emotions
61
Q

Primary Appraisal

A

Impact of situation, is there a threat

62
Q

Secondary Appraisal

A

Do I have the resources to deal with i t

63
Q

Types of control in secondary appraisals

Which is most helpful?

A

Behavioural
Cognitive –> Most helpful
Decisional
Informational

64
Q

System 1 and System 2 for thinking

A

System 1 = Fast/Automatic, uses immediately available information and heuristics
System 2= Slow, deeper processing

65
Q

Risky Shift

A

People have a tendency to do riskier things in a group rather than alone

66
Q

What is a benefit of overestimating the amount of control we have over chance events?

A

When we perceive events as controllable, we are generally better able to deal with stressors through problem focused coping

67
Q

Positive psychology to deal with stressors

A

A method that uses positive thinking (not letting yourself go into a negative spiral) in relation to a stressor can help you cope
–> Positive Appraisal

68
Q

Top-down vs Bottom-up

A 
Top-down = experience dependent 
Bottom-up = prewired
69
Q

Emotions tell us what about our situations?

A

Situation type, whether defensive action needs to be taken, and what these actions should comprise

70
Q

Cortisol and immune response elicited by stressors depend on ___

A

The specific emotions elicited (high activation with shame)

71
Q

3 main coping strategies

A
  1. Problem Focused
  2. Emotion Focused
  3. Avoidant
72
Q

Problem-Focused coping strategies

A
  • Problem Solving

- Cognitive Restructuring

73
Q

Avoidant Strategies

A
  • Active distraction
  • Cognitive distraction
  • Denial/emotional containment
  • Humour
  • Drug use
74
Q

Emotion Focused coping strategies

A
  • Emotional Expression
  • Other-blame
  • Self-blame
  • Rumination
  • Wishful thinking
  • Passive resignation
75
Q

Religion coping strategies

A
  • Internal religiosity (belief in God)

- External religiosity (congregation support)

76
Q

Social Support coping strategies

A
  • Social Support seeking
77
Q

What individuals are the best at coping?

A

People who appraise the situation correctly and are flexible in their coping strategies and the combination of strategies used

78
Q

Poor coping usually involves what two strategies?

A

Rumination with other emotion focused strategies

79
Q

Brain regions that activate during problem solving when stressed and not stressed

A

Not stressed = hippocampus (memory)
Stressed = striatum (unconscious learning)
–> stress makes us less able to use purposeful, conscious approaches

80
Q

Living through a traumatic even may give rise to which 2 processes?

A

Making sense of the event and finding some benefit from the experience == Post traumatic growth

81
Q

How can the perception of social support help with stressors?

A

It cannot take the stress away but it can act as a buffer

82
Q

Social support is more effective between which types of people?

A

People who share a same identity

83
Q

What is needed for genuine forgiveness to occur?

A

That the behaviour of the protagonist can be trusted

84
Q

Unsupportive support is worse than no support. What are some examples of unsupportive behaviour

A
  • Minimizing
  • Blame
  • Bumbling (didn’t know what to say, forced optimism)
  • Distancing
  • Not getting support when it is expected
85
Q

What population gets the most unsupport?

A

Elderly people

> Especially those with neurological problems

86
Q

What is the ultimate form of unsupport that has been strongly linked with depression?

A

Social rejection

87
Q

Which brain region gets activated with both social rejection and physical pain?

A

Anterior cingulate cortex

88
Q

Hormones that are released directly into the bloodstream are called

A

endocrine hormones

89
Q

Hormones secreted into a duct

A

Exocrine hormones

90
Q

Hormone that stimulates its own cell

A

Autocrine hormone

91
Q

Classes of hormones

A

Peptide

Lipid

92
Q

How do we test hormone influences on behaviour in humans

A
  • Find someone with a disorder
  • inject them with a hormone
  • Find people who are naturally high or low
93
Q

When a stressor is encountered what two systems kick in and what hormones are released?

A

HPA axis –> cortisol

Sympathetic nervous system –> epinephrine and norepinephrine

94
Q

The duration and magnitude of cortisol release is determined by what factors

A
  • nature and severity of stressor
  • gender
  • age
95
Q

The 4 primary actions of corticoids in relation to stressful experiences

A

Permissive (amplifying other hormones)
Stimulating (release of other hormones)
Preparative
Suppressive

96
Q

Does the body over or under react in cortisol release in the face of a new stressor

A

Over react, it wants to be prepared but it can turn itself down if necessary

97
Q

What are mineralocorticoids historically linked with?

A

Retention of sodium in the body

But they are also involved in the stress response

98
Q

Instead of thinking of cortisol as an index of stress, it should be thought of as:

A

an adaptive response to particular types of challenges

99
Q

In people who have experienced trauma, what happens to their cortisol levels when they are faced with an everyday stressor vs a stressor related to the trauma?

A

Everyday - a down regulated response

Meaningful - exaggerated response

100
Q

Diurnal cortisol variations

A

Rise in the morning (40%)
Decline in afternoon
Lowest at midnight

101
Q

What is accompanied by exaggerated levels of cortisol in the morning?

A

Current stressors

102
Q

What happens to the diurnal levels of cortisol in people with PTSD or chronic stressors?

A

It flattens at a higher than baseline level

103
Q

Why is it best to measure cortisol after a stressors?

A

Because you want to see how the system handles the stress

104
Q

Fear definition

A

A directed emotion that is elicited in response to a stilumi that have been paired with an aversive stimulus

105
Q

Anxiety definition

A

Elicited by diffuse stimuli or it can reflect free-floating emotion, or one that is felt in anticipation of a threatening event

106
Q

What is the proposed difference between the CRH1 and CRH2 receptors in response to an anxiety stimulus

A

CRH1: emotional responses
CRH2: regulation of coping responses

107
Q

What are the effects of leptin when released>

A
  • Reduces food intake
  • Increases energy expenditure
  • reduces fat
  • reward seeking behaviours
108
Q

Which two hormones are associated with increased food consumption

A

Leptin

Neuropeptide Y

109
Q

What are the main functions of prolactin>

A
  • Lactation
  • sexual behaviours
  • eating related processes
  • responses to emotional stressors
110
Q

Prolactin is though to affect the stress of mothers in what way?

A

It is thought to potentially reduce HPA axis activity during the third trimester and during lactation so that the baby is not overly exposed to stress hormones
– Excess HPA activation with threat to babies, more resources available to protect offspring

111
Q

How does estrogen affect stress?

A

Higher levels of estrogen acts to put the breaks on HPA axis functioning

112
Q

What affect does stress have on sexual behaviour

A

Females are less likely to seek and accept sex

Males behaviour is also altered (but it takes more stress)

113
Q

Stress and the reproductive cycle

A

Stress results in hormonal changes that makes the reproductive cycle longer and become irregular

114
Q

What are key functions of oxytocin?

A

Prosocial behaviours : love, trust, reward, empathy

Trust is the big function

115
Q

Oxytocin and vasopressin appear to be a key regulator of what?

A

Stress coping, anxiety and depression

116
Q

Why might there be more of an effect of abuse in childhood than cancer in childhood on oxytocin later in life

A

Because abuse is a social stressor, and oxytocin is a social hormone

Stress and Mental Health (3 decks)

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