Unit 4 AOS 2 Flashcards
1
Q
Define mental health
A
the state of emotional and social well-being in which an individual can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and contribute to their community.
2
Q
Define mental health problem
A
disruption to an individual’s usual level of social and emotional wellbeing, including when their abilities are negatively affected.
3
Q
What are characteristics of mental health problems
A
often temporary, triggered by normal life experiences such as stress, once the stressor is removed the mental health problem may be resolved
4
Q
How can a mental health problem develop into a mental disorder
A
if the stressor is not remove or the individual does not overcome the symptoms
5
Q
Define mental disorder
A
disorder that affects one or more functions of the mind. A mental disorder can interfere with a person’s thoughts, emotions, perceptions or behaviour
6
Q
What are characteristics of mental health disorders
A
can be diagnosed by a professional, affects daily functioning
7
Q
What is the main different between mental health and a mental disorder
A
everyone has some level of mental health, however it is possible to be without mental illness
8
Q
What are examples of internal factors influencing mental health
A
genetics, hormones, age, cognition (thought processes and self-concept)
9
Q
What are examples of external factors influencing mental health
A
stressors (e.g. work, school, life events, environment), social support,
10
Q
What are the three characteristics of a mentally healthy person
A
high levels of functioning, social and emotional wellbeing, resilience to life stressors
11
Q
How are high levels of functioning demonstrated
A
interacting and involving oneself in society, undertaking everyday tasks such as maintaining personal hygiene, and being independents, being able to set goals and develop overtime
12
Q
What is social wellbeing
A
a sense of belonging to a community, feeling connected and valued.
13
Q
What is emotional wellbeing
A
being able to experience positive emotions or balanced emotions that are within the normal range and have strategies to deal with our emotions
14
Q
Define resilience
A
the ability to properly adapt, cope or recover in situations of stress or adversity
15
Q
What is a resilient person better able to do
A
cope (maintain social and emotional wellbeing) when confronted with negative experiences in life
16
Q
What factors is resilience influenced by
A
a person’s cognitions (own thought processes) and biology (genetic makeup) as well as social and situational factors (things that have happened to the person and the world around them)
17
Q
What must the experimenter inform the participants of
A
the true nature and purpose of the experiment (where appropriate), any foreseeable risks to the participant and the participants rights (e.g. withdrawal rights)
18
Q
What must the researcher ensure about participants
A
that any psychologically vulnerable people do not participate in the study
19
Q
Why is informed consent an issue with people with mental illness
A
sufferers of mental illness may lack the capacity to understand the research procedure and therefore may not really have the ability to provide informed consent.
20
Q
Issues with placebos in mental health experiments
A
experiments involving placebo treatments can involve deception - the participants may not know that there is a possibility they will receive a placebo, rather than an actual treatment and being involved in a trial may stop people from seeking alternative treatment - if they are assigned to the placebo group, this could mean they are not receiving any treatment at all.
21
Q
What must be considered if placebos are used
A
thorough debriefing must occur to negate the deception.
22
Q
What does the 4 P’s approach consider
A
it considers 4 types of factors that contribute to the development and progression of mental health disorders.
23
Q
Define risk factors
A
any exposure that increases the likelihood of developing and maintaining a mental health disorder/illness
24
Q
What are the types of risk factors
A
pre-disposing risk factors, precipitating risk factors and perpetuating risk factors
25
Define pre-disposing risk factors
factors that increase a person’s vulnerability to developing a mental health problem
26
Define precipitating risk factors
factors that trigger the onset or exacerbation of a mental health problem
27
Define perpetuating risk factors
factors that prolong the course of the disorder and inhibit recovery
28
List of the predisposing risk factors (6)
family history and genetic vulnerability, physical illness, poor self-efficacy, disorganised attachment, environmental exposures before birth, and neglect/abuse/trauma
29
Which of the predisposing factors are biological
family history and genetic vulnerability, physical illness
30
Which of the predisposing factors are psychological
poor self-efficacy
31
Which of the predisposing factors are social
neglect/abuse/trauma, disorganised attachment, environmental exposures before birth
32
List of the precipitating risk factors (7)
poor sleep, substance use/misuse, physical illness, confronting news, life event stress, losing a job, deterioration or loss of a significant relationship
33
Which of the precipitating factors are biological
poor sleep, substance use/misuse, physical illness
34
Which of the precipitating factors are psychological
confronting news, life event stress
35
Which of the precipitating factors are social
losing a job, loss of a significant relationship
36
List of the perpetuating risk factors (7)
poor response to medication, substance use/misuse, rumination, impaired reasoning and memory, role of stigma as a barrier to accessing treatment, unemployment, lack of support
37
Which of the perpetuating risk factors are biological
poor response to medication, substance use/misuse
38
Which of the perpetuating factors are psychological
rumination, impaired reasoning and memory,
39
Which of the perpetuating factors are social
role of stigma as a barrier to accessing treatment, unemployment, lack of support
40
List of the protective factors (4)
a resilient attitude, a positive social group, a satisfying job, suitable accommodation
41
Define self-efficacy
an individual’s belief that they will be able to accomplish a specific task.
42
Examples of environmental exposures before birth
alcohol and drugs while in womb
43
What does life event stress refer to
The way a person reacts to stressful situations makes a difference in their overall wellbeing. Chronic stress can weaken the immune system and trigger mental health problems.
44
Why can deterioration/loss or significant relationship trigger mental disorders
strong emotional responses and behavioural changes (e.g. poor sleeping/substance abuse)
45
Why can impaired reasoning and memory perpetuate mental disorders
can prevent people from thinking rationally and may affect daily functioning of sufferer
46
What does a resilient attitude lead to
a person perceiving difficulties as challenges
47
What does suitable accommodation refer to
a safe and secure environment
48
What are genetic factors
biological factors that can enhance (or reduce) an individual’s risk of, or vulnerability to, developing a particular condition
49
Define genetic vulnerability
an increased likelihood of developing a particular disease based on a person’s genetic make-up.
50
What are reasons for why people may not take medication
as it is a constant reminder of the disorder, the side effects of the medication affect the person’s life making them reluctant to take it
51
Define rumination
the compulsively focused attention on/the preoccupation about the symptoms of one’s distress, and on its possible causes and consequences, as opposed to its solutions (i.e. people overthink or obsess about situations or life events)
52
Define reasoning
thinking about information in a logical way to understand it and form a realistic conclusion or judgement that helps us solve problems and make decisions.
53
Define disorganised attachment
the instability in a caregiving relationship that interferes with the child’s sense of trust and security.
54
What can positive relationships do
promote self esteem and confidence, provide a sense of belonging, promote feelings of happiness
55
What are the consequences of stigma
impaired help-seeking behaviours, affected medication adherence, impair overall recover, impair self esteem of the sufferer
56
Define cumulative risk
accumulation of and exposure to multiple risk factors that increase susceptibility to developing a mental disorder or perpetuates an existing mental disorder.
57
Risk factors are …. in nature
accumulative
58
What does the biopsychosocial model propose
This model proposes that health and illness outcomes are a result of the complex interaction of contributing biological (internal), psychological (internal) and social (external) factors
59
What does the biopsychosocial approach provide
provides a holistic view of health, taking into account the interactive nature of physical, mental and social aspects of a person’s health to enable a more comprehensive and personalised diagnosis and treatment plan.
60
Define stress
a state of psychological or physiological tension, where the demands on an individual exceed their perceived ability to cope
61
How can stress develop into anxiety
Repetitive, recurrent and ongoing stress
62
Define anxiety
A state of physiological arousal, associated with feelings of worry, dread or uneasiness (usually that something is wrong, or that something unpleasant is about to happen.)
63
What is severe anxiety usually accompanied with
intense physiological responses e.g. breathlessness, sweating, dizziness,
64
How can anxiety develop into an anxiety disorder
persistent, severe anxiety
65
Define anxiety disorder
anxiety disorders are a group of disorders characterised by chronic feelings of extreme apprehension, fear, stress or unease in response to an unclear or ambiguous threat, which prevents a sufferer from normal functioning.
66
Examples of anxiety disorders
generalised anxiety disorders, panic disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, social anxiety disorder, specific phobias, PTSD
67
Define phobia
persistent, irrational and intense fear of a particular object or event
68
What are the 4 main categories of phobias
animals, situations, blood/injections/injuries, natural environments (e.g. thunder, heights, dark)
69
Criteria for a specific phobia
intense and irrational fear, fear has persisted for at least 6 months, fear interrupts daily functioning and causes overwhelming anxiety
70
Biological influences on the development of specific phobia
GABA dysfunction, the stress response, long-term potentiation
71
Define biological influences
biological influences are those that predispose some individuals to develop and sustain specific phobia.
72
What does GABA stand for
Gamma amino butyric acid
73
What does GABA do (4 points)
GABA is an inhibitory neurotransmitter, it calms/slows down neural signals, fight/flight symptoms decrease (e.g. increased heart rate reduced), low levels of GABA can lead to increased anxiety
74
Why may people not be able to do if have low levels of GABA
unable to regulate anxiety
75
What division of the nervous system is responsible for stress responses
sympathetic nervous system
76
What does research show in reference to stress (phobia)
autonomic nervous system of people with a phobic disorder show increased stress response. People with an increased stress response adapt slowly to repeated stressors, and respond excessively to simple stimuli (that wouldn’t provoke anxiety in other people).
77
Long-term potentiation in relation to phobia
each time an individual is confronted with a phobic stimulus, the neural connections associated with that fear will be strengthened. LTP contributes to the development of specific phobia in that it is necessary for a phobia to be learnt. Phobia would result from the long-term potentiation of synapses within neural circuits that communicate with the amygdala
78
Psychological influences on the development of specific phobia
behavioural model, cognitive model
79
Define psychological influences on the development of specific phobia
psychological influences that can perpetuate a phobia, as well as contribute to their development
80
Define behavioural model
model that proposes that specific phobia could be the result of learning.
81
What are the subcategories of behavioural model
classical conditioning and operant conditioning
82
Classical/operant conditioning under the 4 P’s
classical conditioning is a precipitating factor and operant conditioning is a perpetuating factor (acquire phobia through classical conditioning and maintain phobia through operant conditioning)
83
Define classical conditioning
a form of learning where a previously neutral stimulus comes to elicit a reflexive response by repeated association with a stimulus that automatically elicits the reflexive response
84
Example of phobia being developed through classical conditioning
little Albert
85
Define operant conditioning
is a form of learning where the likelihood of behaviours being repeated is determined by the consequences of that behaviour
86
Does reinforcement increase or decrease behaviour
increase
87
Does punishment increase or decrease behaviour
decrease
88
Operant conditioning in reference to phobia
people with a phobia often avoid the phobic stimulus, which means they avoid feeling fear. This reduction of fear acts as negative reinforcement (removal of an unpleasant stimulus). This negative reinforcement increases the likelihood of the avoidance behaviour being repeated, and perpetuates the phobia
89
Define cognitive model
models that look at the influence inaccurate mental processes (thoughts, and memories) have on the development and maintenance of phobias.
90
What are the subcategories of cognitive model
cognitive bias
91
Define cognitive bias
a type of error in thinking that occurs when people are interpreting information
92
What are the two types of cognitive bias
memory bias and catastrophic thinking
93
Define memory bias
a type of error that may alter the content of a memory, or enhance or impair our recall of a memory.
94
Memory bias in reference to phobia
we may recall negative information about a specific object, situation or event more readily than positive information.
95
Define catastrophic thinking
where a person repeatedly overestimates the potential dangers or an object or event and assumes the worst.
96
Catastrophic thinking in reference to phobia
the outcome predicted by a catastrophic thinker would be considered unrealistic and irrational by others.
97
Social influences on the development of specific phobia
specific environmental triggers, stigma around seeking treatment
98
Define specific environmental triggers
actors in our environment can influence the development and maintenance of phobias.
99
What are the types of specific environmental triggers
traumatic events, social learning theory
100
Social learning/observation theory in reference to phobia
we could learn fear by watching other people’s fear reactions
101
Define stigma
social disapproval of an individual’s personal characteristics or beliefs, or social disapproval of a type of behaviour.
102
How can stigma perpetuate phobia
Stigma can cause people to be reluctant to seek support from family or friends, or treatment from professionals. This lack of support can perpetuate the specific phobia.
103
What is evidenced based intervention for phobias
treatments that have been proven effective based on clinical research that demonstrated their positive outcomes
104
What do interventions focus on
focus on the person learning to manage their anxiety as well as change unrealistic thoughts and behaviours associated with the phobic stimulus.
105
What are the biological interventions to treat specific phobia
short-acting anti-anxiety benzodiazepine agents (GABA agonists), relaxation techniques
106
What type of drug are benzodiazepines and what does this mean
depressant drugs, meaning they slow down the function of the nervous system (they can be used as sleeping pills, tranquillisers and anti-anxiety medication)
107
What do benzodiazepines do + effect
enhance the activity of GABA neurotransmitters (agonist). This increase in GABA means physiological arousal is reduced (neural communication is slowed)
108
Are benzodiazepines a short or long term solution
short term solution
109
Why are benzodiazepines a short term solution (3)
as they do not treat the underlying cause of the anxiety disorder, they are highly addictive and so are usually prescribed for short-term use, and also have side effects - e.g. drowsiness, sleepiness, slow reflexes
110
What are the types of relaxation techniques
breathing retraining, exercise
111
Define breathing retraining
process of identifying incorrect breathing habits and replacing them with correct ones.
112
What are incorrect breathing habits
people with specific phobias may experience abnormal breathing patterns (e.g hyperventilating, loud/noisy/shallow/rapid breaths) - which makes the physical symptoms of anxiety worse.
113
What are correct breathing habits
breathing from the diaphragm rather than chest, through the nose in a slow, even and gentle way.
114
How can breathing techniques help for phobias
controlled breathing helps to reduce feelings of anxiety by lowering blood pressure and heart rate and balancing levels of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the blood.
115
How does exercise help phobias
exercise uses up hormones that are produced when we experience stress due to the adrenal glands releasing adrenaline and cortisol into the blood as part of the fight-flight-freeze response. Using up these hormones helps to reduce anxiety/ fight-flight-freeze symptoms.
116
What are the psychological interventions to treat specific phobia
psychotherapy (CBT, systematic desensitisation)
117
Define psychotherapy
any psychological technique in the treatment of mental disorders used to facilitate positive changes in personality, behaviour or adjustment. It usually involves verbal interaction between a trained mental health professional and a client.
118
What are the two types of psychotherapeutic treatments
CBT, systematic desensitisation
119
What intervention considered to be the most effect method of treating specific phobia
CBT
120
What does CBT stand for
cognitive behavioural therapy
121
Define CBT
a type of psychotherapy that identifies and replaces unhelpful or unhealthy thoughts and behaviours in relation to a specific phobia.
122
What are the two components of CBT
cognitive and behavioural components
123
Define the cognitive component of CBT
identifies and replaces the irrational and unhelpful thoughts surrounding the phobic stimulus
124
Define the behavioural component of CBT
identifies and replaces behaviours related to the phobic stimulus (in the case of specific behaviour, this is usually avoidance behaviours that are impacting a person’s daily functioning).
125
How may CBT help with phobias
CBT would break the phobia cycle through addressing the ‘unhelpful thoughts’ (cognitive component) which would hopefully change the avoidance behaviour (behavioural component).
126
Define systematic desensitisation
a type of behavioural therapy where an individual with a phobia is exposed to the phobic stimulus very slowly (with increasing intensity each time) under relaxed conditions until the fear response is extinguished.
127
How does systematic desensitisation work
it uses classical conditioning principles to unlearn (or extinguish) the association the person has between fear and their phobic stimulus.Through repeated pairings of relaxation and the phobic stimulus, the fear response is replaced with a relaxed response.
128
What are the social interventions to treat specific phobia
psychoeducation for families/supporters
129
Define psychoeducation
education about a mental illness, such as the nature of the illness and treatment and management strategies.
130
Who is psychoeducation usually given to
both the person with the phobia and their family/supporters
131
What are the two components of psychoeducation
challenging unrealistic or anxious thoughts, not encouraging avoidance behaviours
132
What happens for challenging unrealistic or anxious thoughts
Families and supporters can help a sufferer challenge their unhelpful and/or irrational thoughts and develop a more balanced perspective.
133
Define avoidance behaviours
behaviours that attempt to prevent exposure to the phobic stimulus
134
What does not encouraging avoidance behaviours involve
families and supporters should not criticise or encourage the use of avoidance behaviours, but should help the person become gradually exposed to the phobic stimulus
135
What is high resilience linked to
greater life satisfaction and happiness
136
What are biological factors that protect mental health
diet, sleep
137
What role does diet play
a vital role in maintaining mental and physical health.
138
Poor diet
can contribute to mental health problems like ADHD, depression, schizophrenia and Alzheimer’s disease.
139
What is adequate diet
includes food and water intake that includes sufficient energy for a person’s needs and can promote good mental health and contribute to a person’s level of resilience when faced with adversity
140
What is adequate sleep
necessary amount of sleep for individuals to function effectively during the daytime and cope with normal daily stress. Ensuring we get adequate sleep is essential in maintaining good physical and mental health.
141
What are psychological factors that protect mental health
cognitive behaviour strategies
142
What are cognitive behaviour strategies (mental health)
structured psychological treatments that recognise that a person’s way of thinking (cognition) and acting (behaviour) affects the way they feel. structured psychological treatments that recognise that a person’s way of thinking (cognition) and acting (behaviour) affects the way they feel.
143
What are social factors that protect mental health
social support
144
What is social support
the close, positive relationships we develop with others, which facilitate good mental health and morale.
145
What is social support critical for
building resilience and enhancing the abilities of individuals to cope with difficulties
146
What are behavioural change models
models that attempt to explain the complexities of how and why behaviours change.
147
Why are behaviour change models important
the understanding of the different factors that influence behavioural change can be used to design more effective treatment strategies for sufferers of mental illnesses.
148
What is the model of behaviour change studies in mental health
the transtheoretical model of behavioural change
149
What is the transtheoretical model of behavioural change
Multi-staged process of intentional behaviour change that believes that behavioural change is a process that evolves over time that requires people to move through stages rather than a discrete, single event.
150
What does the transtheoretical model asses
an individuals readiness to change by looking at the different stages an individual may go through as they move towards healthier behaviour
151
What are the stages of the transtheoretical model
pre-contemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, maintenance
152
What happens in the pre-contemplation stage
no intention to take action in the next 6 months and are generally unaware of problem
153
What are effective strategies to move on from pre-contemplation stage
focus on further education, being more mindful of their decision-making and encouraging re-evaluation of their current behaviour
154
What happens in the contemplation stage
intend to take action in the next 6 months, as they are more aware of the benefits of changing and are aware that a problem exists but has not yet made the commitment to take action
155
What are effective strategies to move on from contemplation stage
identify new positive outcomes of the change; achieved through focusing on others who behave in healthier ways.
156
What happens in the preparation stage
individual intends to take action within the next 30 days and has taken some behavioural steps in this direction, and have devised a plan of action to make the significant behavioural change.
157
What are effective strategies to move on from preparation stage
encouraging small initial steps, reassuring support from family and friends, and focusing on how they will feel once behavioural changes have been made.
158
What happens in the action stage
individual changes his or her overt behaviour for less than 6 months, during this stage individuals need to learn how to strengthen their commitments to change and take actions against a relapse of the unwanted behaviour
159
What are effective strategies to move on from action stage
education on techniques for keeping up their commitments, rewarding themselves for taking steps towards changing, and avoiding people and situations that tempt them to behave in unhealthy ways.
160
What happens in the maintenance stage
individual changes his or her overt behaviour for more than 6 months, and are less tempted to relapse into the unwanted behaviour and grow increasingly more confident that they can continue their changes
161
What are effective strategies to stay in maintenance
encouraging individuals to seek support with people whom they trust, spend time with people who behave in healthy ways and engage in healthy activities to cope with stress.
162
What are the two arrows on the transtheoretical model labelled
progress and relapse
