Unit 4 AOS 2

Question 1

Definition of mental health

Answer 1

state of emotional and social wellbeing in which individuals can cope with the normal stressors of life, can work productively and can contribute to their community

Question 2

Why is mental health described as a continuum?

Answer 2

an individuals mental health can alter throughout their life

Question 3

Definition of mental health problems

Answer 3

• disruption to an individuals usual level of social and emotional wellbeing, including when their abilities are negatively effected
• problems that cause emotional, cognitive and behavioural difficulties that affect relationship and everyday functioning

Question 4

Definition of mental disorder

Answer 4

• exaggerated forms of thoughts, feelings and behaviours, implying the existence of a clinically recognisable set of symptoms and behaviours that usually need treatment to be alleviated
• can interfere with a persons thoughts, emotions, perceptions and behaviours

Question 5

What is the 4 p’s approach?

Answer 5

• an approach that considers four different types of factors that contribute to the progression and development of mental health disorders
• the factors are categorised as predisposing risk factors, precipitating risk factors, perpetuating risk factors and protective risk factors

Question 6

4 p’s approach: predisposing factors

Answer 6

• factors that increase susceptibility/vulnerability to develop a mental health problem
• often early in life

Question 7

4 p’s approach: precipitating risk factors

Answer 7

• factors that increase susceptibility and contribute to the occurrence/trigger onset

Question 8

4 p’s approach: perpetuating risk factors

Answer 8

• factors that prolong the course of the mental health problem and inhibit recovery

Question 9

4 p’s approach: protective risk factors

Answer 9

• factors that enhance or have a positive impact on the health of the individual
• prevent occurrence or reoccurrence of a mental disorder

Question 10

Meaning of resilience to life stressors

Answer 10

• resilience: ability to adapt to adversity or stress

- people who are resilient appear to take challenges and set backs in their stride so they can move forward

Question 11

Ethical implications: informed consent

Answer 11

• where potential participant is presented sufficient information so that they can make a voluntary and informed choice about whether or not to participate
• participant must be able to understand the proposed research, the nature of their involvement and associated risks
• the presence of a mental disorder can therefore interfere with a personas ability to give genuine consent, in this event the legal guardian can give this consent

Question 12

Ethical implications: use of placebo treatments

Answer 12

• placebo is a substance or treatment that appears real and resembles the actual substance or treatment but is actually inert
• ethical implication is that the researcher is deceiving the participants
• this violates the participants rights to be honestly and fully informed of the research procedures employed

Question 13

Definition of stress

Answer 13

psychological and physical response to internal or external sources of tension (stressors)

Question 14

Definition of anxiety

Answer 14

characterised by feelings of persistent and extreme apprehension, fear and unease, when stressors are not necessarily present

Question 15

Definition of specific phobia

Answer 15

• a persistent, irrational and intense fear of a particular object or event
• interferes with social functioning
• four main types: animal phobias, natural environment phobias, situation phobia, blood injection-injury phobia
• phobias are listed with anxiety disorders in the DSM-5

Question 16

Relative influences of contributing factors to the development of specific phobias: GABA (gamma aminobutyric acid) dysfunction

Answer 16

• without GABA, activation of the post synaptic neurons could become out of control, triggering epileptic seizures, due to ‘electrical storms’ in the brain
• glutamate is an excitatory
• lack of GABA plus a consequential heightened level of glutamate = excessive arousal and anxiety, predisposing an individual to the development of a phobia.

Question 17

What is GABA (gamma aminobutyric acid)?

Answer 17

• main inhibitory neurotransmitter found in out CNS and works by making postsynaptic (receiving) neurons less likely to be excitable/activated/fired
• it maintains neuronal activity at an optimal level

Question 18

Evidence base interventions and their use for specific phobia: benzodiazepines: GABA agonists

Answer 18

• • benzodiazepines imitate GABA by stimulating neurotransmitter activity at the site of the post synaptic neuron and therefore reducing the symptoms of anxiety
• inhibits the over-activation of the physiological response in the presence of the phobic stimulus
• they are short acting but some can last longer
• can be highly addictive

Question 19

Evidence base interventions and their use for specific phobia: relaxation techniques: breathing retaining

Answer 19

• breathing retaining helps the individual reduce and control their physiological response to the phobic stimulus
• regulating their breathing, alleviating their anxiety symptoms
• slow and regular breathing = lowered arousal levels, promotes relaxation and inhibit the FFF response (lowers 0 intake and increases Co2 levels)

Question 20

Evidence base interventions and their use for specific phobia: exercise

Answer 20

-