Lecture Notes: AP Psychology Unit 5 - Mental and Physical Health

Introduction

• Presenter: Tim Steedman
• Unit: Mental and Physical Health (Final Unit in AP Psychology)
• Focus: Connection between mind and body, stress impact, and psychological disorders.

Health Psychology

• Definition: Examines how biological, psychological, and social factors affect health and well-being.
• Mind-Body Connection: Stress can cause physical symptoms like headaches or stomach aches.
• Prevention Focus: Studies why some maintain healthy habits and stress management’s impact on heart health.

Stress

• Definition: Body’s response to demands or challenges.
• Types of Stress:
  • Eustress: Positive stress that motivates (e.g., pre-game excitement).
  • Distress: Negative stress, overwhelming (e.g., test anxiety, procrastination).
  • Traumatic Stress: Caused by major events (e.g., natural disasters).
  • Daily Hassles: Minor, recurring stressors adding up over time.

Stress Response Models

• General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS) by Hans Selye
  • Alarm: Initial reaction, fight or flight.
  • Resistance: Body attempts to cope.
  • Exhaustion: Body becomes overwhelmed, stress-related illnesses can occur.
• Tend and Befriend
  • Developed by Shelley Taylor.
  • Emphasizes seeking support and caring for others during stress.
  • Linked to oxytocin, more prevalent in women.

Coping with Stress

• Coping Strategies:
  • Problem-Focused: Tackling the problem directly.
  • Emotion-Focused: Managing emotional responses to stress.
• Example: Doug uses problem-focused coping by studying for his test and emotion-focused by taking breaks.

Positive Psychology

• Focus: What makes life fulfilling beyond just surviving.
• Subjective Well-being: Personal perception of happiness and life satisfaction.
• Character Strengths & Virtues by Peterson and Seligman
  • Wisdom, Courage, Humanity, Justice, Temperance, Transcendence.
• Post-Traumatic Growth: Growth and strength after hardship.

Psychological Disorders

• Definition: Conditions causing significant disturbances in a person’s thoughts, emotions, or behaviors.
• Diagnosis Factors:
  • Dysfunction: Interference with daily life.
  • Distress: Level of personal suffering.
  • Deviation: From social norms.
• Diagnosing Tools:
  • DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders).
  • ICD (International Classification of Diseases).

Perspectives on Disorders

• Varied Explanations: Behavioral, Cognitive, Psychodynamic, Humanistic, Biological, Evolutionary, Sociocultural.
• Biopsychosocial Model: Interaction of biological, psychological, and social factors.
• Diathesis-Stress Model: Interaction of predisposition (diathesis) and stress.

Categories of Disorders

• Neurodevelopmental Disorders: ADHD, Autism Spectrum Disorder.
• Schizophrenia and Psychotic Disorders: Delusions, Hallucinations.
• Depressive Disorders: Major Depressive Disorder, Persistent Depressive Disorder.
• Bipolar Disorders: Manic and Depressive Episodes.
• Anxiety Disorders: Phobias, Panic Disorder, GAD.
• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders: OCD, Compulsions.
• Dissociative Disorders: Dissociative Amnesia, DID.
• Trauma and Stressor-Related Disorders: PTSD.
• Feeding and Eating Disorders: Anorexia, Bulimia.
• Personality Disorders: Clusters A, B, C with specific disorders.

Treatment Approaches

• Biological Treatments: Medications (Antidepressants, Antianxiety, Mood Stabilizers, Antipsychotics).
• Psychotherapy: Talk therapies focusing on changing thoughts, emotions, and behaviors.
• Specific Therapies:
  • Psychodynamic, Cognitive, Behavioral, Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Humanistic.
  • Alternative Methods: Hypnosis, Biofeedback.
  • Biological Therapies: ECT, TMS, Psychosurgery.

Conclusion

• Next Steps: Final course review video to consolidate learning.
• Study Guide: Encourage completion for exam preparation.