Get Psyched with Tim Steedman: Mental and Physical Health in AP Psychology

Introduction

• Final unit in AP Psychology covering mental and physical health.
• Focuses on mind-body connection, stress impact, and psychological disorders.
• Importance of taking notes and completing the Get Psyched review guide for AP test preparation.

Health Psychology

• Studies the interaction of biological, psychological, and social factors on health.
• Investigates how thoughts, emotions, and behaviors impact physical health.
• Focus on prevention and stress management for improving health outcomes.

Understanding Stress

• Stress is the body's response to demands/challenges.
• Types of Stress:
  • Eustress: Positive stress (e.g., excitement before a game).
  • Distress: Negative stress (e.g., feeling overwhelmed).
  • Traumatic stress: From major life events, lasting effects.
  • Daily hassles: Small, cumulative stressors (e.g., homework).
  • Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs): Stressful events in childhood affecting adult health.

Stress and Adaptation

• Hans Selye’s General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS):
  • Alarm: Fight-or-flight response.
  • Resistance: Body attempts to manage stress.
  • Exhaustion: Prolonged stress leads to illness.
• Long-term stress impacts: weakened immune system, heart disease, anxiety, depression.

Coping Strategies

• Problem-Focused Coping: Directly addressing the stressor.
• Emotion-Focused Coping: Managing emotional response.
• Importance of balancing both coping strategies.

Positive Psychology

• Focuses on strengths, well-being, and happiness.
• Subjective Well-being: Self-perceived happiness and satisfaction.
• Objective Well-being: Life conditions influencing happiness.
• Character Strengths and Virtues: Wisdom, courage, humanity, justice, temperance, transcendence.
• Post-Traumatic Growth: Positive change following adversity.

Psychological Disorders

• Defined by dysfunction, distress, deviation from norms.
• Stigma and Diagnosis: Positive and negative implications of labeling.
• Use of DSM and ICD for diagnosis.

Psychological Perspectives

• Different psychological approaches explain behavior and disorders:
  • Behavioral: Learning and reinforcement.
  • Cognitive: Thought patterns.
  • Psychodynamic: Unconscious mind.
  • Humanistic: Personal growth.
  • Biological: Brain and body chemistry.
  • Evolutionary: Survival instincts.
  • Sociocultural: Environmental influences.

Biopsychosocial Model

• Interaction of biological, psychological, and environmental factors.
• Diathesis-Stress Model: Genetic predisposition + stress triggers disorders.

Categories of Psychological Disorders

• Neurodevelopmental Disorders: ADHD, ASD.
• Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders: Delusions, hallucinations.
• Depressive Disorders: Major depressive disorder, PDD.
• Bipolar Disorders: Mood swings between mania and depression.
• Anxiety Disorders: Phobias, panic disorder, GAD, social anxiety.
• Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders: OCD, hoarding.
• Dissociative Disorders: Dissociative identity disorder, fugue states.
• Trauma and Stressor Related Disorders: PTSD.
• Feeding and Eating Disorders: Anorexia, bulimia.
• Personality Disorders: Cluster A, B, C traits.

Treatment Approaches

• Biological: Medications (antidepressants, antianxiety, antipsychotics).
• Psychotherapy:
  • Psychoanalytic: Uncover unconscious conflicts.
  • Cognitive Therapy: Correct negative thought patterns.
  • Behavioral Therapy: Change behaviors via reinforcement.
  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): Combines cognitive and behavioral strategies.
  • Humanistic Therapy: Personal growth and self-acceptance.
• Biological Therapies: ECT, TMS, rare psychosurgery.

Conclusion

• Comprehensive overview of stress, coping, disorders, and treatments.
• Emphasizes the importance of understanding various psychological perspectives and treatment options.
• Upcoming final course review for AP exam preparation.