Psych 101: Stress & Psychological Disorders
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Stress
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Term used to describe the physical, emotional, cognitive and behavioral responses to events that appraised as threatening or challenging **anything that hinders the ability to cope and that is perceived as threatening or challenging**
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Stressor(s)
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stress-causing events that can come from external or internal sources **Ranges from mild to severe**
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Distress
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Negative stressor
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Eustress
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Positive stressor
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External Stressors
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Major life changes, catastrophes, and daily hassles (differ according to developmental stage)
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Prolonged/Acute Stress
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Leads to ASD or PTSD/PTS
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SRRS & CUSS
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**Stress can be assessed systematically** Social Readjustment Rating Scale & College Undergraduate Stress Scale
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Psychological-Stressors
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Pressure, frustration, conflict
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Pressure
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urgent demands or expectations and uncontrollably
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Frustration
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due to external (losses, rejection, failures, delays & ect...) or internal (personal characteristics) factors; can result in several typical response: persistence, aggression, escape/withdrawal
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Conflict
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Approach-Approach (win-win): not a great deal of stress Avoidance-Avoidance (lose-lose): moderate stress; choose between lesser evils Approach-Avoidance (win-lose): most stressful
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General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS)
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Alarm: sympathetic nervous system is first activated Resistance: continued activation of sympathetic activity until organism's resources are depleted Exhaustion: if stressor stopped, parasympathetic activated; if prolonged it causes stress-related diseases or even death
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Lazarus' cognitive-meditational theory of emotions
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Primary appraisal-->harmless-->no stress Primary appraisal-->harmful-->biological/emotional reaction & Secondary appraisal Secondary appraisal-->weigh strategies-->adequate-->cope Secondary appraisal-->weigh strategies-->inadequate-->stress-->remain stressed or find new ways of coping
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Primary Appraisal
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involves estimating severity of the stressor and classifying it as a threat, challenge or loss already occured
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Secondary Appraisal
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involves estimation of resources available to cope with stressor
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Personality Differences
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Affect how one assesses a stressor the coping strategies used and possible health outcomes Type A, B, C, \"H\"
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\"Type A\" personality
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Workaholic, competitive, ambitious, hate to waste time, easily annoyed, more likely to have health issues depending on how hostile the individual is
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\"Type B\" personality
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more easygoing, slower to anger, not as competitive or driven; less likely to have health issues
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\"Type C\" personality
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tend to be pleasant and at peace but find it difficult to express emotions, especially negative ones; associated with cancer
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\"Type H\" personality
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Hardy Personality appear to be like Type A but less prone to heart disease; appear to thrive on stress due to three factors: sense of commitment, control, and seeing stressors as a challenge
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Psychopathology
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the study of abnormal behavior
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Abnormality
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vary according to each culture current definitions are based on: statistical definition, social norm deviance, subjective discomfort, inability to function normally
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Models of Abnormality
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explanations for disordered behavior depend on theoretical model used to explain personality in general: Biological, Psychological and Biopsychosocial models
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Biological model (models of abnormality)
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proposes that psychological disorders have a biological or medical cause
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Psychological models (models of abnormality)
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propose that disordered behavior is the result of various forms of emotional, behavioral or thought-related malfunctioning: Psychodynamic, behaviorism, cognitive
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Biopsychosocial Perspective (models of abnormality)
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incorporates biological, psychological and socialcultural factors
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Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision (DSM-IV-TR)
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Currently describes approximately 250 different psychological disorders and includes diagnostic criteria along five different categories or axes
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Anxiety Disorders
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most dominant symptom is excessive or unrealistic anxiety: Free-floating, panic disorder, OCD, generalized anxiety disorder
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Free-Floating anxiety
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non-specific anxiety social phobias, specific phobias (claustrophobia, acrophobia), agoraphobia
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Panic Disorder
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consists of an individual having frequent panic attacks that interfere with normal daily functioning; causes Panic Disorder w/Agoraphobia (fear or having panic attacks in public)
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Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
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consists of recurring anxiety-provoking thoughts or obsessions that are only relived through ritualistic or repetitive behaviors or mental events
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Generalized Anxiety Disorder
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involves excessive worry about lots of things and occurs more days than not
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Cause of Anxiety Disorders
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Behaviorists: anxious behavioral reaction are learned cognitive psychologists: anxiety is result of illogical, irrational thought processes (magnification, all-or-none thinking, overgeneralization, minimization) Biological: anxiety is due to imbalance in several neurotransmitters and/or difference in brain activation; panic disorders are hereditary
