Unit 4 AOS 2

Question 1

Define stress

Answer 1

A psychological and physical response to internal or external sources of tension that challenges a person’s ability to cope.

Question 2

Define stressor

Answer 2

The source of tension that challenges a person’s ability to cope.

Question 3

What eustress?

Answer 3

A positive psychological response to a perceived stressor

Question 4

What is distres?

Answer 4

A negative psychological response to a perceived stressor.

Question 5

What are the two main stages of Lazarus and Folkman’s transactional model of stress and coping?

Answer 5

• Primary Appraisal: The initial evaluation process where the person determines whether the event is a threat or a challenge.
• Secondary Appraisal: The stage where the person what options are available to them and how they will respond.

Question 6

What are the possible outcomes of primary appraisal?

Answer 6

• Harm/Loss: As assessment that some type of damage has been done
• Threat: An assessment that there is opportunity for personal growth
• Challenge: An assessment that there is opportunity for personal growth.
• Neutral/Irrelevant/Benign: An assessment that this is of little to no personal importance to the person, therefore not going beyond primary appraisal.

Question 7

What is emotional forecasting?

Answer 7

• In primary appraisal: Person experiences an emotional response.
• In secondary appraisal: Person considers how they will feel when considering each different plan.

Question 8

What is problem-focused coping?

Answer 8

• Looks at the causes of the stressor from a practical perspective and works out ways to deal with the problem with the objective of reducing that stress.
• Strategies include:
• Taking control
• Information seeking
• Evaluating pros and cons

Question 9

What is emotion-focused coping?

Answer 9

• Involves trying to reduce the negative emotional effects/feelings associated with the stressor.
• Strategies include:
• Meditation
• Relaxation
• Talking to others about your problems
• Distracting yourself from the stressor
• Physical exercise
• Ignoring the stressor in hopes that it would go away

Question 10

What are the strengths of the Lazarus and Folkman’s model?

Answer 10

• It used human subjects in developing the model
• It used a cognitive approach to stress with a focus on how people cope with psychological stressors.
• It took both mental processes and emotions into account when examining how an individual interprets a situation as stressful or not.

Question 11

What are the disadvantages of the Lazarus and Folkman’s model?

Answer 11

• The greater focus on psychological factor was meant that less emphasis was placed on the physiological elements of the stress response.
• It did not include cultural, social, or environmental factors in looking at how individuals perceive a stressful event.

Question 12

What is allostasis?

Answer 12

Refers to the body’s ability to maintain a stable psychological environment by adjusting and changing to meet internal and external demands.
-Emphasises that healthy functioning requires constant physiological fluctuation.

Question 13

What is homeostasis?

Answer 13

The body’s ability to maintain a stable physiological environment by keeping a relatively limited number of internal bodily conditions constant, such as body temperature and blood oxygen level.

Question 14

What is the difference between allostatic load and allostatic overload?

Answer 14

Allostatic load refers to culmination negative effects of the wear and tear that the body and the brain experience due to repeated cycles of allostatic changes and/or the inefficient turning on or off of these responses.
Allostatic overload is when the demands of the stressor exceed the body’s ability to repeatedly adapt. The body is depleted of its resources and cannot make the necessary physiological adjustments to adapt to a stressor.

Question 15

What are the coping strategies for dealing with stress?

Answer 15

Biofeedback, meditation, physical exercise and social support

Question 16

What is biofeedback?

Answer 16

The process in which a person receives information about autonomic physiological activity in order to learn how to change it to improve health and performance.
Sensitive instruments are used to monitor and provide feedback about a person’s physiological responses.
Through operant conditioning, the person is taught to change the levels of these processes through thought, emotion and behaviour alterations

Question 17

What are the benefits of meditation?

Answer 17

Major benefits of meditation include its ability to interrupt anxious thoughts and manage the physiological symptoms quickly and easily.
Studies have shown that several autonomic physiological and psychological changes can occur during meditation, shown through brainwave activity, respiration rate, heart rate etc.

Question 18

How does physical activity reduce stress?

Answer 18

An intense focus on one stimulus can lead to feelings of calmness and tranquility following exercise that are similar to those reported by people who meditate.
The body’s production of endorphins increases when a person exercises for more than 20 minutes, which provide pain relief and a sense of euphoria, helping to relieve stress and mood.ll

Question 19

How does social support lower stress?

Answer 19

Refers to the support gained through forming close, positive relationships with others.
It facilitates good health and morale as it serves as a buffer to cushion the impact of stressful events.
Comes in the form of:
-Appraisal support
-Tangible support
-Information support
-Emotional support

Question 20

Define normality

Answer 20

Normality refers to patterns of behaviour or personality traits that are typical or conform to some standards of proper and acceptable ways of behaving.

Question 21

Define abnormality

Answer 21

A pattern of thoughts, feelings or behaviour that are atypical, distressing and dysfunctional.

Question 22

Describe the socio-cultural approach to normality

Answer 22

Thoughts, feelings or behaviours that are appropriate or acceptable in a particular society are viewed as normal, and those that are inappropriate are considered abnormal.
Eg. Some cultures, crying at a funeral is normal, in others it is culturally abnormal.

Question 23

Describe the functional approach of normality

Answer 23

Thoughts, feelings and behaviour are viewed as normal if the individual is able to live independently in society (function), but is considered abnormal if a person is unable to function correctly in society.
Eg. Being able to feed, clothe etc yourself is normal, being so depressed you can’t get out of bed is abnormal.

Question 24

Describe the historical approach to normality

Answer 24

What is considered normal or abnormal in a particular society depends on the time period when the judgement is made.
Eg. In many societies before the 20th century, hitting your child child for misbehaving was considered normal, and nowadays it’s abnormal.

Question 25

Describe the medical approach to normality

Answer 25

Abnormal thoughts, feelings and behaviour are viewed as an underlying cause and can usually be diagnosed and treated.
Eg. If someone sees or hears things that aren’t there, they may be diagnosed with schizophrenia and require mediation treatment.

Question 26

Describe the statistical approach to normality

Answer 26

Is based on the idea that if any behaviour or characteristic is distributed in a particular way in a large group of individuals, it is considered a normal distribution.
Eg. It is normal to laugh when tickled, because most people do.

Question 27

Side scribe the situational approach to normality

Answer 27

In a society or culture, thoughts, feelings or behaviours may be considered normal in a particular situation and considered abnormal in another.
Eg. Wearing pyjamas to bed is considered normal but wearing them to school is abnormal

Question 28

What is the categorical approach of diagnosing mental health disorders?

Answer 28

Organises mental disorders into categories, each with specific symptoms and characteristics. Diagnosis involves a comparison of patients’ symptoms to the listed symptoms within each category.
Categories are discrete and completely separate, and there are clear boundaries between each disorder, but one or more symptoms can belong to more than one disorder.

Question 29

What is the dimensional approach to diagnosing mental disorders?

Answer 29

Classifies symptoms quantatively, and diagnosis involves measuring the degree or severity of the client’s symptoms. Numerical values are assigned to each characteristic score.
Symptoms, characteristics or dimensions can be represented in scales or continuums.

Question 30

What are the strengths and limitations of the categorical approach?

Answer 30

Strengths:
-Provides a common language for therapists, social agencies, health workers and researchers worldwide
-Specific mental disorders are diagnosed and appropriate treatments or therapies are selected.
Limitations:
-The approach ‘boxes’ people into certain categories.
-Does not account for people with atypical symptoms that do not follow the set script.

Question 31

What are the strengths and limitations of the dimensional approach?

Answer 31

Strengths:
-Does not pigeonhole or label individuals
-Enables sufferers to see improvement and help to identify which factors impact their wellbeing the most.
Limitations:
-Increases the complexity of the communication of the disorder to fellow professionals and the public.
-Most therapists cannot agree on how many dimensions are required.

Question 32

What does the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, edition 5 (DSM 5)

Answer 32

Characterises mental disorders into 16 major categories.
Lists known causes to these disorders and provides statistics in terms of gender, age of onset and prognosis, and also provides information about some research concerning optimal treatment approaches.
Uses a multi-dimensional approach to diagnosis because many factors in a person’s life can impact upon their mental health, assessing five dimensions.

Question 33

What’s the ICD-10?

Answer 33

It is an analysis of the general health situation of population groups and monitoring of the incidence and prevalence of diseases and other health problems in relation to other variables such as the characteristics and circumstances of the individual.
It provides the basis for compilation of national mortality and morbidity statistics by WHO members states.
It categorises health problems into 22 chapters.

Question 34

Define mental health

Answer 34

Mental health is a state of emotional and social wellbeing in which an individual realises his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work fruitfully and productively in their environment, and can make a meaningful contribution to their community.

Question 35

Define mental illness

Answer 35

A mental disorder that affects one or more functions of the mind. A mental illness can interfere with a person’s thoughts, emotions, perceptions and behaviours.