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Health psychology studies how behavior, mental processes, and social factors influence physical health, focusing on promoting healthier lifestyles and preventing illness.
Psychological factors like stress, emotions, and cognition can impact physical health, with chronic stress weakening the immune system and increasing the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
Health psychology examines health-risk behaviors, such as smoking, poor diet, and lack of exercise, and develops interventions to address these issues.
- Smoking increases the risk of lung cancer, heart disease, and other illnesses.
- Poor diet and overeating contribute to obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular problems.
- Lack of exercise shortens life expectancy and increases obesity-related health issues.
Stress is the body’s response to perceived threats. It can be acute (short-term), chronic (long-term), traumatic, or due to daily hassles.
Eustress is positive stress that motivates, while distress is harmful and linked to burnout and health problems.
Stress can harm the immune system, reducing the activity of disease-fighting cells like B lymphocytes, T lymphocytes, and macrophages.
Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are significant early-life stressors that increase the risk of chronic illnesses and mental health disorders later in life.
General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS) explains the body’s response to prolonged stress in three stages:
Alarm Reaction – Immediate fight-flight-freeze response.
Resistance – Prolonged coping effort.
Exhaustion – Depletion of resources, leading to weakened immunity and potential illness.
Tend-and-befriend theory highlights caregiving and seeking social support as a stress response, often influenced by oxytocin.
Coping strategies are either problem-focused (addressing the stressor) or emotion-focused (managing emotional responses).
Effective stress management combines healthy behaviors, cognitive strategies, and social support.
Psychological disorders are diagnosed using frameworks like the DSM, which categorizes conditions based on symptom patterns, duration, and functional impairment. Categories include neurodevelopmental disorders, anxiety disorders, mood disorders, and more.
Neurodevelopmental Disorders
ADHD: Characterized by inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity, often linked to differences in brain structure and function. Treatments include stimulants and behavioral therapy.
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD): Involves challenges with social interaction, communication, and repetitive behaviors.
Treatments: focus on behavioral interventions, speech, and occupational therapy.
Causes: Combination of genetic, biological, and environmental factors, such as prenatal exposure to toxins or birth complications.
Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders
Positive Symptoms: Delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech, and behavior.
Negative Symptoms: Flat affect, avolition, anhedonia, and reduced speech output.
Causes: Strong genetic component, dopamine dysregulation, and prenatal factors.
Treatments: Antipsychotics, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and supportive interventions.
Depressive Disorders
Major Depressive Disorder (MDD): Episodic with severe symptoms, including persistent sadness, anhedonia, and thoughts of death.
Persistent Depressive Disorder (PDD): Chronic, less-severe depression lasting at least two years.
Causes: Neurotransmitter imbalances, genetic predispositions, and cognitive distortions.
Treatments: SSRIs, CBT, and in severe cases, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT).
Bipolar Disorders
Bipolar I: Involves full manic episodes, which may be followed by depressive episodes.
Bipolar II: Involves hypomanic and major depressive episodes.
Causes: Neurotransmitter dysregulation, genetic influences, and stress.
Treatments: Mood stabilizers like lithium, antipsychotics, and therapy.
Anxiety Disorders
Specific Phobia: Intense fear of specific objects or situations, treated with exposure therapy.
Agoraphobia: Fear of public places or situations where escape may be difficult.
Panic Disorder: Recurrent panic attacks with physical and emotional symptoms.
Social Anxiety Disorder: Fear of judgment or embarrassment in social situations.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD): Excessive, nonspecific worry about various life aspects.
Causes: Learned associations, cognitive distortions, and neurotransmitter imbalances.
Treatments: CBT, exposure therapy, relaxation techniques, and medication.
Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders
OCD: Involves intrusive thoughts (obsessions) and repetitive behaviors (compulsions).
Hoarding Disorder: Difficulty discarding possessions, causing significant distress.
Causes: Learned behaviors, cognitive distortions, and brain activity abnormalities.
Treatments: CBT, SSRIs, and exposure and response prevention (ERP).
Dissociative Disorders
Dissociative amnesia: Memory loss following trauma, sometimes with fugue states.
Dissociative identity disorder (DID): Presence of two or more distinct personality states linked to severe childhood trauma.
Causes: Trauma and maladaptive coping mechanisms during critical developmental stages.
Treatments: Trauma-focused psychotherapy and memory-retrieval techniques.
Trauma and Stressor-Related Disorders
PTSD: Involves intrusive memories, avoidance, negative cognition changes, and hyperarousal.
Causes: Exposure to acute or chronic trauma, biological vulnerabilities, and stress.
Treatments: Trauma-focused CBT, exposure therapy, eye movement desensitization reprocessing (EMDR), and SSRIs.
Feeding and Eating Disorders
Anorexia Nervosa: Intense fear of gaining weight, leading to severe food restriction.
Bulimia Nervosa: Binge eating followed by compensatory behaviors like purging.
Causes: Biological predispositions, societal pressures, and maladaptive thought patterns.
Treatments: CBT, nutritional counseling, and medication.
Personality Disorders
Cluster A: Odd/eccentric behaviors (e.g., paranoid, schizoid, schizotypal).
Cluster B: Dramatic/emotional behaviors (e.g., antisocial, borderline, narcissistic, histrionic).
Cluster C: Anxious/fearful behaviors (e.g., avoidant, dependent, OCPD).
Causes: Genetic predispositions, brain structure abnormalities, and learned behaviors.
Treatments: Psychotherapy (e.g., CBT, DBT), sometimes combined with medication.
The diathesis-stress model states that disorders result from genetic vulnerabilities triggered by environmental stressors.
The biopsychosocial model integrates biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors to explain mental health conditions.
Insight therapies focus on understanding the causes of psychological problems through approaches like psychodynamic, cognitive, and humanistic therapy.
Behavior therapies use learning principles to directly change maladaptive behaviors, including techniques like systematic desensitization and token economies.
Biomedical therapies alter biological functioning using medication, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), or surgery.
Psychotherapy is effective for various mental health issues, especially when interventions are evidence-based and tailored to individual needs.
Therapeutic success depends on the therapeutic alliance, characterized by trust, shared goals, and cultural humility.
Emerging trends include teletherapy and digital tools to expand accessibility.
Psychologists diagnose and treat disorders using psychotherapy.
Psychiatrists are medical doctors who focus on biomedical treatments.
Social Workers and Counselors provide therapy, often in institutional or community settings.
Evidence-based approaches include cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), effective for anxiety, depression, and PTSD by challenging maladaptive thoughts; dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), specialized for emotion regulation and borderline personality disorder; and exposure therapy, effective for phobias and PTSD.
Group therapy offers peer support, interpersonal feedback, and cost-effectiveness.
Individual therapy provides privacy, personalized attention, and deeper exploration of personal issues.
Antidepressants (SSRIs) treat mood and anxiety disorders, with side effects like nausea and weight changes.
Antianxiety drugs (Benzodiazepines) offer short-term relief but risk dependency.
Antipsychotics treat schizophrenia, with side effects like tardive dyskinesia.
Mood stabilizers (Lithium) are effective for bipolar disorder, requiring careful monitoring.
Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is effective for severe depression but may cause memory loss.
Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a non-invasive treatment for depression.
Psychosurgery is rarely used due to ethical concerns and advancements in other therapies.
Barriers to treatment include cost, stigma, and cultural mismatches between therapists and clients.
Minority groups may prefer informal support due to language and cultural barriers.
Therapy can be harmful if unethical practices or ineffective techniques are used.
Research shows that psychotherapy generally works, especially when empirically validated methods are used.
Therapy effectiveness depends on client motivation, therapist skill, and family support.
Regression toward the mean and placebo effects can bias perceptions of success.
