Class Periods

17-23

AP Exam Weight

15-25%

Sub-Topics

5 Sections

🏥 Health Psychology Overview

• Definition: Study of psychological factors affecting physical health
• Biopsychosocial Model: Health influenced by biological, psychological, social factors
• Prevention Focus: Promoting healthy behaviors, preventing illness
• Interdisciplinary: Combines psychology, medicine, public health
• Applications: Disease prevention, treatment adherence, pain management
• Mind-Body Connection: Psychological states affect physical health

⚡ Stress and Health

• Stress Definition: Response to demands that tax coping abilities
• Acute Stress: Short-term response to immediate threats
• Chronic Stress: Long-term stress with harmful health effects
• Fight-or-Flight: Sympathetic nervous system activation
• General Adaptation Syndrome: Alarm, resistance, exhaustion stages
• Stress Hormones: Cortisol, adrenaline affect immune system

🧠 Physiological Effects of Stress

• Cardiovascular: Increased heart rate, blood pressure
• Immune System: Suppressed immune function
• Digestive: Stomach ulcers, digestive problems
• Endocrine: Elevated cortisol, disrupted hormones
• Sleep: Insomnia, disrupted sleep patterns
• Mental Health: Increased risk of depression, anxiety

🛡️ Coping Mechanisms

• Problem-Focused Coping: Address the source of stress
• Emotion-Focused Coping: Manage emotional response to stress
• Adaptive Coping: Healthy strategies (exercise, social support)
• Maladaptive Coping: Unhealthy strategies (substance abuse, avoidance)
• Social Support: Emotional and practical help from others
• Cognitive Reappraisal: Reframe stressful situations positively

🏃 Lifestyle and Health

• Exercise: Improves physical and mental health
• Nutrition: Balanced diet affects mood and energy
• Sleep: 7-9 hours crucial for health and cognitive function
• Smoking: Major risk factor for multiple diseases
• Alcohol: Moderate vs. excessive consumption effects
• Social Connections: Strong relationships promote longevity

🧘 Stress Management Techniques

• Relaxation Training: Progressive muscle relaxation, deep breathing
• Meditation: Mindfulness, focused attention practices
• Biofeedback: Learning to control physiological responses
• Time Management: Prioritizing tasks, setting realistic goals
• Exercise: Regular physical activity reduces stress
• Therapy: Cognitive-behavioral therapy for stress management

🎈 Positive Psychology Movement

• Martin Seligman: Founder of positive psychology movement
• Paradigm Shift: From disease model to strengths model
• Three Pillars: Positive emotions, engagement, meaning
• Focus: What makes life worth living
• Evidence-Based: Scientific study of human flourishing
• Applications: Education, therapy, workplace, healthcare

😊 Happiness and Well-Being

• Hedonic Well-Being: Pleasure and positive affect
• Eudaimonic Well-Being: Meaning and self-realization
• Life Satisfaction: Cognitive evaluation of life quality
• Subjective Well-Being: Personal evaluation of happiness
• Set Point Theory: Genetic baseline for happiness
• Happiness Formula: 50% genes + 10% circumstances + 40% activities

💪 Character Strengths

• 24 Character Strengths: Universal positive traits
• Six Virtues: Wisdom, courage, humanity, justice, temperance, transcendence
• Signature Strengths: Top 5 strengths that define you
• VIA Survey: Assessment tool for identifying strengths
• Strengths Use: Using strengths increases well-being
• Development: Strengths can be cultivated and grown

🌱 Resilience

• Definition: Ability to bounce back from adversity
• Protective Factors: Social support, optimism, coping skills
• Risk Factors: Previous trauma, lack of support, stress
• Post-Traumatic Growth: Positive change following trauma
• Building Resilience: Developing coping skills, support networks
• Resilient Communities: Social factors promoting resilience

🌊 Flow

• Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi: Researcher who identified flow
• Definition: Complete absorption in challenging activity
• Characteristics: Clear goals, immediate feedback, balance of challenge/skill
• Components: Loss of self-consciousness, time distortion
• Conditions: Skills match challenge level
• Benefits: Increased happiness, performance, creativity

🙏 Gratitude and Optimism

• Gratitude: Appreciation for positive aspects of life
• Gratitude Interventions: Journaling, letters, visits
• Benefits: Improved mood, relationships, physical health
• Optimism: Tendency to expect positive outcomes
• Learned Optimism: Seligman's approach to developing optimism
• Explanatory Style: How we explain good and bad events

🧭 Defining Abnormal Behavior

• Statistical Rarity: Behaviors that are uncommon
• Deviation from Social Norms: Violates cultural expectations
• Personal Distress: Causes suffering for individual
• Impaired Functioning: Interferes with daily life
• 4 D's: Deviance, Distress, Dysfunction, Danger
• Contextual: Consider cultural, situational factors

🏥 Medical Model

• Disease Perspective: Mental disorders are illnesses
• Symptoms: Observable signs of underlying disorder
• Etiology: Biological causes of mental illness
• Treatment: Medical interventions, medications
• Advantages: Reduces blame, promotes treatment
• Criticisms: Oversimplifies, ignores social factors

🌐 Biopsychosocial Model

• Biological Factors: Genetics, brain chemistry, hormones
• Psychological Factors: Thoughts, emotions, behaviors, personality
• Social Factors: Relationships, culture, socioeconomic status
• Integration: All factors interact to influence mental health
• Comprehensive: More complete understanding than medical model
• Treatment Implications: Multiple intervention approaches

📖 DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual)

• Purpose: Standardized classification system
• Categories: Over 300 disorders organized by symptoms
• Criteria: Specific symptoms, duration, severity
• Multiaxial System: Previous versions used 5 axes
• Reliability: Consistent diagnosis across clinicians
• Revisions: Updated based on research findings

🌍 Cultural Considerations

• Cultural Formulation: Consider cultural context in diagnosis
• Culture-Bound Syndromes: Disorders specific to certain cultures
• Expression Varies: Symptoms manifest differently across cultures
• Stigma Differences: Attitudes toward mental illness vary
• Help-Seeking: Cultural factors influence treatment seeking
• Bias Prevention: Avoid cultural bias in diagnosis

🏷️ Stigma and Mental Health

• Public Stigma: Negative stereotypes and discrimination
• Self-Stigma: Internalized shame and self-blame
• Label Avoidance: Avoiding treatment to avoid labels
• Consequences: Reduced help-seeking, social isolation
• Reducing Stigma: Education, contact, advocacy
• Recovery Movement: Focus on hope and possibility

😰 Anxiety Disorders

• Generalized Anxiety Disorder: Excessive worry about many things
• Panic Disorder: Recurrent panic attacks with physical symptoms
• Specific Phobias: Irrational fear of specific objects/situations
• Social Anxiety: Fear of social situations and judgment
• Agoraphobia: Fear of situations where escape is difficult
• Prevalence: Most common class of mental disorders

😢 Mood Disorders

• Major Depressive Disorder: Persistent sadness, loss of interest
• Bipolar I: Manic episodes alternating with depression
• Bipolar II: Hypomanic episodes with major depression
• Persistent Depressive Disorder: Chronic, less severe depression
• Seasonal Affective Disorder: Depression related to seasons
• Risk Factors: Genetics, stress, medical conditions

🧠 Schizophrenia

• Positive Symptoms: Hallucinations, delusions, disorganized speech
• Negative Symptoms: Flat affect, social withdrawal, avolition
• Cognitive Symptoms: Attention, memory, executive function deficits
• Onset: Late teens to early 30s
• Prevalence: About 1% of population
• Causes: Genetic, brain abnormalities, environmental factors

🍷 Substance Use Disorders

• Criteria: Impaired control, social impairment, risky use, tolerance
• Alcohol Use Disorder: Most common substance disorder
• Opioid Use Disorder: Increasing problem with prescription/illegal opioids
• Cannabis Use Disorder: Problematic marijuana use
• Stimulant Disorders: Cocaine, amphetamines, caffeine
• Treatment: Detox, therapy, medication, support groups

🎭 Personality Disorders

• Cluster A (Odd): Paranoid, schizoid, schizotypal
• Cluster B (Dramatic): Antisocial, borderline, histrionic, narcissistic
• Cluster C (Anxious): Avoidant, dependent, obsessive-compulsive
• Borderline: Instability in relationships, self-image, emotions
• Antisocial: Disregard for rights of others
• Treatment Challenges: Ego-syntonic, long-standing patterns

🧩 Neurodevelopmental Disorders

• ADHD: Inattention, hyperactivity, impulsivity
• Autism Spectrum: Social communication deficits, restricted interests
• Intellectual Disability: Deficits in intellectual and adaptive functioning
• Learning Disorders: Specific academic skill deficits
• Communication Disorders: Language, speech, stuttering
• Early Onset: Typically manifest in childhood

💬 Psychodynamic Therapy

• Freudian Approach: Unconscious conflicts, childhood experiences
• Free Association: Say whatever comes to mind
• Dream Analysis: Interpret symbolic meaning of dreams
• Transference: Project feelings onto therapist
• Insight: Understanding unconscious motivations
• Modern Forms: Brief psychodynamic therapy

🧠 Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

• Cognitive Component: Identify and change negative thought patterns
• Behavioral Component: Change maladaptive behaviors
• Homework Assignments: Practice skills between sessions
• Evidence-Based: Strong research support
• Short-Term: Typically 12-20 sessions
• Disorders Treated: Depression, anxiety, PTSD, eating disorders

🌱 Humanistic Therapy

• Carl Rogers: Client-centered therapy
• Unconditional Positive Regard: Accept client without judgment
• Empathy: Understand client's perspective
• Genuineness: Therapist authenticity
• Self-Actualization: Help client reach potential
• Non-Directive: Client leads the conversation

🔄 Behavior Therapy

• Classical Conditioning: Systematic desensitization, flooding
• Operant Conditioning: Token economies, contingency management
• Exposure Therapy: Gradual exposure to feared stimuli
• Aversion Therapy: Pair unwanted behavior with unpleasant stimulus
• Biofeedback: Learn to control physiological responses
• Focus: Change behavior directly, not underlying causes

💊 Psychopharmacology

• Antidepressants: SSRIs, SNRIs for depression, anxiety
• Antipsychotics: Typical and atypical for schizophrenia
• Mood Stabilizers: Lithium for bipolar disorder
• Anti-anxiety: Benzodiazepines for anxiety disorders
• Stimulants: For ADHD (Ritalin, Adderall)
• Side Effects: Important consideration in treatment

⚡ Other Biomedical Treatments

• Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT): For severe depression
• Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS): Non-invasive brain stimulation
• Deep Brain Stimulation: Electrodes implanted in brain
• Psychosurgery: Rarely used, last resort
• Vagus Nerve Stimulation: For treatment-resistant depression
• Ketamine: Rapid-acting treatment for depression

👥 Group and Family Therapy

• Group Therapy: Multiple clients, shared experiences
• Family Therapy: Treat family system, not individual
• Couples Therapy: Improve communication, resolve conflicts
• Support Groups: Peer support, shared experiences
• Therapeutic Communities: Residential treatment programs
• Benefits: Cost-effective, social learning, support

🎯 Treatment Effectiveness

• Evidence-Based Practice: Treatments supported by research
• Dodo Bird Effect: Different therapies equally effective
• Common Factors: Therapeutic relationship, hope, explanation
• Specific vs. General: Some treatments better for specific disorders
• Combination Treatment: Often more effective than single approach
• Cultural Competence: Consider client's cultural background