Abnormal Psych Terms 2

Front 1

Synapse

Back 1

the site of communication between the axon of one neuron and the dendrites, or cell body of another neuron. A tiny fluid-filled space between neurons

Front 2

Neurotransmitters

Back 2

chemical substances that are released into the synapse by the presynaptic neuron when a nerve impulse occurs.
 Norepinphrine, dopamine, serotonin, glutamate, gamma aminobutyric acid

Front 3

Resilience

Back 3

the ability to adapt successfully to ever very difficult circumstances.
 Protective factors most often but not always lead to resilience.

Front 4

Analogue studies

Back 4

study not the true item of interest but an approximation to it.

Front 5

Coronary heart disease

Back 5

potentially lethal blockage of the arteries that supply blood to the heart muscle. 1) myocardial infarction (blockage of a section of the coronary arterial system) 2) angina pectoris, severe chest pain, not enough oxygenated blood flowing to the heart 3)disturbance of the hearts electoral conduction due to arterial blockage.

Front 6

Risks and causal factors in cardiovascular disease

Back 6

 Chronic and acute stress
 Personality:
• Type A person: competitive, workaholic, impatient, hostile.
• Type B person: laid back, less time pressured.
• Type C person: stoic (I accept what g-d gave me) accept everything
 Depression: much more commonly found in people who have heart disease
 Anxiety: linked to CHD
 Social support: people who have a small social network or little emotional support are more likely to develop CHD over time

Front 7

Treatments of stress related physical disorders

Back 7

o Biological intervention:
o Psychological interventions:
 Emotional disclosure: expressing feelings through writing it out in a systematic way.
 Biofeedback: make the patient more aware of things like their heart rate, blood pressure, and muscle tension.
 Relaxation and meditation:
 Cognitive behavior therapy: alerting dysfunctional thoughts and cognitive distortions.

Front 8

Adjustment disorder

Back 8

a person’s response to a common stressor is maladaptive
 Caused by unemployment, divorce and separation

Front 9

Prevention and treatment of stress disorders

Back 9

o Stress inoculation training: prepares people to tolerate an anticipated event y changing things they say to themselves.
 Stage 1) information is provided
 Stage 2) self-statements that promote effective adaptivness
o Treatments for stress disorders: to help people recover from traumatic events naturally
 Telephone hotlines
 Psychological first aid
 Crisis intervention
o Psychological debriefing:
 Administering medications to help anxiety after events
 Cognitive behavior treatments
• Prolonged exposure: people are asked to vividly recount the traumatic event until there is a decrease in emotional responces