The Four Main Areas of PsychologyWhat Are the Four Types of Psychology? Topic Guide
Psychology includes four major areas: clinical psychology (counseling for mental and behavioral health), cognitive psychology (the study of the mental processes), behavioral psychology (understanding behavior through different types of conditioning), and biopsychology (research on the brain, behavior, and evolution).
Psychology includes four major areas: clinical psychology (counseling for mental and behavioral health), cognitive psychology (the study of the mental processes), behavioral psychology (understanding behavior through different types of conditioning), and biopsychology (research on the brain, behavior, and evolution).
There are many ways to classify the study of psychology, which is the study of human mind and behavior. One school of thought is that there are four major areas:
Clinical psychology
Cognitive psychology
Behavioral psychology
Biopsychology
Clinical psychology
Clinical psychology is a specialty that provides counseling services for mental and behavioral health care for individuals and families. Clinical psychologists evaluate, diagnose, and treat many different types of mental illness. Many practitioners are also involved in research and teaching.
Clinical psychology applications can include:
Adult counseling
Childhood counseling
School psychologists
Family therapy
Neuropsychology
Clinical psychologists may have a general practice, or they may specialize in certain age groups such as children or the elderly, or certain mental health disorders such as eating disorders, chronic illness, depression, or phobias.
Cognitive psychology
Cognitive psychology is the study of the mental processes related to perception, language, attention, thinking, memory, and consciousness. It can help people understand and overcome problem behaviors and ways of thinking. It can help people change distorted thought patterns and behaviors into functional ones.
Cognitive psychology can be used to address wide range of problems such as:
Anxiety disorders
Depressive disorders
Personality disorders
Substance abuse
Health-related problems
Academic performance
Relationship problems
Trauma
Stress management
Problems in daily living
Behavioral psychology
Behavioral psychology is based on the theory that all behaviors are derived from conditioning, that is, our habitual responses to our environments. It is an attempt to get at the root of why people think and act as they do.
There are two main types of conditioning in behavioral psychology:
Classical conditioning
A technique used in behavioral training in which a neutral stimulus is paired with a naturally occurring stimulus
Eventually, the neutral stimulus triggers the same response as the naturally occurring stimulus, even without the presence of the natural stimulus
Pavlov’s experiments with dogs are an example of this: a neutral stimulus (a lab assistant) is associated with an unconditioned stimulus (dog food) to trigger a response (salivating)
The neutral stimulus becomes the conditioned stimulus and the learned response is called a conditioned response
Operant conditioning (also called instrumental conditioning)
Learning that occurs through reinforcements (rewards) and punishments
An association is made between a behavior and a consequence for that behavior
If a desirable consequence follows a behavior (a reward) that behavior is more likely to occur again in the future
If an undesirable response (punishment) follows a behavior, behavior is less likely to occur again
Biopsychology
Biopsychology involves research on the brain, behavior, and evolution. It aims to explain human behavior from a biological standpoint. Research is often focused on non-human mammals and may involve:
Sensory processes
Learning and memory
Motivation and excitement
Cognition
Biopsychology studies aspects of behavior including decision-making, reward processes, memory, emotion, motivation, attention, mating, reproduction, aggression, and affiliation.
References
WHAT ARE THE FOUR TYPES OF PSYCHOLOGY? RELATED ARTICLES
What Are Seven Common Types of Mental Disorders?
Mental Health: How Grief Can Affect Your Health
Reviewed By: Nayana Ambardekar, MD
Reviewed on 6/22/2019
Sleep Problems
Grief can keep you from getting the regular sleep your mind and body need. You might have trouble going to sleep, or you might wake up often in the night or even sleep too much. Good sleep habits can help. Wind down slowly before bed with something calm like a bath, a book, or breathing exercises, and go to bed and wake up at the same time each day.
Fatigue
The emotional toll of grief can drain your energy. To keep up your strength, be sure to eat enough, even if you don't feel like it. And exercise -- something as simple as a short walk can really help. It's also good to stay connected with family and friends. And a mental health professional or a support group may be able to give you a sense of connection, along with tools to help you through your grief.
Immune System
There's some evidence that grief can take a toll on your body’s ability to fight illness and infection, especially if it goes on for a long time. Talk to your doctor or a mental health professional if you're having trouble coming to terms with your loss.
Inflammation
This happens when your immune system responds to something it sees as a threat and makes tissues in your body swell. It can play a role in heart disease, arthritis, diabetes, asthma, and possibly cancer. There's evidence that grief is linked to inflammation, and some studies show the more severe the grief, the more serious the inflammation. Exercise and eating right can help you manage it.
Anxiety
The events that cause grief can make you feel like you don't have control over your life. You might be concerned about your financial future or being alone or the possibility of losing someone else. Some worry is normal, but if your anxiety lasts longer than a few months or gets in the way of your normal work or home life, it may be time to talk to a mental health professional.
Cortisol
This is sometimes called the "stress hormone," and your body may release more of it than usual into your bloodstream in the 6 months after the loss of a loved one. High levels of cortisol over a long period can raise your chances of heart disease or high blood pressure.
Digestion
Grief can lead you to stop eating on a regular schedule or to binge eat. And stress hormones can make you nauseous or bother your stomach and the rest of your digestive tract. You might have stomach cramps, diarrhea, constipation, ulcers, and even irritable bowel syndrome. If you have stomach issues that won't go away, your doctor can help you find ways to treat them.
Aches and Pains
Grief may make you more likely to have joint pain, back pain, or headaches. Part of the reason could be the muscle tension caused by the stress hormones your body releases in response to grief. This should get better over time, but talk to your doctor about how to manage the pain if it doesn't go away.
Heart Rate
Serious grief can keep your pulse high for as long as 6 months. This faster rate, which could be caused by anxiety or the release of cortisol, might your chances of heart problems. Talk to your doctor about adding or changing your medication, especially if you already have heart issues.
Broken Heart Syndrome
The sudden loss of a spouse or loved one can cause a jolt of intense emotion and trigger hormones that lead to sharp chest pain and trouble breathing. Your heart may not pump blood as well for a while. It can feel like a heart attack, but it usually doesn't damage your heart or block your arteries. Most people get better within a few days or weeks.
Higher Heart Attack Risk
In the first day of grief over the loss of someone close, your chances of having a heart attack are higher than normal. They go down over the course of the first week, but your odds may stay higher than usual for the first month. Try to get enough sleep, and watch for signs of heart attack like chest and stomach pain, cold sweats, nausea, and dizziness.
Mental Health: How Grief Can Affect Your Health
Sources: Sources
This tool does not provide medical advice. See additional information: Disclaimer
Depression: Visual Guide to Seasonal Affective Disorder
Reviewed By: Smitha Bhandari, MD
Reviewed on 12/20/2018
What Is SAD?
It's a type of depression that returns at the same time every year, usually in late fall or early winter, when there is less sunlight as the days get shorter. Some people get it in spring or early summer, but that's not as common.
What Are the Symptoms?
You could feel tired, sluggish, and in low spirits for much of the day. It can sometimes last for weeks at a time. You might find it hard to sleep, concentrate, or enjoy your favorite activities. It's possible you'll overeat and gain weight as well.
What Causes SAD?
Doctors think less sunlight at certain times of year can trigger your body to change the way it makes and uses certain key brain chemicals. It may be that fewer daylight hours raises levels of melatonin and lowers levels of serotonin, two substances that help keep your sleep regular and your mood even.
Who Gets SAD?
The farther you are from the equator, the more likely you are to have SAD. For example, you're about seven times more likely to get it if you live in New Hampshire than in Florida. Anyone can have the condition, but people with a family or personal history of depression get it more and their symptoms are often worse. And women get it four times more than men.
How Do You Know if You Have It?
Tell your doctor about your symptoms. She'll ask about your family history and check to see if you have other conditions that could cause similar problems. For example, low energy could be a sign of a virus, thyroid problems, or low blood sugar. Lack of sleep, weight gain, and feeling moody might be symptoms of hormone issues and other things not related to seasonal changes.
Treatment: Medication
Your doctor might suggest an antidepressant drug called a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI.) These pills help keep more serotonin in your brain, which can help mood and sleep. Ask about the risks and side effects, which might include dry mouth, nausea, sleep problems, dizziness, headache, and sexual problems. You may need to try different SSRIs or other antidepressants to find one that works best for you.
Treatment: Light Therapy
You can use special lamps to help replace the sun that you miss during the winter months. These light boxes provide about 20 times more light than regular indoor lighting and screen out the UV rays that can damage your skin. Just 20 to 60 minutes each morning in front of one of these lamps during the winter could help ease your symptoms.
Treatment: Talk Therapy
A therapist can help you identify patterns of negative thinking that make you feel down. One approach, cognitive behavioral therapy, tries to replace those thoughts with happier ones as well as with activities that engage you and give you pleasure. This might help distract you from the gloom of the winter months.
Treatment: Vitamin D
Research shows mixed results on whether taking this vitamin can help with SAD. People typically have less vitamin D in their blood in the winter, but doctors don't yet know if that's a cause of SAD. There have been some studies that show vitamin D supplements help people feel better, but others seem to show there is no effect at all.
Keep SAD Blues at Bay
There are things you can do on your own to manage your symptoms. Connect and spend time with loved ones who understand your condition. Exercise! It can really lift your mood. Do it outside in the sunshine for even more benefit. Eat a balanced diet of veggies, whole grains, and fruits, and avoid sugar and "simple carbs" like white bread. Keep your sleep on a regular schedule to keep your mood even and to maximize your time in daylight.
SAD in the Spring or Summer
If you get seasonal affective disorder in the sunnier seasons, the symptoms are different from the winter version. You may get agitated and anxious as well as depressed. Instead of craving certain foods, you may lose your appetite. This could lead to weight loss, rather than adding a few pounds like you sometimes do with winter SAD.
When to See a Doctor
Most people feel down once in a while. But if you get the blues for days or weeks, for no clear reason, it may be time for an appointment. Your doctor can help you and your loved ones understand your condition so that you can start to treat and manage it. Be sure to tell your doctor right away if your depression leads you to thoughts of self-harm.
Depression: Visual Guide to Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
Sources: Sources
This tool does not provide medical advice. See additional information: Disclaimer
blogpay
Total Comments: 0