VCE Psychology Unit 4

SCHOOL ASSESSED COURSEWORK

Outcome 2: Mental Health
GUIDELINES

STUDENT NAME: __________________________ SAC DATE: __________________
This SAC will assess your level of knowledge and skill in AOS 2 Brain, Behaviour and Experience

SAC FORMAT AND CONDITIONS
1. The format for this SAC is 20 multiple choice questions (Part A- 20 marks) and 11 short answer
questions (Part B- 30 marks). Each question in part A is worth one mark, however in part B marks are
allocated according to the detail required in the response. All allocations are beneath each question.

2. You will have 5 minutes reading time and 60 minutes to complete the SAC.

KEY KNOWLEDGE / KEY SKILLS
Concepts of normality and differentiation of mental health from mental illness
Systems of classification of mental conditions and disorders: underlying principles of classification;
strengths and limitations of discrete categorical (DSM-IV and ICD-10) and dimensional (graded and
transitional) approaches to classification of mental disorders
Use of a biopsychosocial framework (the interaction and integration of biological, psychological and social
factors) as an approach to considering physical and mental health
Application of a biopsychosocial framework to understanding the relationship between stress and physical
and mental wellbeing:
o Physiological and psychological characteristics of responses to stress including fight-flight
response, eustress and distress
o Psychological determinants of the stress response; strengths and limitations of Richard
Lazarus and Susan Folkmans Transactional Model of Stress and Coping
o Social, cultural and environmental factors that exacerbate and alleviate the stress response
o Allostasis (stability through change brought about by the brains regulation of the bodys
response to stress) as a model that integrates biological, psychological and social factors
that explain an individuals response to stress
o Strategies for coping with stress including biofeedback, meditation/relaxation, physical
exercise social support
o
MARK ALLOCATION
The mark allocations for this SAC is 25 marks out of 100 marks for Unit 4 SAC.


PART A: MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. Which of the following statements is correct?
a) Mental health and mental illness are the same thing
b) Mental illness is the only factor that impacts on a persons mental health
c) Mental illness is the absence of mental health
d) Many things can impact on mental health, mental illness being one of them

2. Which of the following scenarios would be classified as abnormal mental behaviour?
a) A man walking down the street singing along to his iPod
b) A teenager who checks who checks the front door three times before she goes to sleep at
night
c) An older gentleman who lives with his daughter and insist on kissing each of his
grandchildren goodnight every night
d) A woman who thinks it is normal to count every tile in the bathroom before she leaves the
house each morning and subsequently causes her children to be late to school

3. Two major systems of classification of mental conditions and disorders are;
a) Categorical and descriptive
b) Dimensional and transitional
c) Categorical and dimensional
d) Dimensional and descriptive

4. Someone consults a mental health professional and is diagnosed as having a specific type of anxiety
disorder. In this case, the mental health professional has used a _______________ approach to
classification of mental health conditions and disorders;
a) Categorical
b) Dimensional
c) Cultural
d) Biopsychosocial framework

5. Of the five axis in the DSM-IV-TR which of the following is axis II;
a) General medical conditions
b) Clinical disorders and other conditions that may be a focused of clinical attention
c) Global assessment of functioning
d) Personality disorders and mental retardation

6. The Biopsychosocial model;
a) Is an outdated approach to understanding the health of an individual
b) Has led to a change in the way that many people and cultures think of health and illness
c) Only relates to mental health
d) Only refers to biological factors



7. Which of the following is not a biological factor that could contribute to the development and/or
persistence of physical or mental illness?
a) Genetic inheritance
b) A neurochemical imbalance
c) Immune system response
d) Health education

8. After she was bitten by a dog, Trinh developed a phobia of dogs. Now, whenever Trinh sees a dog;
a) She experiences eustress
b) Her fight-flight response is activated
c) Her adrenaline and noradrenaline are inhibited
d) Her parasympathetic nervous system is activated

9. When the adrenal glands are stimulated the two stress hormones that are secreted in a fight-flight
response are;
a) Dopamine and cortisol
b) Adrenaline and noradrenaline
c) Glutamate and adrenaline
d) Noradrenaline and dopamine

10. The three organs involved in the HPA axis and the order in which they are active in the chain of
reaction are;
a) Hypothalamus, pituitary gland, adrenal gland
b) Hypothalamus, pituitary gland, ACTH
c) Pituitary gland, ACTH, hypothalamus
d) Pituitary gland, adrenal gland, hypothalamus

11. You are most likely to experience eustress when you are experiencing a stressful situation that is;
a) Harmful
b) Harmless
c) Irrelevant
d) Challenging

12. Which of the following is not a psychological response to stress;
a) Emotional changes
b) Behavioural changes
c) Social changes
d) Cognitive changes








13. Which of the following is an example of secondary appraisal according to the Lazarus and Folkmans
transactional model of stress and coping?
a) Making a judgement about whether a situation is actually stressful
b) Minimising harm or loss that may occur
c) Estimating the value of coping options and resources that may be accessed
d) Minimising harm or loss that has occurred

14. While waiting to audition for a role in a play, Gareth constantly told himself I am not feeling
stressed. According to the Lazarus and Folkmans Transactional Model of Stress and Coping,
Gareths self-talk is an example of;
a) Primary appraisal
b) Secondary appraisal
c) Emotion-focused coping
d) Problem-focused coping

15. Which of the following factors influences a stress response?
a) Social
b) Cultural
c) Environmental
d) All of the above

16. Social readjustment refers to;
a) The amount of change, or adjustment, to a persons physical appearance due to a medical
diagnosis in their life
b) The invisible boundary that surrounds each person which cannot be changed or adjusted
c) The amount of change, or adjustment, in lifestyle a person is forced to make following a
specific event in their life
d) Both A and C

17. Allostasis is the process whereby the;
a) Bodys resources are depleted as a result of stress
b) Brain directs the body to maintain stability by rejecting stressors
c) Brain directs the body to maintain stability by adapting to changes caused by stressors
d) body directs the brain to maintain stability by adapting to changes caused by stressors

18. Prolonged activation of the bodys allostatic systems as the result of a stressor;
a) Occurs only because of the presence of external stimuli
b) Occurs dues to the limitations of homeostasis
c) Can improve our performance on tasks involving allostasis
d) Can deplete the bodys resources and lead to long term illness or disease and/r
psychological difficulties





19. Biofeedback assists people to cope with stress by;
a) Initiating allostasis
b) Electrically stimulating the stress control centres in the brain
c) Providing them with information about the level of mental activity in the brain
d) Providing them with information about the level of a particular physiological response

20. Both meditation and relaxation;
a) Activate the sympathetic nervous system
b) Activate the parasympathetic nervous system
c) Switch on the bodys allostatic systems
d) Use up stress hormones present in the bloodstream

SECTION B: SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS
1. Does abnormal behaviour necessarily indicate the presence of mental illness? Explain your answer.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
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2 Marks

2. In the diagram below, provide two examples for each factor included in the Biopsychosocial framework
which influences physical and mental health.













6 Marks


3. While waiting to be called in for her very first job interview, Maddy felt highly stressed. Identify one
physiological change and one psychological change Maddy is likely to have experienced in response to
her stress.

Physiological:

____________________________________________________________________________________
Psychological:

____________________ ___
2 Marks

Use the following information to answer Questions 4 & 5
While standing in a crowd at the seafood stall at the Victoria Market on Christmas Eve waiting to be served,
Bronwyn becomes increasingly stressed. She notices that people who arrive after her are pushing forward
and are being served before her. She is reluctant to say anything and tells herself that the stall owners
should have a more organised system so people get served in turn. She is also aware that the time on her
parking meter is running out and that if she is not served within the next few minutes she might get a
parking ticket. This makes her even more stressed.

4. Using your knowledge of Lazarus and Folkmans transactional model of stress and coping, explain what
Bronwyns primary appraisal of this situation would be.
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
2 Marks

5. Identify one problem-focused coping strategy and one emotion-focused coping strategy Bronwyn could
use to reduce her stress.
Problem-Focused:
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________




Emotion-Focused:
_________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
2 Marks

6. Identify two strengths and limitations for categorical and dimensional approaches to classification of
mental disorders.
Strengths Limitations


Categorical











Dimensional







4 Marks

7. Name a strategy for coping with stress and provide an example on how this could assist with our
physical and mental health.
_______________ _________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
2 Marks



8. How does Allostasis integrate biological, psychological and social factors to explain an individuals
response to stress?
____________________________________________________________________________________
_______________ _____________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
2 marks

9. State two cultural factors that can cause stress for a person who immigrates to a new country to live.
____________________________________________________________________________________
_______________ _____________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
2 marks


10. Write two questions a doctor or a psychologist who has adopted the Biopsychosocial framework may
ask a patient or client presenting with symptoms of a physical or mental health problem.
_______________ _____________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________ ___________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
2 marks

11. The following case study is an example is how a client Barry was assessed according to the DSM. You
will be required to identify which of the five axes of the DSM the diagnosis relates to, include the name
of the axis.
a. Barrys heavy use of alcohol and use of marijuana, which was interfering with his functioning,
resulted in a drug and alcohol abuse diagnosis
Axis: ________________________________________________________________________

b. Barrys recent divorce and difficulties in his job.
Axis: ______________________________________________________________________

c. A medical examination showed that Barrys lungs were damaged due to his many years of
smoking.
Axis:_______________________________________________________________________



d. The psychologist felt that Barry was exhibiting an antisocial personality disorder.
Axis: __________________________________________________________________

4 marks