AP Psychology · Unit 5

AP Psychology Unit 5: Mental and Physical Health

Unit 5 covers how stress affects health, how psychological disorders are defined and classified, and how they're treated. This is an educational overview for the exam — it is not a diagnostic tool, and nothing here should be used to self-diagnose.

Stress and Health

Know the kinds of stressors and Selye's general adaptation syndrome — alarm → resistance → exhaustion. Understand how chronic stress affects the immune system and heart, the difference between problem-focused and emotion-focused coping, and the role of perceived control and social support.

Positive Psychology

The study of well-being: subjective well-being, the idea of flow, and factors that support resilience and life satisfaction.

Psychological Disorders

Start with how abnormality is defined (dysfunction, distress, deviance from norms) and the role of the DSM in classification. Then know the major categories and a defining feature of each:

• Anxiety disorders — excessive fear (e.g., phobias, panic disorder, generalized anxiety).
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder — intrusive obsessions plus compulsive behaviors.
• Depressive and bipolar disorders — major depression; bipolar's swing between depression and mania.
• Schizophrenia — positive symptoms (hallucinations, delusions) vs. negative symptoms (flat affect, withdrawal).
• Dissociative, trauma-related, and personality disorders — know one defining feature of each.

Treatment of Disorders

Match each therapy to its theory: psychodynamic (insight into the unconscious), humanistic (Rogers's client-centered therapy), behavioral (exposure, systematic desensitization, token economies), and cognitive / cognitive-behavioral (CBT) (changing maladaptive thoughts). For biomedical treatment, know the main drug classes — antidepressants (SSRIs raise serotonin), antianxiety drugs, antipsychotics, and mood stabilizers — plus ECT, and the idea that therapy effectiveness is studied empirically.

How to Study Unit 5

Disorders and therapies are easy to mix up, so build two clean tables — one matching disorders to defining symptoms, one matching therapies to their theory and technique. Then mix it into the practice test. You've now covered all five units — review the full map on the AP Psychology units page and pull it together with the study guide.

AP Psychology Unit 5 — FAQ

What is covered in AP Psychology Unit 5?

Unit 5, Mental and Physical Health, covers stress and coping, positive psychology, the major categories of psychological disorders and how they're classified (the DSM), and the main approaches to treatment — psychological therapies and biomedical treatment.

How are psychological disorders classified in AP Psychology?

Disorders are defined using criteria like dysfunction, distress, and deviance, and classified with the DSM (the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders). This is an educational topic for the exam, not a tool for self-diagnosis.

What are the main approaches to treating psychological disorders?

The major therapies are psychodynamic, humanistic (client-centered), behavioral (using conditioning), cognitive and cognitive-behavioral (CBT), and biomedical (drug therapy). The exam expects you to match each approach to its view of why disorders occur.

What is the difference between problem-focused and emotion-focused coping?

Problem-focused coping changes the stressor itself, like making a study plan for an overwhelming course. Emotion-focused coping manages your reaction to a stressor you can't change, like using exercise or support to handle grief.

Put All Five Units Together

Take a mixed practice test, then predict your overall 1–5.

Practice Test Score Calculator

Aligned to the College Board's redesigned AP Psychology course (2024–25). An educational overview, not medical or psychological advice. AppsychologyLab is not affiliated with the College Board.