Psychology AOS 2 - Unit 4

define mental wellbeing

our state of mind, enjoyment of life, and ability to copy with normal stressors of everyday life and develop to our potential

levels of functioning

the degree to which an individual can complete day to day tasks effectively and independently

high levels of functioning

meeting life’s challenges adaptively, independent self care (hygiene, eating, meds), good interpersonal relationships, emotional self regulation, clear thinking and decision making, productive at school or work

low levels of functioning

struggling with basic hygiene, uncharacteristic lethargy or tiredness, lacking direction or goals, inability to cope with environmental changes

resilience

the ability to successfully cope with and manage change and uncertainty - “bouncing back” in the face of adversity

high resilience traits

strong self efficacy, high self esteem, optimism, hope, flexibility

SEWB framework

holistic and multidimensional view of health for aboriginal and torres strait islander peoples that recognises their connection to country, culture, spirituality, ancestry, family and community

holistic

considers the whole person

multidimensional

individual sits within a network of interrelated domains

SEWB - body and behaviours

physical health and connection to body

SEWB - mind and emotions

personal mental experience and managing feelings

SEWB - family and kinship

systems of caring and respect for elders

SEWB - spirit, spirituality and ancestors

sacred relationship between Country, beings past, present and future

SEWB - community

connection to a communal space and working together

SEWB - culture

secure identity, heritage and knowledge systems

SEWB - country

spiritual association and belonging to an area of land

adaptive behaviours

any behaviour that enables the individual to adjust to the environment appropriately and effectively

maladaptive behaviours

any behaviour that is detrimental, counterproductive, or otherwise interferes with the individual’s ability to successfully adjust to the environment and fullfill typical roles

mentally healthy

positive state, managing challenges, and connecting with others

mental health problem

“rough patch”, less severe and more temporary than a mental disorder

mental disorder

significant stress and impaired functioning, diagnosable

stress

state of pyschobiological arousal in response to percieved challenges

anxiety

apprehension/worry about unpleasant future events

phobia

diagnosable anxiety disorder characterized by persistent, intense, irrational fear of a specific stimulus that adversely impacts functioning

comparing stress, anxiety and phobia

stress/anxiety = sometimes adaptive, some avoidance, severe if unmanaged. ; phobia = never adaptive, total avoidance, severe impact

GABA dysfunction (predisposing)

significantly low levels of GABA (primary inhibitory neurotransmitter) = excessive neural firing (overstimulation) and heightened fear response

long term potential - LTP (perpetuating)

strengthening of synaptic connections in the fear neural pathway = strengthens the association between phobic stimulus (CS) and fear response (CR) through repeated activation

benzodiazepines

GABA agonists - short acting medications that mimic inhibitory effect of GABA (increase inhibitory effect to reduce physiological arousal and anxiety)

breathing retraining

teaching conscious control of slow, deep breathing = restored oxygen/carbon dioxide balance and activates parasympathetic response to lower heart rate

classical conditioning (precipitating)

associating a neutral stimulus with a traumatic event

operant conditioning (perpetuating)

avoidance behaviours remove unpleasant feelings of fear = maintained phobia

memory bias (perpetuating)

tendency to focus on recalling negative content of experiences with phobic stimuli more than positive/neutral ones

catastrophic thinking (perpetuating)

over-emphasizing the worst possible outcomes and underestimating coping capacity

cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)

identifying and countering irrational thoughts with factual ones (cognitive). / using relaxation techniques and rewards to discourage avoidance (behavioural)

systematic desensitisation

aims to replace fear with relaxation using classical conditioning (1. learn relaxation technique; 2. create fear hierarchy (least to most feared); 3. gradual exposure to hierarchy items paired with relaxation)

specific environmental triggers (precipitating)

direct traumatic experiences with an object/situation

stigma (perpetuating)

fear of social disapproval or ridicule preventing a person from seeking treatment

psychoeducation

challenging unrealistic thoughts (replacing anxious thoughts with balanced ones) and discouraging avoidance behaviours (not reinforcing behaviours that perpetuate phobia)

maintenance of mental wellbeing - bio

adequate nutrition/hydration, adequate quality/quantity of sleep

maintenance of mental wellbeing - psych

cognitive behavioural strategies (techniques to correct problem thinking and behaviours), mindfulness meditation (breathing and experiencing thoughts freely and without judgement)

maintenance of mental wellbeing - social

social support (assistance and care from family, friends and community - validating feelings, avoiding shared downward spirals, being authentic, listening well)

cultural determinants - cultural continuity

preservation of culture, history and belonging over time, including passing language and traditions to younger generations

cultural determinants - self determination

basic human right for communities to freely determine their own political, cultural and social development (outcomes are best when people are empowered to lead the development and delivery of their own policies and services)