Psych Unit 4 AOS 2

Mental wellbeing

An individual’s psychological state, including their ability to think, process information, and regulate emotions

• across emotional, cognitive and social domains.

Level of functioning

The degree to which an individual can complete day-to-day tasks in an independent and effective manner.

High levels of functioning

• carry out basic everyday tasks

• be productive in completing daily tasks

• set goals and take steps towards achieving them

Low levels of functioning

• struggle to carry out basic tasks

• feel uncharacteristically tired

• unable to set goals in life

Resilience

The ability to cope with and manage change and uncertainty

High levels of resilience

• seek solutions to problems

• use appropriate coping strategies

• be flexible in changing circumstances

Low levels of resilience

• enduring feelings of being overwhelmed when problems arise

• rely on unhealthy coping strategies

• unable to adapt to change

Social wellbeing

The ability for an individual to form and maintain meaningful bonds with others,

and adapt to different social situations

High levels of social wellbeing

• have a strong support network

• be able to form and maintain meaningful relationships

• be able to effectively communicate with others.

Low levels of Social wellbeing

• isolation

• difficulty forming and maintaining meaningful relationships

• struggle to effectively communicate with others.

Emotional wellbeing

The ability for an individual to appropriately control and express their own emotions

in an adaptive way,

as well as understand the emotions of others

High levels of emotional wellbeing

• be aware of their own and others’ current emotional state

• experience a wide range of emotions

• express emotions at appropriate times.

Low levels of emotional wellbeing

• unable to understand or name emotions

• unable to experience certain emotions

• express emotions inappropriately or at inappropriate times

Wellbeing Continuum

A tool used to track fluctuating mental wellbeing.

Why is mental wellbeing considered to be on a continuum?

Because mental wellbeing is a dynamic state

Characteristics of high levels of mental wellbeing

• Able to function independently within everyday life

• able to cope w/ everyday demands w/out excessive levels of distress

• may experience stress, sadness, and anger- able to cope with these experiences

Characteristics of moderate levels of mental wellbeing

• not functioning at an optimal level

• less severe and more temporary in nature compared to low levels

Characteristics of low levels of mental wellbeing

• high levels of distress

• unable to independently complete tasks

• unable to meet demands of their environment

Internal factors that influence mental wellbeing

Factors that arise from within the individual

For example:

• Stress response

• Thought patterns

• Genetic predisposition

External factors that influence mental wellbeing

Factors that arise from an individual’s environment

For example:

• Loss of a significant relationship

• Level of education

• Difficulty within certain environments, e.g work or school

Stress

A psychological and physiological experience that occurs when an individual

encounters something of significance that demands their attention and/or

efforts to cope.

Characteristics of stress

• Normal part of life, not necessarily a sign of low levels of mental wellbeing.

• Distress→ when an individual does not feel that they have adequate resources to cope with a stressor→lower an individual’s mental wellbeing.

• Usually in response to a known cause.

Anxiety

A psychological and physiological response that involves feelings of worry and

apprehension about a perceived threat.

Characteristics of anxiety

• Typically only involves negative feelings (distress).

• May be due to an unknown stimulus.

• Usually future-oriented

Specific Phobia

A type of diagnosable anxiety disorder

categorised by excessive and disproportionate fear

when encountering or anticipating the encounter of a particular stimulus.

Specific phobia characteristics

• going to great lengths to avoid phobic stimulus

• significant disruption to daily functioning at work, home, social life, or with family

• low levels of mental wellbeing when encountering or attempting to avoid the phobic stimulus

Biopsychosocial approach

a holistic, interdisciplinary framework for understanding the human experience

in terms of the influence of biological, psychological, and social factors.

Biological factors

internal, genetic, and/or physiologically based factors

Psychological contributing factors defintion

internal factors relating to an individual’s mental processes, including their

• cognition

• affect

• thoughts,

• beliefs

• attitudes

Social factors

external factors relating to an individual’s interactions with others and their external environment

• includes relationships and community involvement

What is GABA ?

The primary inhibitory neurotransmitter in the nervous system

How does GABA regulate the flight-or-fight-or-freeze and anxiety?

By slowing or halting the excitatory neural impulse responsible for these reactions.

GABA dysfunction

insufficient neural transmission or reception of GABA in the body

• low levels of GABA→hgh levels of anxiety

How does GABA dysfunction contribute to the development of a specific phobia?

• stress response= more easily triggered by certain stimuli than someone with adequate GABA levels.

• recurrent stress responses to specific stimuli= can lead to development of a phobia.

Long-term potentiation

the long-lasting and experience-dependent strengthening of synaptic connections that are

regularly coactivated

How does LTP continue the feeling of anxiety in relation to a specific phobia?

• Aids in learning and memory of fear→strengthens synaptic connections in the neural pathway formed during the learning process.

• The more the phobic stimulus is encountered, the more the connection is strengthened→ harder it is to forget the fear.

precipitating risk factor

increases our susceptibility to and contributes to the development of a mental health disorder.

• classical conditioning

classical conditioning model response- before conditioning

• Before conditioning,

• The neutral stimulus (NS) of — produced no relevant response. 

• The unconditioned stimulus (UCS) of — produced an unconditioned response (UCR) of —

classical conditioning model response- during conditioning

• During conditioning

• the (NS) was repeatedly paired with the (UCS).

• The (NS) was presented half a second before the (UCS).

• This produced the UCR of (UCR- link to it being in response to the UCS)

classical conditioning model response- after conditioning

• After conditioning,

• The once neutral stimulus (NS) is now the conditioned stimulus of (insert CS here)

• which produces the conditioned response of (insert CR here)

• without the presence of the unconditioned stimulus (insert UCS here)

perpetuating risk factor

a risk factor that inhibits an individual’s ability to recover from a mental health disorder.

• operant conditioning

• stigma

Operant conditioning of a phobia

• Antecedent= phobia

• Behaviour= avoidance

• Consequence= removal of fear response

• This is negative reinforcement as the removal of the undesirable stimulus (anxiety) increases the likelihood of repeating the behaviour of avoiding the phobic stimulus again, perpetuating the phobia.

Cognitive biases defintion

a predisposition to think about and process information in a certain way.

• This can cause errors in judgements and thoughts. 

Memory bias definition

refers to the tendency to recall or recognise negative or threatening information better than positive or neutral information.

Memory bias example

Fear of horses- remember the one and only time a horse attacked them and forget every other positive interaction with a horse.

Catastrophic thinking

A thinking style which involves overestimating, exaggerating or magnifying an object or situation and predicting the worst possible outcome.

Catastrophic thinking example

Eg: A person with a phobia of a particular animal may believe that any encounter with that animal will kill them.

Specific environmental triggers

stimuli or experiences in a person’s environment that prompt an extreme stress response,

• leads to development of phobias. 

three types of specific environmental triggers.

• Direct confrontation (e.g. being bitten by snake)

• Observation of another person

• Indirect learning (e.g. through a movie)

Stigma

the feeling of shame or disgrace experienced by an individual for a characteristic that differentiates them from others

how does stigma act as a barrier to treatment?

b/c it can stop patients from receiving help and support they need.

• This can worsen anxiety symptoms associated with their phobia.

Biological interventions

• GABA antagonists

• Breathing retraining

Psychological interventions

• cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)

• Systematic desensitisation

Social interventions

Psychoeducation

• Challenging unrealistic or anxious thoughts

• Not encouraging avoidance behaviours

Agonists

a type of drug that imitates neurotransmitters

and works to initiate a neural response (excitatory or inhibitory)

when it binds to the receptor sites of a neuron

Benzodiazepines

a type of medication that depresses CNS activity and is often used

as a short-acting anti-anxiety medication

How benzodiazepines work as GABA antagonists

1. Benzodiazepines bind to a GABA receptor site on a postsynaptic neuron.

2. The benzodiazepines increase the effectiveness of GABA when it later binds to the same receptor sites + mimics its effects.

3. GABA is then able to have its inhibitory effect→ reduces likelihood that the neuron will fire.

4. Acts temporarily to reduce neural communication→ reduces anxiety.

The role of benzodiazepines in the treatment of phobia

Can be used to treat GABA dysfunction, and therefore the development of specific phobia

Strengths of Benzodiazepines

• effective short-term treatment @ reducing physiological symptoms.

• targets biological contributing factor; GABA dysfunction

Limitations of Benzodiazepines

• needs to be taken daily

• focuses on physiological symptoms not the psychological causes

Breathing retraining

a method used to teach breathing control techniques that may reduce physiological

arousal

How does encountering a phobic stimulus result in anxiety?

• Someone is facing a phobic stimulus→ often experiences fast, shallow breathing→ sympathetic nervous system becomes dominant.

• can lead to hyperventilation & engagement of other sympathetic nervous system responses→ increased anxiety.

process of bretahing retraining

1. A psychologist or doctor will teach a person with a specific phobia how to consciously control their breathing.

2. The learner applies the breathing techniques learnt in step 1 when in the presence of a phobic stimulus→ decreases sympathetic nervous system dominance & reduces anxiety.

Specific breathing techniques for bretahing retraining

breathing slowly in through the nose and breathing out slowly from the diaphragm

Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)

a form of psychotherapy that encourages individuals to substitute dysfunctional cognitions and behaviours with more adaptive ones.

cognitive component of CBT (& cognitive behavioural strategies)

• identifying negative thoughts and feelings (cognitions) about the issue.

• replacing these negative thoughts and feelings with more positive ones.

Cognitions that may contribute to and perpetuate specific phobia

• Memory bias

• Catastrophic thinking

• A belief that the phobia can never be overcome

behavioural component of CBT (& cognitive behavioural strategies)

• identifying negative behaviours relating to the issue.

• developing and maintaining more positive behaviours relating to the issue.

Behaviours that may contribute to and perpetuate specific phobia

• avoiding phobic stimulus and anything related to it

• Not seeking help

Systematic desensitisation

a therapeutic technique used to overcome phobias

• involves being exposed incrementally to increasingly anxiety-inducing stimuli,

• combined with the use of relaxation techniques

Steps of systematic desensitisation

1. Learning of relaxation techniques- e.g. breathing techniques

2. Development of fear hierarchy

3. Gradual step-by-step exposure under supervision of professional

4. Continuation of exposure until the most fear inducing stimulus can be faced w/out phobic response
   **cannot move up hierarchy until you experience sense of calm with initial stimulus

Psychoeducation

Teaching families and supporters of individuals with mental health disorders how to better understand, deal with, and treat their disorder.

Challenging unrealistic or anxious thoughts

family and supporters→ encouraged to actively challenge anxious thoughts

→ helps person w/ specific phobia to understand that some cognitive components of their fears= potentially unfounded & irrational.

• should be done in a supportive, non-judgemental fashion.

Not encouraging avoidant behaviours

families and supporters are taught to not encourage avoidance behaviours

→ do not solve and only perpetuate the phobic anxiety.

Social and emotional wellbeing (SEWB)

an interconnected framework that includes all elements of being, and therefore wellbeing, for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

It is:

• Multidimensional

• Holistic

Multidimensional

made up of different components

Holistic (in relation to SEWB)

an approach to wellbeing that considers the whole person, including their mental, physical, spiritual, and social needs

SEWB view on mental wellbeing for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples 

• Definitions will vary across Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander language groups

• Will change through a life span

How many dimensions of wellbeing are there? (SEWB framework)

7

Connection to body (in relation to SEWB)

connecting to the physical body and health in order to participate fully in all aspects of life

Connection to mind and emotions (in relation to SEWB)

ability to effectively manage thoughts and feelings

Connection to Family and Kinship (in relation to SEWB)

connection to the immediate and wider family group and community

Connection to community (in relation to SEWB)

connection to wider social systems

• provides individuals and families the ability to connect with and support each other

Connection to Culture (in relation to SEWB)

a strong sense of identity, values, tradition, and connection between the past, present,

and future that drives behaviour and beliefs

Connection to Country (in relation to SEWB)

traditional lands of a particular language or cultural group, including both geographical boundaries and the spiritual, emotional, and intellectual connections to and within it

Connection to Spirituality (in relation to SEWB)

a concept that connects all things, and shapes beliefs, values, and behaviour.

• guides knowledge systems, culture, and all that is life for Aboriginal people, including:

  • connections to ancestors

  • the past

  • the present

  • the future

Connection to Ancestors (in relation to SEWB)

a belief that a family and communities ancestors are interconnected with Creation spirits and Country

• watch over, guide, and protect families and communities in the physical + spiritual world

two important cultural determinants of wellbeing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities

• cultural continuity

• self-determination.

Cultural continuity

the passing down and active practice of cultural knowledge, traditions, and values from generation to generation

Self-determination

the rights of all peoples to pursue freely their economic, social, and cultural development without outside interference

Determinants of wellbeing

factors that influence wellbeing on individual and community levels

Protective factors

influences that enable an individual to promote and maintain high levels of

mental wellbeing.

Biological protective factors definition

influences that stem from an individual’s brain and/or body that can maintain or

promote mental wellbeing

Adequate nutrition and hydration definition

when the type and amount of food and drink that an individual consumes meet their physical needs

Adequate nutrition and hydration explanation

• balanced diet: minimal amounts of unhealthy food & more healthier options

• adequate nutrition & hydration promotes mental wellbeing

Sleep definition

a regular and naturally occurring altered state of consciousness that involves a loss of awareness and disengagement with internal and external stimuli

Sleep explanation (in regards to it being a protective factor)

link between poor sleep & mental illness

adequate sleep= reduce likelihood of mental health disorder & promote mental wellbeing

Psychological protective factors

influences that relate to mental processes that can maintain and promote mental wellbeing

Cognitive behavioural strategies definition

techniques that utilise traits of cognitive behavioural therapy, particularly recognising and changing dysfunctional thought and behavioural patterns

Cognitive behavioural strategies explaination

• used to promote mental wellbeing by acknowledging and changing thoughts + behaviours that impair mental wellbeing

• “cognitive restructuring”= cognitive component of CBS