unit 4 aos 2: theory

Mental Wellbeing:

Complex multifaceted phenomenon including, Ways of considering mental wellbeing:

·       Levels of Functioning 

·       Resilience 

·       Social & Emotional Wellbeing 

Can be considered to have high or low levels of mental wellbeing depending on ability to function and cope with everyday demands.

Levels of Functioning:

Individuals’ ability to complete daily tasks in an independent manner. Individuals’ life factors are considered (successful when they meet the demands of their life). Inability to meet demands of daily life, sign of experiencing low levels of mental wellbeing.

Resilience:

 Ability to cope and adapt to ever-changing circumstances. Can be taught over time & can result from seeking appropriate social support. Being resilient does not mean that there is no difficulty or distress in life, however it means you are able to respond effectively to stressors and adapt. 

Social Wellbeing:

Develop a sense of connection with others, essential in most environments. Helps individuals gain confidence and create positive interactions, gain confidence & build strong networks. Social wellbeing is often explored with Emotional wellbeing.

Emotional Wellbeing:

Regulation of emotions, ability to process the emotions at suitable times and understanding other emotions, displayed through empathy. Negative emotions can be felt by those with strong emotional wellbeing – however, it is the ability to effectively manage these emotions appropriately.

SEWB & Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities:  

Aboriginal peoples and communities teach importance of considering the whole person when conceptualising mental wellbeing. 

Social & Emotional Wellbeing (SEWB) includes all elements of being and therefore wellbeing. The SEWB framework is: 

·       Multidimensional – made up of different components 

·       Holistic – considers the whole person (mental, physical, spiritual and social needs).

Grounded in collectivist perspective- self is viewed as significantly linked to family and community. Culture and cultural identity are integral to achieving social and emotional wellbeing. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ understanding of social and emotional wellbeing varies between different cultural groups and individuals.

SEWB Framework:

·      Social and Emotional Wellbeing (SEWB) Framework explores 7 dimensions. Separated in framework, however, are all interconnected and at times hard to separate. Complex concept of wellbeing that extends beyond conventional understandings 

·      At the centre is the individual, who is surrounded by a network of relationships between individuals, family, kin and community. It also recognises the importance of connection to land, culture, spirituality and ancestry, and how these affect the individual.

·      The framework also acknowledges that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are impacted by Social, Historical & Political Determinants of wellbeing.

Connection to: Body:

Connecting to the physical body in order to participate fully in all aspects of life (Maintaining healthy weight, access to good nutrition, and managing illness and disability).

Connection to: Mind and Emotions:

Ability to effectively manage thoughts and feelings. (Maintaining self-esteem, connecting to values and motivation, high levels of confidence, and maintaining strong identity). 

Connection to: Family and Kinship:

Connection to the immediate and wider family group and community. (Spending time within family groups promotes a feeling of connection and therefore wellbeing and caring for the ill is the responsibility of all, not simply one’s biological parents or children).

Connection to: Community:

Connection to wider social systems, providing individuals and families the ability to connect with and support each other. (Community services and support, and networks).

Connection to: Culture:

A strong sense of identity, values, tradition, and connection between the past, present, and future that drives behaviour and beliefs.

(Elders passing on information and tradition to future generations, speaking local languages, attending cultural events, and participating in traditional rites and rituals that enable children to learn about their culture’s value systems).

Connection to: Country:

The traditional lands of a particular language or cultural group, both geographically and the spiritual, emotional, and intellectual connections to and within it. Establishing social and emotional wellbeing is a strongly embedded in connection to Country. (Beliefs are tied heavily to the land and how one lives on it, therefore one belongs to land rather than the other way around). 

Connection to: Spirituality and Ancestors:

Spirituality: a concept that connects all things, and shapes beliefs, values, and behaviour. It guides knowledge systems, culture, and all that is life for Aboriginal people, including connections to ancestors, the past, the present, and the future.

Ancestors: a belief that a family’s and community’s ancestors are interconnected with Creation spirits and Country, and watch over, guide, and protect families and communities in the physical and spiritual world. (Ancestors watch over them for the entirety of their life, offering guidance creating sense of purpose and wellbeing).

Determinants of Wellbeing on Framework:

Mental wellbeing continuum:

Mental wellbeing is dynamic (changes over time with life experiences). Placed on a mental wellbeing continuum, position that shifts over time. This tool is used to track fluctuating mental wellbeing.

Points on the continuum: high

Points on the continuum: middle

Points on the continuum: low

Factors influencing mental wellbeing:

Place on continuum is influenced by:

• Internal factors (with in individual)

• External factors (from environment)

These factors can be protective (preventing development low levels of wellbeing); or risk factors (contributing to development low levels of mental wellbeing).

Internal Factors:

Categorised as:

• Biological factors = functioning of body

• Psychological factors = influences that come from mental processes and may relate to prior learning experiences and memory.

Can be more vulnerable to a disorder at different times because of biological factors such as genetics, sex, neurotransmitter function, hormones, immune function, nervous system activity, and physical health.

Psychological factors = styles of thinking, beliefs and attitudes, emotions, learning and memory, and personality traits.

External Factors:

Categorised as:

Social factors =conditions in which people live.

Examples of social factors are: relationships, early life experience, education level, income, social support, stability of accommodation, experience of abuse, cultural values, employment, and discrimination.

SKILLS Practice: Key points to remember:

·       When identifying and applying internal and external factors that influence mental wellbeing, start by stating the category your factor belongs to (internal or external) and then list the examples you have chosen.

·      
Use quotation marks to clearly
provide examples from the scenario that back up your example.

·       Make a link from your example to the impact.

Distinguishing between stress, anxiety and phobia:

As psychological constructs, stress, anxiety and specific phobia have many similarities and can be difficult to distinguish between. Differences that result in different placements on the continuum.

Stress

Not necessarily a sign of low levels of mental wellbeing, normal. Stress usually in response to known cause (different from anxiety). Eustress is positive stress.

-              Distress = does not feel as though they have adequate resources to cope with a stressor. It can lower an individual’s level of mental wellbeing.

Anxiety:

While stress can involve both positive (eustress) and negative (distress) feelings, anxiety typically only involves negative feelings (distress). Anxiety is broader than stress and may be due to an unknown stimulus. Usually future-oriented, meaning that it involves worrying about events that may happen in the future.

Stress and anxiety on the continuum:

Both stress and anxiety are on the moderate to high part of the mental wellbeing continuum because:

• people will experience both as an expected part of daily life.

• usually don’t interrupt daily functioning, not always a sign of low mental wellbeing.

• some stress and anxiety can be adaptive for functioning

When anxiety is excessive, persistent over a long period of time, and disrupts aspects

of daily functioning, an individual may experience lower levels of mental wellbeing.

Phobia:

Phobia: Specific phobias associated with:

• an individual going to great lengths to avoid their phobic stimulus.

• significant disruption to individual’s daily functioning

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

summary:

Biopsychosocial approach:

 suggests that biological, psychological, and social influences interact with each other, are equally effective, best used together. Therefore, to maintain mental wellbeing, a combination of biopsychosocial protective factors is likely to be most effective. 

Protective factors:

utilised by individuals as tools in their day-to-day lives to promote and maintain high levels of mental wellbeing. Protective factors can work in two ways by: 

• reducing risk of low levels of mental wellbeing / developing a mental health disorder 

• increasing likelihood of high levels of mental wellbeing.

Do not guarantee high levels of mental wellbeing but may help to improve an individual’s mental wellbeing. Recognise that individual protective factors are not always a solution to managing low levels of mental wellbeing, further interventions and treatments may be required.

BIOLOGICAL PROTECTIVE FACTORS: Adequate nutritional intake and hydration:

consuming the appropriate nutrients to allow your body to carry out all the processes required to maintain high levels of physical and mental wellbeing. Provides body with enough energy to do daily life, adapt, overcome stressors. Mental wellbeing impacted by what we eat and drink.

 

Research tells us to drink 2-3 litres of water, and mediterranean diet (unprocessed food) best for mental wellbeing. Western-style diet (processed foods and lacking vital nutrients): impair mental wellbeing by increasing risk of experiencing mental health disorders.

Sleep:

 Adequate sleep is vital as a restorative process to prepare the body for daily life. Adequate sleep = less irritable, less likely to become ill. When stressors are encountered, a person is well placed to overcome them. Link between poor sleep and mental illness. Recommended amount of sleep is best for mental wellbeing. Poor sleep can contribute to issues with memory consolidation, inability to restore neurotransmitter levels and reduced resilience. Sleep problems are common in patients with anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Adequate nutrition and hydration, sleep, have a bidirectional relationship with mental wellbeing. This means that while nutrition and sleep can influence mental wellbeing, mental wellbeing can influence nutrition and sleep. (adequate nutrition and hydration can be a protective factor for depression, however, depression can also impair an individual’s appetite, meaning it may be more challenging for a depressed individual to have adequate nutrition and hydration). 

PSYCHOLOGICAL PROTECTIVE FACTORS:

Psychological risk factors:

factors that relate to functioning of brain and mind (cognitive and affective processes such as thought patterns and memory). 

Risk factors include:

·      
Rumination: repeating thinking about negative thoughts and
experiences. Can lead to distress and contribute to the development of a mental
disorder, or prolong existing ones.

·      
Stress: linked to both psychological and biological processes
that occur in the body when a person encounters a stimulus that challenges
their coping mechanisms. Appraisal of stimulus as challenging or exceeding
their coping ability can then lead to a stress response that contributes to the
development of a mental disorder.

·      
Self-efficacy: a person’s confidence that they can complete life tasks
and meet their goals. Poor self-efficacy may lead to negative thought patterns
about the ability to cope with the everyday demands of life, can contribute to
the development of a mental disorder.

PSYCHOLOGICAL PROTECTIVE FACTORS:

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

• Mindfulness meditation: type of meditation, encourages an individual to pay attention to the present moment (current feelings, thoughts, and surroundings, without judgement).

Cognitive behavioural therapy involves a cognitive and a behavioural component. It involves strategies that focus on the ways in which people think, which often then influences their behaviour. 

The cognitive component involves: 

·      identifying dysfunctional feelings and thoughts
(cognitions) about the issue.

·      replacing these dysfunctional feelings and thoughts with
more functional ones. 

The behavioural component involves: 

·      identifying dysfunctional behaviours relating to the
issue. 

·      developing and maintaining more functional behaviours
relating to the issue.

Mindfulness meditation=setting aside some time in day to observe present moment, suspend judgements, and focus on something calm and peaceful. This could be a mindfulness meditation that focuses on breathing, an awareness of the body or being in a calm place such as by the beach.

 

Mindfulness meditation can: improve emotional reactivity, reduce the likelihood of rumination (repeatedly considering negative thoughts), reduce stress, improve memory.  

 

Specific type of meditation that encourages an individual to pay attention to the present moment (current feelings, thoughts, and surroundings). Additionally, mindfulness meditation requires an individual to observe their present experience with kindness and without judgement. Mindfulness meditation can be practised by sitting comfortably and focusing attention on your senses.

SOCIAL PROTECTIVE FACTORS:

For support to be effective in promoting mental wellbeing, ensure that it is authentic and energising. This means ensuring that the support being provided: 

• genuinely aims to promote mental wellbeing 

• is focused on creating an environment that is likely to improve mental wellbeing 

• uses legitimate and effective advice.

 

This key knowledge focuses on the positive attributes that should accompany social support – support that is authentic (genuine, down-to-earth, real) and energising (provides vitality, enthusiasm).

The community aspect of this key knowledge can come from community groups that a person engages with (sports club, music group or local community group or more formal support) that comes from the community settings (Headspace and Beyond Blue and other support organisations). Students should understand the reasons why this type of support can act as a social protective factor that can maintain mental wellbeing.

Cultural Determinants of wellbeing: 

The cultural determinants of wellbeing originate from and promote a strength-based perspective, acknowledging that stronger connections to culture and Country build stronger individual and collective identities, a sense of self-esteem and resilience. Health incorporates individual and community, social, emotional, spiritual and cultural wellbeing.

2 cultural determinants: Cultural continuity and self-determination.

Many determinants of wellbeing, from influences in physical environment to economic factors. Culture is an important determinant of wellbeing. For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, culture can be understood as encompassing a strong sense of identity, values, tradition, and connection between the past, present, and future that drives behaviour and beliefs.

Cultural continuity:

 For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, cultural continuity and the practising of culture can involve a living relationship with ancestors, the spiritual dimension of existence, and connection to Country and language. Strengthening cultural identity acts as a buffer against psychological stress, the transmission of historical trauma between generations (intergenerational trauma), self-harm and suicide.

 

As part of the British colonisation practices, assimilation and ‘protection’ policies saw many First Nations people violently separated from their families and punished for speaking their languages or honouring their culture. Policies where in early 1900s to 1970s. Many of these First Nations people (Stolen Generations), and descendants still working through the trauma of these colonisation policies. Cultural continuity is a vital cultural determinant for the re-establishment and maintenance of wellbeing in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, and Indigenous populations worldwide, as it enables communities to heal and form strong identities.

Cultural continuity can be disrupted if cultural practices are not allowed to continue. (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, this occurred with the arrival of the British first fleet in 1788). As noted by Professor Mick Dodson AM, ‘the lives of Indigenous Australians today are affected by what has happened to us and our ancestors over the past 230 years since Europeans arrived”.

Before colonisation, Aboriginal peoples often lived in small family groups linked into larger language groups with distinct territorial boundaries. Aboriginal cultures were strong and well developed, with complex kinship systems and rules for social interaction. They had language, ceremonies, customs and traditions and extensive knowledge of their environment. The AIATSIS Map of Indigenous Australia shows the territories of the main groups.

European colonisation had a devastating impact on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and cultures, with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples being subjected to a range of injustices (mass killings or being displaced from their traditional lands and relocated to missions and reserves in the name of ‘protection’). Cultural practices were denied, subsequently many were lost. For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, colonisation meant massacre, violence, disease and loss.

Self Determination:

This is specified by the UN. Self-determination requires that First Nations people are involved in decision making including decisions that impact communities, states, and the country. 

When Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples were subjected to colonisation and dispossession, cultural determinant was lost and contributed to significant disadvantage and low levels of wellbeing. A range of practices may be used by governments and organisations to demonstrate that they respect and are enabling Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ self-determination. These practices include:

·      
prioritising culture

·      
addressing trauma and supporting healing

·      
addressing racism and promoting cultural safety

·      
transferring power and resources to communities.

Does not mean separate from the wider Australian community. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples assert their right to freely determine their own political, economic, social and cultural development. This contributes to the promotion and maintenance of wellbeing for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Self-determination can include endeavours such as: 

• Aboriginal community-controlled organisations. 

• established partnerships between communities, governments, and non-government organisations, which is any not-for-profit organisation that exists to address a political or social issue. 

• constitutional recognition for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. 

This will recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Nations of Australia and empower Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to determine their own futures. Self-determination is an integral factor for the maintenance of wellbeing in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as it enables communities to protect what is most important to them on a wider scale.