Mental wellbeing AOS 2 UNIT 4 PSYCHOLOGY

Mental wellbeing (according to WHO)

a state of wellbeing in which an individual reaches their own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and is able to make a contribution to their community.

what does WHODAS stand for and what does it do?

World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0: measures people's level of functioning

Social wellbeing

the ability for an individual to form and maintain meaningful bonds with others, and adapt to different social situations

Emotional wellbeing

ability to control emotions and express them appropriately

Resilience

Ability to cope with and adapt to life stressors and maintain positive functioning

Internal factors

factors that originate inside or within a person

External factors

factors that originate outisde a person

Risk factors

Any factor that increases the development or progression of a mental disorder or decreases mental wellbeing

Protective factors

Any factor that decreases the development or reoccurance of a mental disorder or increases mental wellbeing

Biological protective factors

Adequate nutritional intake, hydration and sleep

Psychological protective factors

Mindfulness meditation, cognitive behavioural strategies

mindfulness meditation

a practice that helps improve and maintain good mental wellbeing by redirecting thoughts to focus on something specific such as emotions, sensations or thoughts

cognitive behavioural strategies

taught to identify negative and unrealistic thoughts and worries and replace them with more positive and realistic thoughts

Social protective factors

support from family, friends and community that is authentic and energising

SEWB framework (what does it stand for and what is it)

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People's social and emotional wellbeing framework: multidimensional and holistic framework for wellbeing that encapsulates all elements of being for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people

Domains of SEWB

body, mind and emotions, family and kinship, community, culture, country, spirituality and ancestors

determinants of SEWB

social, historical and political

Cultural continuity

the ability to preserve the historical traditions of a culture and carry them forward with that culture into the future

self-determination

the right to make decisions about their lives and communities

stress

a state of physiological and psychological arousal produced by internal or external stressors that are perceived by the individual as challenging or exceeding their ability or resources to cope

anxiety

an emotion like worrying and a feeling of uneasiness that something is wrong or something bad is going to happen and is usually accompanied by physiological signs

anxiety disorder

when chronic and/or severe anxiety interferes with someone's daily life and stops them doing what they want to do

phobia

a persistent, intense, irrational fear of a specific object or event

specific phobia

a disorder characterised by marked fear or anxiety about a specific object or situation, often leading to avoidance behaviour

Five categories of specific phobias

animals, natural environments, situations, blood injections/ injury and other phobias

Biological risk factors: specific phobia

GABA dysfunction, Long Term Potentiation

GABA dysfunction

a failure to produce, release or receive the adequate amount of GABA

Gamma-amino butyric acid (GABA)

the primary inhibitory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system

Causes of low GABA levels

genetic inheritance, CNS damage, prolonged stress, nutritional deficiencies, high caffeine intake

Long Term potentiation

LTP is the strengthening of synpatic connections through co-activation of the phobic stimulus and a fear/anxiety response to the phobic stimulus through repeated activation in the amygdala

Psychological risk factors: specific phobias

Behavioural and cognitive models

Behavioural models

Two factor learning theory: A specific phobia may be precipitated through classical conditioning and perpetuated by operant conditioning

Cognitive models

Models that focus on how the individual processes information about the phobic stimulus and related events

cognitive bias

a tendency to think in a way that involves errors of judgement and faulty decision making

memory bias

current fears distort memories, and you only remember the bad experiences associated with a phobic stimulus

catastrophic thinking

a thinking style which involves exaggerating the risks of the phobic object and predicting the worst possible scenario

social risk factors: specific phobia

specific environmental trigger, stigma

specific environmental triggers

a direct, negative and traumatic experience with a particular phobic stimulus at some time in the past

Stigma

a mark or sign of shame, disgrace or disapproval typically associated with a particular characteristic or attribute that sets a person apart

social stigma

any aspect of an individual's identity that is devalued in a social context

self stigma

the stigmatising views that individuals hold about themselves