Psych mental wellbeing and Phobias

Mental wellbeing

an individuals psychological state, indidcating their ability to think, process information and regulate emotions

Levels of functioning

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

resilience

the capacity to recover quickly from setbacks and manage stress

Social wellbeing

ability of an individual to maintaing meaningful connections with others and adapt in different social situations.

Emotional wellbeing

involves the ability of an indidvudual to appropriately manage and express their emoitions in an adaptive way.

SEWB framework

multidimensional, meaning that it is made up of different components.

Connection to Country

helps underpin identity and a sense of belonging

Connection to culture

provides a sense of continuity with the past and helps underpin a strong identity

Connection to community

community provides opportunity for individuals and families to connect with each other, support and work together.

Connection to body

Having a physically strong and healthy body assists in being able to physically partici[ate as fully as possible in life

Connection to mind and emotions

ability to manage thoughts and feelings

Connection to spirituality and ancestors

provides a sense of purpose and meaning

Family and Kinship

central to the functiong of aboriginal and torress strait islander people.

Social determinants

socio-economic status, stereotypes, poverty, unemployment, discrimination

Historical determinants

impact of past government policies and the extent of historical oppression and cultural displacement experienced

political determinants

unresolved issues of land, control of resources

High levels of mental wellbeing

• ability to functioning independantly within everyday life

• ability to cope with every day demands without showing excessive leves of distress or dysfunction

middle of the continuum

• not functioning at an optimal level

• temporary or moderate impact on mental wellbeing

• experiences amplified emotions and high levels of stress

• difficulty concentrating

• more likely to experience irrational thought patterns

Low levels of mental wellbeing

• shows excessive levels of distress

• unable to independently complete tasks and meet the demands of the environment

• may be diagnosed by a mental health professional

Internal factors

factors that arise from within an individual

• biological

• psychological

External factors

are factors that arise from an individuals environemtn

• social

Biological factors

functioning of a persons bodys

• genetics

• sex

• neurotransmitter function

• hormones

Psychological factors

refers to the influences that come from mental processes and may relate to prior learning experiences and memory.

• styles of thinking

• beliefs and attitudes

• emotions

Social factors

conditions in which people live and grow

• relationships

• early life experience

• education level

• income

Stress

psychological and physiological response to a stimuli that demands their attention or efforts to cope.

Anxiety

psychological and physiological response that involves feelings of worry and apprehension about a percieved threat.

Specific Phobia

type of diagnosable anxiety disorder that is categorised by excessive and disproportionate feat when encountering or anticipating an encounter of a particular stimulus.

Simmilarities (stress, anxiety, phobia)

• the sympathetic nervous system is dominant for al

Differences (stress, anxiety, phobia)

• Stress: known stimulus, Anxiety: unknown stimulus, phobia: known stimulus

• Stress: can be eustress or distress; anxiety: distress only; phobia: distress only

Biological factors

• GABA dysfunction

• long-term potentiation

Psychological factors

• classical conditioning

• operant conditioning

• cognitive biases

Social factor

• specific environmental triggers

• stigma

GABA dysfunction

insufficient neural transmission or reception of GABA (inhibtory neurotransmitters) in the body

• increased activiation of the flight or fight of freeze response meaning someone is more likely to develop a phobia

Long term potentiation

long lasting and experience dependant strengthening of the synaptic connections that are regularly coactivated.

• strengthens the association between a phobic stimulus and anxiety/fear response

Precipitation by classical conditioning

• what becomes a phobic stimulus is initially the NS

• through repeated association with an unconditioned stimulus that naturally induces fear, the NS becomes the CS (phobic stimulus

• producing the conditioned response CR of phobic response

perpetuation by operant conditioning

• through avoiding confrontation with the phobic stimulus, a person is negatively reinforced through this avoidance.

• over time, this reinforcement strengthens or maintains the phobic, preventing the recovery through this cycle as avoidance behaviours are more likely to be repeated.

Cognitive biases

• memory bias: caused by an inaccurate or exaggerated memory.

• amplifies the negative memories, ignoring the positive interactions

• catasrophic thinking: a stimulus or event is predicted to be far worse thatn it actually is.

• imagining the worst possible scenario

Specific environmental triggers

stimuli or experiences in a persons environment that evoke an extreme stress response, leading to the development of a phobia.

• direct observation: actually having a negative experience with the stimulus

• observation: watching someone have a negative experience with a stimulus

• learning: inderect confrontation but you hear/learn about the dangers or scariness of a stimulus

Stigma

feelings of shame or disgrace experience by an individual towards a characteristic that differentiates them from others.

• may feel embarrased to seek proffesional help for a phobia

Evidence based biological interventions

• GABA agonists (Benzodiazepines)

• Breathing retraining

Benzodiazepines

type of medication that depresses CNS activity.

• imitates neurotransmitters and works to initiate an inhibitory neural response when it binds the the receptor sites of a neuron.

Breathing retraining

teaching breathing control techniques that may reduce physiological arousal

• restores amount of oxygen in the body to help the parasympathetic NS become more dominant and reduce arousal.

Evidence based psychological interventions

• Cognitive behavioural therapy

• systematic desensitisation

Cognitive behavioural therapy

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

• cognitive component: identifying negative thoughts and feelings about the issue and replacing them with more positive ones.

• behavioural component: identifying negative behaviours relating to the issue, developing and maintaining more positive behaviours relating to the issue.

Systematic desensitisation

a therapy technique used to overcome phobias.

• step 1: the learning of relaxation techniques

• step 2: the development of a fear hierarchy

• step 3: the gradual step by step exposure

• step 4: the continuation of this systematic exposure

Evidence based social interventions

Psychoeducation: involves teachig families and supporters of individuals with mental health disorders how to better understand, deal with and treat their disorder.

Biological protective factors

• adequate nutrition and hydration: when the type and amount of food and drink an individual consumes meet their physical needs.

• sleep: a naturally occurring altered state of consciousness, that involves a loss of awareness to internal and external stimuli.

Psychological protective factors

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

• mindfulness meditation: an individual focus on their present experiences to promote feelings of calm and peace.

Social protective factor

• support: genuine and affective assistance provided by familu, friends and community.

Cultural determinants of mental wellbeing

• cultural continuity: refers to the passing down and active practice of cultural knowledge, traditions and values from generation to generation.

• eg: crafts, music, dance, theatre, writing, storytelling, languages

• self determination: the right of all people to pursue freely their economic, social and cultural development without outside interference.