VCE Psychology Unit 4 AOS 2 - What influences mental wellbeing?

Wellbeing

a state in which an individual is mentally, physically, and socially healthy and secure

levels of functioning

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

high levels of functioning

are demonstrated by:

being productive completing daily tasks

being independent

adapting to environmental change

setting goals and taking steps to achieve them

carrying out basic every day tasks (i.e. hygiene)

low levels of functioning

are demonstrated by:

struggling to carry out basic tasks

feeling uncharacteristically lethargic/tired, thus unproductive in achieving tasks

lack direction or goal-setting ability in life

unable to cope with environmental change

resilience

the ability to cope with and manage change and uncertainty

high levels of resilience

are demonstrated by:

seeking solutions to problems

using appropriate coping strategies

being flexible in changing circumstances

being optimistic and hopeful

low levels of resilience

are demonstrated by:

enduring feelings of being overwhelmed when problems arise

relying on unhealthy or unhelpful coping strategies

being unable to adapt or change

lacking hope and optimism

Social wellbeing

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

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 social wellbeing

are demonstrated by:

having a strong support network

being able to form and maintain meaningful relationships

being able to effectively communicate with others

low levels of social wellbeing

are demonstrated by:

being isolated/lacking a support network

difficulty forming and maintaining meaningful relationships

struggle to effectively communicate with others

high levels of emotional wellbeing

are demonstrated by:

being aware of one's own and other's current emotional state

experiencing a wide range of emotions

expressing emotions at appropriate times

low levels of emotional wellbeing

are demonstrated by:

being unable to understand/identify one's own or other's emotions

feeling apathetic/unable to experience certain emotions

expressing emotions at inappropriate times

social and emotional wellbeing (SEWB)

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

multidimensional

made up of different components

holistic (SEWB)

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

body (SEWB)

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

maintaining a healthy weight, good nutrition, managing illness and disability

mind and emotions (SEWB)

ability to effectively manage thoughts and feelings

maintaining self-esteem, a strong sense of identity, and high levels of confidence

family and kinship (SEWB)

connection to the immediate and wider family group and community

spending time within family groups promoting connection, thus wellbeing

community (SEWB)

connection to wider social systems, providing individuals and families the ability to connect with and support each other

community services and support networks

culture (SEWB)

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

speaking local languages, attending cultural events

Country (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

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander beliefs are tied heavily to the land and how one lives on it. One should and does not take more than one needs so the land continues to thrive.

spirituality (SEWB)

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 (SEWB)

a belief that a family 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

Social determinants

The circumstances in which people grow, live, and work, and the systems put in place to deal with illness

e.g. socioeconomic status, poverty, unemployment

Historical determinants

The ongoing influence of events, policies, and trauma on groups of people

e.g. past government policies, colonisation and its legacy

Political determinants

Political policies that shape the process of distributing resources and power to individuals and communities, and create or reinforce social and health inequalities

e.g. control of local resources, unresolved issues of land

mental wellbeing

an individual's psychological state, including their ability to think, process information, and regulate emotions

Mental wellbeing continuum

a tool used to track fluctuating mental wellbeing

high levels of mental wellbeing (continuum)

function independently in everyday life

cope with every day demands w/o showing excess distress or dysfunction

regulates their emotions and expresses them appropriately

moderate levels of mental wellbeing (continuum)

not functioning optimally

temporary/moderate impact on mental wellbeing

amplified emotional responses/high levels of stress

difficulty concentrating

experiences irrational thought patterns

low levels of mental wellbeing (continuum)

high levels of distress

unable to independently complete tasks/meet demands of environment

impacted for longer than two weeks

potential psychological diagnosis and treatment underway

Internal Factors

factors that arise from within the individual

positive: optimistic thought patterns can give way to positive outlooks on difficult situations, protecting mental wellbeing

negative: genetic predispositions to mental health disorders increase the likelihood of low levels of mental wellbeing

External Factors

factors that arise from an individual's environment

positive: adequate access to support systems means necessary help is available, protecting mental wellbeing through difficult circumstances

negative: loss of a significant relationship can negatively impact mental wellbeing if not adequately addressed, thus low mental wellbeing

Stress

a psychological and physiological experience that occurs when an individual encounters something of significance that demands their attention and/or efforts to cope

anxiety (emotion)

a psychological and physiological response that involves feelings of worry and apprehension about a perceived future threat

can be a response to unknown stimuli

specific phobia

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

characteristics of specific phobia

avoidance of the phobic stimulus

persistent and irrational fear of the stimulus

the fear of the phobic stimulus affects daily functioning

anxiety vs stress

Anxiety differs from stress as it is usually future-oriented and results from a potentially unknown 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 (contributing to specific phobia)

internal, genetic, and/or physiologically based factors

GABA dysfunction and long term potentiation

Psychological Factors (contributing to specific phobia)

internal factors relating to an individual's mental processes, including their cognition, affect, thoughts, beliefs, and attitudes

precipitation by classical conditioning

perpetuation by operant conditioning

cognitive biases (memory bias/catastrophic thinking)

Social Factors (contributing to specific phobia)

external factors relating to an individual's interactions with others and their external environment, including their relationships and community involvement

specific environmental triggers

stigma

GABA

the main inhibitory neurotransmitter in the nervous system

GABA dysfunction

insufficient neural transmission or reception of GABA in the body

Long-term potentiation

the long-lasting and experience-dependent strengthening of synaptic connections between neurons that are regularly coactivated

the role of LTP in the development of specific phobia

LTP causes the neural signals representing the perception of the white rat and those representing the fear response to the loud noise to become associated and strengthened through repeated pairings

Precipitating factors (in relation to specific phobia)

factors that increase the susceptibility to and contribute to the occurrence of developing a specific phobia

classical conditioning (neutral stimulus becomes phobic stimulus)

Perpetuating factors (in relation to specific phobia)

factors that inhibit a person's ability to recover from a specific phobia

operant conditioning (negative reinforcement of avoiding phobic stimulus)

cognitive bias

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

memory bias

a type of cognitive bias caused by inaccurate or exaggerated memory

catastrophic thinking

a type of cognitive bias in which a stimulus or event is predicted to be far worse than it actually is

Specific environmental triggers

stimuli or experiences in a person's environment that evoke an extreme stress response, leading to the development of a phobia

Stigma

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

Types of environmental triggers

direct confrontation (with a traumatic stimulus or event)

observation (of another person having a direct confrontation)

learning (about a potentially dangerous or traumatic stimulus/event indirectly)

benzodiazepines

a type of medication that depresses central nervous system activity and is often used as a short-acting anti-anxiety medication

agonists

a type of drug that imitates neurotransmitters and works to initiate a neural response (excitatory/inhibitory) when it binds to a neuron's receptor sites

breathing retraining

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

Psychotherapeutic treatments

treatments that address dysfunctional emotions, thoughts, and behaviours through therapeutic communication

CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy)

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

Systematic desensitisation

a therapeutic technique used to overcome phobias involving patients being exposed incrementally to increasingly anxiety-inducing stimuli, combined with the use of relaxation techniques

Psychoeducation

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

Benzodiazepine pathway of action

1) Benzos bind to receptor sites

2) GABA has increased efficiency when binding to these receptor sites

3)neuron is less likely to fire (inhibition) thus reducing anxiety

Step 1 breathing retraining

a psychologist will teach a person how to consciously control their breathing - (counting slowly breathing in/breathing out, breathing in through the nose + out the diaphragm, slow/deep/controlled inhalations)

Step 2 breathing retraining

the learner applies these breathing techniques when in presence of phobic stimulus, restoring optimal oxygen levels and restoring PSNS dominance, reducing anxiety.

CBT components

cognitive component - identifying negative thoughts + feelings/cognitions about issue then replacing with more positive thoughts/feelings

EMPLOY RELAXATION TECHNIQUES

behavioural component - identifying negative behaviours relating to issue + developing/maintaining more positive behaviours to issue

cognitions contributing to specific phobia

memory bias

catastrophic thinking

a belief the phobia will only get worse/never be overcome

embarrassment

extreme fear

cognitions and behaviours can mutually reinforce specific phobia

behaviours contributing to specific phobia

not seeking help

avoidance behaviours (a person avoids their phobic stimulus and anything relating to it at all costs)

cognitions and behaviours can mutually reinforce specific phobia

process of systematic desensitisation

1) learning relaxation techniques for reducing physiological arousal/anxiety in fear response (i.e. breathing retraining)

2) developing a fear hierarchy in order of anxiety-inducing experiences that are easiest to confront to the most difficult

3) Gradual step by step exposure to each item in the hierarchy, starting with the easiest and pairing with practice of relaxation techniques

4) continuing this systematic exposure until most fear-inducing stimulus can be confronted without producing phobic response

components of psychoeducation

Challenging unrealistic or anxious thoughts

- people with phobias may become better able to recognise when their thoughts are unrealistic and replace them with more rational appraisals

Not encouraging avoidance behaviours

- prevents from facing phobia

protective factors

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

protective factors function

reduce the risk of low levels of mental wellbeing/developing mental health disorders

increase the likelihood of high levels of mental wellbeing

biological protective factors

influences that stem from an individual's brain and/or body that can maintain or promote mental wellbeing

adequate nutrition/hydration and sleep

Adequate nutrition and hydration

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

Psychological protective factors

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

cognitive behavioural strategies and mindfulness meditation

Cognitive behavioural strategies

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

Mindfulness meditation

the practice of meditation in which an individual focuses on their present experience to promote feelings of calm and peace

reduces stress

Social protective factors

influences that exist in an individual's social environment that can maintain and promote mental wellbeing

support

support

genuine and effective assistance provided by family, friends, and community

support from family

regular catch-ups to vent emotions and share life details

familiar perspectives in times of uncertainty

practical and emotional support in difficult times

support from friends

a sense of belonging

a sense of purpose

fun and energised experiences

support from community

opportunities for interacting and bonding e.g. clubs for specific interests

a sense of belonging and connectedness to a wider social circle

opportunities for personal growth and learning e.g. workshops and clubs

determinants of wellbeing

factors that influence wellbeing on individual and community levels

culture

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

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.