Mental Health and Wellbeing - Psychology

What is mental wellbeing?

an individual’s current state of mind, including their ability to think, process information, and regulate emotions.

What are levels of functioning?

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

What is a high level of mental functioning?

adapt to changes in the environment, carry out basic everyday tasks such as maintaining personal hygiene and dressing appropriately, be independent, be productive in completing daily tasks, set goals and take steps towards them.

What is a low level of mental functioning?

struggle to carry out basic tasks (maintaining personal hygiene and dressing appropriately,) feel uncharacteristically lethargic or tired and thus be unproductive in achieving tasks, lack direction or be able to set goals in life, be unable to cope with changes in the environment.

What is resilience?

refers to the ability to cope with and manage change and uncertainty.

What are high levels of resillience?

seek solutions to problems, use appropriate coping strategies, be flexible in changing circumstances, be optimistic and hopeful.

What are low levels of resilience?

experience enduring feelings of being overwhelmed when problems arise, rely on unhealthy or unhelpful coping strategies, be unable to cope with change, lack hope and optimism.

What is social wellbeing?

means being able to form and maintain meaningful relationships with others, as well as adapt to different social situations.

What are high levels of social wellbeing?

have a strong support network, be able to form and maintain meaningful relationships, effectively communicate with others.

What are low levels of social wellbeing?

be isolated or lack support from others, have difficulty forming and maintaining meaningful relationships, struggle to effectively communicate with others.

What is emotional wellbeing?

involves controlling and expressing our own emotions in a healthy way and understanding the feelings of others.

What are 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.

What are low levels of emotional wellbeing?

be unable to understand or name their own and other’s emotions, feel numb or be unable to experience certain emotions, express emotions inappropriately or at inappropriate times (for example, yelling at your own boss while at work).

What is SEWB (social and emotional wellbeing)?

-framework developed to understand mental wellbeing for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

-multidimensional.

-takes a holistic approach, considering the mental, physical and spiritual and social needs of individuals.

-wellbeing is viewed from a collectivist perspective, where the self is connected to family and community.

-culture and cultural identity play a vital role in achieving social and emotional wellbeing.

-there is cultural and linguistic diversity among Indigenous communities, leading to different understandings of SEWB.

-wellbeing is seen as a holistic concept resulting from connections with individuals, family, community, land, culture, spirituality and ancestry.

-the framework SEWB examines seven dimensions or sources of wellbeing that contribute to a positive Indigenous identity.

What is the physical dimension of SEWB?

connection to the body — involves maintaining physical health and wellbeing.

e.g. healthy weight, nutrition, and managing illnesses or disabilities.

What is the emotional dimension of SEWB?

connection to the mind and emotions — relate to effectively managing thoughts and feelings.

What is the family dimension of SEWB?

connection to family and kinship — emphasises the importance of relationships with immediate and extended family groups and the wider community.

What is the community dimension of SEWB?

connection to community — involves being part of social systems and support networks.

What is the culture dimension of SEWB?

connection to culture — entails a strong sense of identity, values and traditions.

What is the country dimension of SEWB?

connection to country — involves the spiritual, emotional, and intellectual connections to the traditional lands of a particular cultural group.

What is the spirituality dimension of SEWB?

connection to spirituality and ancestors — refers to the belief in a spiritual connection that shapes beliefs, values and behaviour.

What are the determinants of wellbeing?

The social, historical, and political determinants of wellbeing impact all aspects of social and emotional wellbeing for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

What are social determinants?

the circumstances in which people grown, live and work, and the system put in place to deal with illnesses.

What are historical determinants?

the ongoing influence of events, policies, and trauma on groups of people.

What are political determinants?

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

Why is mental health a continuum?

used as a tool to track fluctuating mental wellbeing.

What are high levels of mental wellbeing characterised by?

-independent functioning in everyday life.

-coping effectively with everyday demands without excessive distress or dysfunction.

-experiencing stress, sadness, anger but having the ability to cope, regulate emotions, and express them appropriately.

What are moderate levels of mental wellbeing characterised by?

-not functioning optimally.

-temporary or moderate impact on mental wellbeing.

-amplified emotions, high stress levels, difficulty concentrating, and irrational thought patterns.

What are low levels of mental wellbeing characterised by?

-high levels of distress.

-inability to independently complete tasks and meet environmental demands.

-extended impact (more than two weeks) requiring professional intervention.

What factors influence mental health?

-internal factors are influences that originate within a person.

-external factors are influences that originate outside a person.

(internal factors) What is a stress response?

how an individual reacts to stressful situations can affect their mental wellbeing. Those who have effective stress management techniques may maintain high levels of mental wellbeing.

What are thought patterns?

optimistic or positive thought patterns can contribute to maintaining high levels of mental wellbeing, as they enable individuals to view difficult situations in a more positive light.

What is genetic predisposition?

family history of mental health disorders can increase the likelihood of an individual developing similar conditions, leading to lower levels of mental wellbeing.

(external factors) what is loss of a significant relationship?

if the loss of a close relationship is not adequately addressed, it can negatively impact an individual’s mental wellbeing, contributing to lower levels of mental wellbeing.

What is a level of education?

having access to schooling and being able to complete basic level of education.

What are difficult experiences?

difficulties experienced within different settings (e.g. work or school), such as high academic pressure, can affect mental wellbeing.

What is access to support services?

having access to support systems, including medical and psychological treatment, can greatly assist individuals in maintaining high levels of mental wellbeing, even during challenging circumstances.

What are some psychological constructs?

stress, anxiety and specific phobia are psychological constructs that help differentiate between different points on the mental wellbeing continuum.

What is stress?

a normal response to significant demands and can be part of daily life.

-fluctuates between medium to high levels of mental wellbeing, depending on the severity and length of time.

What is anxiety?

-involves feelings, worry and apprehension about perceived threats or negative events.

-fluctuates between medium to high levels of mental wellbeing, depending on the severity and length of time.

What is a phobia?

-a type of anxiety disorder that is categorised by excessive and disproportionate fear when encountering a particular stimulus.

-typically associated with low levels of mental wellbeing.

What is a specific phobia?

an anxiety disorder characterised by excessive fear of a specific stimulus (excessive and disproportionate).

What is the biopsychosocial approach?

a framework that looks at the human experience through the lens of biological, psychological and social factors.

What are biological factors?

are internal and can be genetic or physiological, like inherited traits or the effects of medication.

e.g. GABA (Gamma-amino butyric acid) is the main inhibitory neurotransmitter (preventing excessive excitation and uncontrolled firing).

What is GABA dysfunction?

problems with the transmission or reception with GABA in the body.

-it may make someone’s flight-or-fight-or-freeze or anxiety response more easily activated compared to individuals with normal GABA levels. This means that certain stimuli can trigger their stress response more readily.

How can phobias be developed?

repeated stress responses to specific stimuli can eventually lead to the development of a phobia.

What are psychological factors?

are internal and involve mental processes such as thoughts, emotions, beliefs and attitudes.

e.g. memory bias, catastrophic thinking, operant conditioning, classical conditioning.

What is memory bias?

memory bias leads to inaccurate or exaggerated memories of traumatic events, reinforcing the fear response.

What is catastrophic thinking?

catastrophic thinking predicts extreme worst-case scenarios, intensifying fear and anxiety.

What is classical conditioning?

can contribute to the development of phobias by increasing susceptibility to and increasing their occurrence.

-this can be described as precipitation by classical conditioning.

-precipitating factors are factors that increase the susceptibility to and contribute to the occurrence of developing a specific phobia.

What is operant conditioning?

involves learning through the association of a behaviour and the consequences it receives.

-perpetuating factors are factors that inhibit a person’s ability to recover a specific phobia.

-in this way, operant conditioning perpetuates phobias by preventing an individual from overcoming them.

What are social factors?

are external and involve interactions with others and the surrounding environment, including relationships and community involvement.

e.g. specific environmental triggers, stigma.

What are specific environmental triggers?

are stimuli or experiences in a person’s environment that evoke an extreme stress response and lead to the development of a phobia.

What is stigma?

refers to the feeling of shame or disgrace or seeking professional help for a phobia.

-stigma seeking around treatment for phobias contributes to their development and maintenance.

(evidence-based intervention for specific phobia) what is biological intervention?

GABA agonists — such as benzodiazepines, are medications that bind to GABA receptor sites and mimic the effects of GABA, reducing anxiety and inhibiting neural firing associated with phobic responses.

Breath Retraining — technique that teaches individuals with specific phobia to control their breathing to reduce physiological arousal.

-breathing retraining helps restore oxygen levels, activate the parasympathetic nervous system, and reduce the dominance of the sympathetic nervous system, leading to decreased anxiety.

What is psychological intervention?

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) — form of psychotherapy that aims to replace dysfunctional thoughts and behaviours with more adaptive ones.

-the cognitive component of CBT involves identifying and replacing negative thoughts and feelings related to the phobia.

-the behavioural component focuses on modifying negative behaviours and developing positive ones.

Systematic Desensitisation — therapy technique that gradually exposes the individual to anxiety-inducing stimuli associated with the phobia, paired with relaxation techniques.

What is social intervention?

Psychoeducation — involves educating families and supporters of individuals with specific phobia to better understand, deal with and treat the disorder.

-challenging unrealistic or anxious thoughts helps individuals recognise and understand the irrationality of their fears, promoting a shift in their thought patterns.

-avoidance behaviours are discouraged as they do not provide long-term solutions for phobias and only perpetuate the phobic anxiety.

(maintenance of mental wellbeing) what are protective factors?

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

What are biological protective factors?

refer to influences that stem from an individual’s brain and/or body that can maintain or promote mental wellbeing.

What is adequate nutrition and hydration?

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

-adequate sleep is crucial for mental wellbeing, and poor sleep or sleep-related problems have been linked to mental illness.

What are psychological protective factors?

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

What are cognitive behavioural strategies?

involve techniques that utilise traits of CBT, with a focus on recognising and changing dysfunctional thought and behavioural patterns.

What is mindfulness meditation?

is a practice in which individuals focus on their present experience to promote feelings of calm and peace.

What are social protective factors?

refer to influences in an individual’s social environment that promote mental wellbeing.

-support refers to genuine and effective assistance provided by family, friends, community.

What are examples of support?

Family — unconditional love when an individual makes a mistake.

Friends — fun and energising experiences.

Community — opportunities for interaction and bonding such as at clubs for specific interests or at events like festivals, a sense of belonging and connectedness at a wider social circle.

What are cultural determinants of wellbeing for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples?

-cultural determinants of wellbeing influence individual and community levels of wellbeing.

-they encompass a strong sense of identity, values, traditions and connection between the past, present, and future for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

What is cultural continuity?

involves passing down and actively practicing cultural knowledge and traditions from generation to generation.

-this can be achieved through a variety of cultural practices, including engaging with arts, crafts, music, dance theatre, writing, storytelling, languages, food and so much more.

What is self-determination?

refers to the rights of all people to pursue their economic, social and cultural development without interference.

-self-determination involves First Nations people being part of decision-making at all levels.

-autonomy and independence are crucial for individual wellbeing, allowing people to have control over their lives.

What is LTP?

long-term potentiation is a process where synaptic connections in the brain are strengthened through repeated coactivation.

How does LTP contribute to specific phobias?

-strengthening the association between the neural signals involved in perceiving a stimulus and those responsible for activating the fear response.

-through repeated coactivation, the association between these signals becomes stronger, leading the development of a phobia.

-the more frequently this association occurs, the stronger the phobia becomes.