Chapter 5 - Frustration, Stress and Burn-out, Mental Health and Mental Hygiene

Frustration

Life’s problems are numerous and as long as one is alive and kicking he will always be faced with problems, be they big or small. Such as problems stir-up one’s emotion or feelings which maybe pleasant or unpleasant. Unpleasant encounters result in frustrations. Frustrations vary from person to person.

Frustration

Frustration, simply defined is the condition of being thwarted in the satisfaction of a motive.

Three main problems in life that bring out certain degree of fruustration (Physiological Problems)

These physiological problems more or less are our basic needs such as food, water, shelter, sex. Meeting such needs is temporary. Once satisfied, the frustrating  feeling is subdued. When there is a strong deprivation of these needs, one experiences an unpleasant thwarting circumstances A disequilibrium has taken place and when this has been restored, man reverts to his former self.

Three main problems in life that bring out certain degree of frustration (Environmental Problems)

Man is born in a social environment surrounded by cultural norms and values. He is faced with cultural taboos and acceptable social behavior. Numerous environmental factors come to fore which may or may not be easily overcome. On of the most difficult problems in this area is one’s cultural do’s and don’ts.

Three main problems in life that bring out certain degree of frustration (Environmental Problems)

Environmental frustrations can not be avoided, for there are always certain factors in a person’s situation which keep him from achieving a degree of personal growth and achievement. Take for example the transition from home and high school to the college campus. One experiences frustration in this new situation.

Three main problems in life that bring out certain degree of frustration (Psychological Problems)

Psychological or internal problems are the most difficult to resolve as they are within the inner feelings of a person. You may not be able to detect his frustration through his overt behavior. You may be able to infer what his inner thoughts and feelings are but will not know what caused such a frustrating feeling. Psychological frustrations represent a  more serious threat to the personality of the individual than do environmental frustrations. If severe enough, they may create considerable emotional tension with accompanying behavior disorders.

Three main problems in life that bring out certain degree of frustration (Personal Deficiencies)

Reacting to frustration varies from person to person because of their personality differences. These reactions maybe defensive, neurotic or psychotic. Frustrations as we have seen, involve thwarting or blocking of a person’s dominant motives, needs, desires or purposes. Some psychologists palace greater stress on what brought about frustration rather than the individual’s reaction to it.

Stress

Stress is the non specific psychological response of the body to any demand upon it. According to Schwartz (1980)

stressor or source of stress

anything pleasant or unpleasant that interferes with the body’s equilibrium

General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS)

“Stress without Distress” a stress syndrome defined by Selye

Alarm reaction (Three-stage physiological response to stress)

to fight the demand — the well-known “fight or flight’’ response.

Resistance stage (Three-stage physiological response to stress)

which the body adapts to the demand.

Exhaustion stage (Three-stage physiological response to stress)

sets in, when over adaptation to continued stress may cause the body to fall prey to stress-linked illnesses.

Three choices in dealing with stress:

1. you remove the stress from your environment.

2. you can get out of the stress environment.

3. you can learn to use relaxation techniques to counter toxic effects directly pf a stressful environment.

occupational Demand (Major causes of stress in Organization)

some jobs are more stressful than others. A survey of 130 different occupations confirmed the basic fact that some jobs are more stressful than others.

Role Ambiguity (Major causes of stress in Organization)

Stress from uncertainty. this occurs when individuals are uncertain about several matters relating to their jobs, the scope of responsibilities, how to divide their time between various duties, etc.

Overload and Underload (Major causes of stress in Organization)

Doing too much or too little. Employees are asked to do more work than they can handle in a given period of time or employees believe that they the required skills to perform a given job. Underload leads to boredom and monotony. “The hardest job in the world is doing nothing – you can’t take a break.

Responsibility for others (Major causes of stress in Organization)

A heavy burden. In any organization some persons are primarily concerned with, is the physical side of the business (supplies, maintenance etc.) other financial(budget, accounting etc.) and still others with people like, supervisors or managers. Research findings report that in general individuals who are responsible for other people, who must motivate, reward, punish, communicate etc. – experience higher levels of stress than persons who handle other organizational functions.

Lack of social support (Major causes of stress in Organization)

The cost of isolation. Social support helps individuals deals with stress. One study shows that persons who felt they had the support of their immediate supervisors reported fewer physical symptoms associated with stress than managers who did not enjoy friendship and support from others at work. (Baron and Greenberg 1991)

Lack of Participation in decision (Major causes of stress in Organization)

Helplessness, strikes. People who want a certain degree of control over their own fate feel that they know a good deal about their work. Thus when thay are prevented from particiapating in decision making, they experience considerable stress.

Nonwork demands

create stress for people which may carry over into the work environment.

Physical Demands

Extreme environments, strenuous activities and hazardous substances create physical demand for people at work. Work environments which are very hot or very cold may lead to dehydration or frostbite

Burnout

is a cumulative  process of gradual wearing down of your reserve, with little recharging of your energies. It is mental, physical and emotionl exhaustion. It strikes all ages, sexes and job levels, yet themost frequent victims are those who seemingly are the most productive years of their life.

“hurried executive” (Burnout in organization)

the kind of person who is burn-out prone is often drawn to fast moving organizations that would hasten his/her burning out. The fast moving achiever who competently handles all tasks that are given to him/her is rewarded by having the number of tasks increased. “No” is a word hardly used by the perfectionist; therefore he/she continues to handle a greater than average amount of work.

Sigmund Freud’s definition of mental health when asked what he thought a normal, healthy person should do

“love and work””

Karl Menninger’s definition of mental health

“ Let us define mental health as the adjustment of human beings to the world and each other with a maximum of effectiveness and happiness. Not just efficiency, or just contentment, or the grace of obeying the rules of the game cheerfully. It is all together. It is the ability to maintain an even temper and happy disposition. This,, I think, is a healthy mind.”

Sydney Jourad at what he felt was a general definition of healthy personality/

“Healthy personality is manifested by the individual who has been able to gratify his basic needs through acceptable behavior such that his own personality is no longer a problem to him. He can take himself more or less for granted and devote his energies and thoughts to socially meaningful interests and problems beyond security or even, ability or status.”

Adjustmnent

defined as an individual’s manner of reacting or responding adequately to a perceived problem. From the standpoint of mental health, adjustment refers to a happy and socially acceptable response to the life situations.

Mental Health

is the ability of the individual to function effectively and happily  as a person in one’s expected role in a group and in the society in general. It is a condition of the whole personality and is not  merely a condition of the “mind” as is often supposed.

Mental Health

the capacity to live harmoniously in a changing environment: to face and solve one’s problems in a realistic manner; to accept the inevitable, and to understand and accept one’s own shortcomings as well as the shortcomings of others

Mental Health

is a matter of degree. There is no hard and fast line that separates health from illness. It is not a simple matter to divide the population iinto two distinct groups- those who should be institutionalized and those who should not be . Many of us at one  or another exhibit traits  and pattern of behavior which, if accentuated and continous, would necessitate psychiatric care.

Characteristics of Mentally Healthy People

1. Self-acceptance.

2. Acceptance of others.

3. Ability to meet the demand of life.

Indicators of self-acceptance

a. self-respect

b. acceptance of one’s own shortcoming

c. control over one’s emotion

d. ability to resign to the inevitable and to face the realities of life

e. ability to laugh at one’s self, see one’s mistakes and make efforts to overcome them

f. ability to look at one’s self objectively so that there is neither underestimation nor overestimation of the self.

indicators of acceptance to others

a. the ability to give love and to consider the interests of others

b. the ability to establish and maintain satisfying personal relatonships

c. the ability to stimulate trust in other people

d. the ability to like and trust other people

e. the ability to respect individual difference

f. respect for the individual’s human dignity and rights

g. social adaptability and a sense of cooperation

people who are able to meet the demands of life feel that:

a. they can do something about their problems as these arise

b. they can accept responsibilities

c. they can share their environment at times but will have to adjust to it on the other occasions

d. they are making use of their potentials and capacities

e. they are setting realistic goals for themselves and make their own decisions

f. they are putting in their best efforts and deriving satisfaction out of whatever they are doing

g. change is part of life

h. refusing to face problems is not the best way to solving them

Role of Mental Health in Business and Industry

Mental health is a factor that plays an important role in all life situations – in the relations between teachers and students, between hospital personnel and patients, between management and labor.

Role of Mental Health in Business and Industry

It finds its simplest and most common expression in good human relations between individuals and between groups. The basic idea is concern for other people’s interest and feelings in self-centered.

Role of Mental Health in Business and Industry

Machines are as good only as the men who operate them and these men are driven by complex feelings, attitudes and emotions that must be considered in any comprehensive company program

Mental Hygiene

is a branch of psychology which ideas with the mental, behavioral and emotional adjustment through the application of principles and practices which have some scientific foundations or truth.

Mental hygiene

It consists of those patterns of living which promotes the development of wholesome and socially adequate personality and helps an individual get along with himself and with his fellowmen.

The preventive approach (three known ways to which the principles and practices of metal hygiene are done)

This is based on the principle that the best way to insure a well-adjusted individual is to surround him with environmental influences that will enable him to develop his full potentialities, to obtain emotional stability and achieve personal and social adequacy.

The therapeutic method (three known ways to which the principles and practices of metal hygiene are done)

The therapeutic aspect of mental hygiene is concerned with the attempt to correct minor behavioral adjustments through the various counseling and techniques of psychotherapy, or adjust to the social or physical environment of the person in order to help him obtain the amount of emotional security and self-confidence necessary.

The curative approach (three known ways to which the principles and practices of metal hygiene are done)

This phase of mental hygiene is sometimes called “preventive psychiatry.” It is concerned with the detection and correction of serious but curative behavioral maladjustments. Although this is the work of a trained clinician or psychiatrist, it is helpful for the layman to have at least a fundamental knowledge of the major types of behavioral maladjustments in order that he may have a basis in determining behavioral maladjustments that need the attention of competent specialists.

Employer-Employee relationship

Cooperation between the employers and employees is indeed very essential particularly towards the operation of the business. Stress, tension, serious misunderstanding, conflict of roles must not take place within the framework of their functions and organization. If the groups of personnel are in conflict, the management should put measures appropriate to prevent contradictory actions, duties, thoughts and convictions.

Employers and employees may well attain sound mental hygiene if they will consider the following salient points of view of mental hygiene:

1.     Respect for one’s own personality and for the personalities of others.

2.     Recognition of limitations in self and in others.

3. An appreciation of the importance of the cause sequence in behavior.

4.     A realization that behavior is a function of the whole individual.

5.     An understanding of the basic need that motivates behavior.