Psych- Unit 4 AOS2, Mental Wellbeing

wellness

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

mental wellbeing

involves our state of mind, our enjoyment of life, and our ability to cope with the normal stresses of everyday life and develop to our potential

characteristics of high levels of mental wellbeing

• someone can have low or high levels of mental wellbeing depending on their ability to function and cope with everyday demands, their mood patterns, and the quality of their social connections

• having high levels of mental wellbeing doesn’t mean there’s a lack of problems. however, it means we can usually cope and ‘bounce back’

• for a person to maintain high levels of mental wellbeing, they must be able to effectively meet the demands of everyday life

levels of functioning

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

ways of considering mental wellbeing

• daily living skills- personal hygiene, eating, dressing, travel, managing money

• interpersonal relationships- ability to interact and get along with others

• emotions- self regulation of a variety of emotions

• cognitive skills- learning, applying knowledge, understanding, decision-making

• school/work setting- being productive and achieving goals

• leisure/recreational activities- participation in extracurricular activities

adaptive behaviour

any behaviour that enables the individual to adjust to the environment appropriately and effectively. the behaviour of someone with a high level of functioning is primarily adaptive

maladaptive behaviour

any behaviour that’s detrimental, counterproductive, or interferes with the individual’s ability to successfully adjust to the environment and fulfill their roles in society

resilience

the ability to successfully cope with and manage change and uncertainty. it involves bouncing back from difficult experiences and restoring positive functioning

social wellbeing

the ability to form and maintain meaningful bonds with others and adapt to different social situations

emotional wellbeing

the ability to appropriately control and express their emotions in an adaptive way, as well as understand other’s emotions

the SEWB as holistic

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

the SEWB as multidimensional

it’s made up of different components

the social and emotional wellbeing (SEWB) view of mental wellbeing for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples

a framework based on a holistic and multidimensional view of health. This framework explores 7 interconnected dimensions of wellbeing that enable a strong and positive Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander identity. This framework also acknowledges that all aspects of social and emotional wellbeing are impacted by social, historical, and political determinants. These determinants signify that the experience of wellbeing is impacted by wider societal forces

social determinants

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

historical determinants

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

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

connection to body

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

connection to mind and emotions

the ability to effectively manage thoughts and feelings

connection to family and kinship

connection to the immediate and wider family group and community

connection to community

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

connection to culture

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

connection to country

the traditional lands of a particular language or cultural group, both geographically and the spiritual, emotional, and intellectual connections to and within it

connection to spirituality and ancestors

spirituality refers to 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, past, present, and future

ancestors refer to a belief that a community’s ancestors are interconnected with Creation spirits and Country, and watch over and protect families and communities in the physical and spiritual world

mental wellbeing as a continuum

mental wellbeing isn’t arbitrary, there are varying levels of mental wellbeing, often represented on a continuum.

characteristics of high levels of mental wellbeing

• being able to function independently

• being able to cope with everyday demands without experiencing high levels of distress and dysfunction

• may still experience stress, sadness and anger, however can cope with these experiences, regulate emotions, and express them appropriately

characteristics of being in the middle of the continuum

• not functioning at an optimal level

• experiences temporary or moderate impacts on mental wellbeing

• experiences amplified emotions and high levels of stress

• has difficulty concentrating

• more likely to experience irrational thought patterns

• impacts tend to be less sever and temporary in nature

characteristics of low levels of mental wellbeing

• shows high levels of distress

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

• is impacted for an extended period of time

• may be diagnosed by a mental health professional

• display atypical and maladaptive behaviour

ways to measure a person’s place on the continuum

• level of change- is the behaviour atypical?

• time period- the longer symptoms persist, the greater likelihood of a disorder

• levels of distress- considers the amount of mental anguish, cognitive dysfunction, and self-harm

• severity of symptoms- impact, length, degree of change, level of distress

• degree to which functionality is impaired- eating, sleeping, self-care, work, socializing, cognitive ability

what influences an individual’s mental wellbeing

the interactions between internal and external factors, helping account for why we shift back and forth along the mental wellbeing continuum

internal factors

influences that originate inside a person. they include biological and psychological factors

biological factors

physiologically based or determined influences, often not under our control. examples include the genes we inherit, sex, physiological responses to medication, etc. they can also be under our control to some degree, such as diet and sleep hygiene

psychological factors

influences associated with mental processes, such as thinking, attitudes, prior learning, perceptions, problem-solving, our ability to understand and experience emotions, etc.

external factors

influences that originate outside a person. they can include school, work, interpersonal relationships, exposure to stressors, stigma, etc. they can contribute to the development of low levels of mental wellbeing (risk factors), or help maintain high levels of mental wellbeing (protective factor)