Unit 4 AOS 2: What influences mental wellbeing? Part 1

Mental Health Problems

Occurs when someone’s ABCs have been affected negatively. These are natural responses to negative event in our lives and everyone experiences mental health problems. It is NOT the same as a mental disorder.

Mental Disorder

Describes a psychological dysfunction that usually involves impairment in the ability to cope with everyday life, significant distress, and thoughts, feelings and/or behaviour that are atypical of the person and may also be inappropriate within their culture.

Mental Disorder - the 3Ds

Deviance - ABCs are atypical for the person, and/or differ markedly from social or cultural norms that they can reasonably be considered inappropriate or unacceptable.

Distress- ABCs are unpleasent and upsetting to the person experiencing them and/or others around them.

Dysfunction - ABCs interfere with the person’s ability to carry out their usual daily activities in an effective way. That is, their ABCs distract or confuse them so much that it affects their ability to care for themselves, go to school or work and participate in relationships with others.

Other factors indicating a Mental Disorder

• Inability to function independently/not coping independently

• Inability to carry out social relationships

• Significant changes in thoughts/feelings/behaviours or lack of interest/apathy

• Thoughts/feelings behaviours are atypical.

The Biophysical Model/framework (BPM)

Mental health is influenced by internal (biological & psychological) and external (social/environmental) factors that can fluctuate over time, and are considered together in the assessment and treatment of mental & physical health.

BPM - Biological component

Refers to the influences on disorder that come from the functioning of the individual’s body. Particularly, genetic characteristics that make some people more vulnerable to a disorder than the influence of NTMs.

BPM - Psychological component

Refers to the influences that come from the individual, such as patterns of negative thinking and stress responses.

BPM - The Social component

Refers to the influences on disorder due to social and cultural factors such as socioeconomic status, homelessness, abuse, and discrimination.

Characteristics of Mentally Healthy person

• High levels of functioning, social and emotional well-being and resilience to life stressors result in adaptive behaviour (actions that enable a person to effectively carry out their usual everyday tasks.

• Social well-being is based on the ability to have satisfying relationships and interactions with others.

• Emotional well-being is based on the ability to control emotions and express them appropriately and comfortably.

• Resilience to life stressors is the ability to cope with and adapt well to stressors (by overcoming or adjusting to it) and restore positive functioning

What does a High Level of functioning correspond to?

• interpersonal relationship (ability to interact with and get along with others)

• school and work/occupational settings

• leisure/recreational activities

• daily life skills (self-care, personal hygiene, dressing, eating etc)

• cognitive skills (learning/applying knowledge, understanding/communicating, logical/clear thinking, planning/decision-making

• emotions (self-regulation, dealing with positive/negative emotions)

10 Ways to Build Resilience

• Make connections

• Avoid seeing a crisis as an insurmountable problem.

• Accept that change is a part of living.

• Move towards your goal.

• Take decisive actions.

• Look for opportunities for self-discovery.

• Nurture a positive view of yourself.

• Keep things in perspective.

• Maintain a hopeful lookout.

• Take care of yourself.

Ethical implications of mental health research

The wellfare and rights of participants need protection and safeguards are in place to ensure ethical standards are maintained by researchers.