Module 1: Intro to the Science of Well-being, Mental Health, and Resiliency Flashcards
Define “well-being”
An overall state of feeling comfortable, healthy, and happy. Made up of many components one of which is mental health.
Define “mental health”
Includes psychological, emotional, and social aspects of thinking, feeling, and behaving.
Mental health is an important part of the broader concept of well-being because…
mental health is a prerequisite for being able to cope with normal life stress and being productive at work or school.
Use physical health as an analogy for mental health
Having good physical health means that your body and organ systems are functioning well; having good mental health means that your mental and emotional systems are functioning well
Use physical fitness as an analogy for well-being
Being physical fit means that you can get the most out of your body’s capabilities; having high levels of well-being means that you can do meaningful things and work towards things that matter to you
What are 3 components of well-being?
- Mental health
- Physical health
- Supportive/ secure environment
What are 4 contributors to mental health?
- Realizing potential
- Emotional health
- Psychological health
- Social connectedness
Mental health exists on a _________
spectrum
What are the different thresholds (from top to bottom) on the mental health spectrum triangle?
Disorders, conditions, or illness
Concerns or problems
Symptoms
Well
Describe the different thresholds of the mental health spectrum triangle
Well
- Feeling content, capable, and happy
- Normal stress and disappointment are manageable and short-lived
- Good psychological coping, healthy lifestyle, and supportive relationships
Symptoms
- Experiences associated with some distress, may be situational
- Common symptoms university students experiences include anxiety, depression, and sleep problems
- Symptoms can be helped by lifestyle changes and short-term counselling
- Persistent symptoms may reflect a mental health concern
Concerns or problems
- Persistent symptoms associated with distress but not severe enough to be considered a diagnosable mental illness
- An example could be emotional difficulty coping with the death of a loved one or finding the transition to university challenging
- Often helped with support and counselling
Disorders, conditions, or illness
- Clinically diagnosed illnesses that require evidence-based treatment
- For example, MDD or GAD
Well-being and mental health have been conceptualized as on two __________ __________. Provide an example
parallel continuums
I.e., you can have a diagnosed mental illness in remission and therefore experience positive/high well-being
I.e., you may not have a diagnosable mental illness but can still be experiencing significant distress
What are the two most common mental health conditions reported by university students?
Anxiety and depression
What are some reasons as to why there is an increasing need for university mental health services?
- At-risk age
- Transition to uni is happening when the brain is still undergoing growth and development
- Adult mental illness typical begins in adolescence/early adulthood - Difficult transitioning period
- Involves a whole new set of stressors - Vulnerable brain
- Brain is vulnerable to a stressful environment
- Brain is more vulnerable when exposed to risk factors such as poor sleep, drugs, & alcohol - Lacking support
- Decrease in stigma
- As stigma diminishes, disclosure increases
What is the U-Flourish study?
Student well-being and academic success research developed in response to an increasing need for resources and little known about the determinants of student mental health problems
According to the U-Flourish study, what are some contributors to mental health and academic outcomes in first year?
- Family factors (support, education, health)
- Personal factors (mental + physical health, self-esteem)
- Early environment (adversity, stress, relationships)
- Psychological (expectancy beliefs, emotional symptoms)
- Lifestyle and Behaviour (exercise, substance use)
- Course outcomes
Recall the contributors to mental health (i.e., realizing potential, emotional health, etc.). What are 5 important factors influenced by mental health?
- Energy levels and motivation
- Concentration and cognition
- Self-efficacy
- Managing stressful situations
- Belongingness
What are 5 related concepts to consider when talking about mental health?
- Risk factors
- Protective factors
- Stressors
- Resilience
- Signs and symptoms
When talking about mental health, what are risk factors?
Risk factors can be biological, psychological, or sociological.
Associated with a higher likelihood of a negative outcome.
I.e., Not getting enough sleep, using recreational drugs, not having a support network
When talking about mental health, what are protective factors?
Factors that lower the likelihood of negative outcomes or reduces the impact of a risk factor.
I.e., Healthy sleep schedule, support network, positive thinking
When talking about mental health, what are stressors?
A stressor causes a state of psychological strain or tension.
Stress is a psychological response to a stressor.
I.e., an upcoming exam, relationship problems
What are the two routes one can take in response to a stressor?
- Resilience
- Signs and symptoms
When talking about mental health, what is resilience?
Effectively managing stressors. Being able to adjust, adapt, overcome, and cope with disappointments, stressors, threats, or adverse events.
When talking about mental health, what are signs and symptoms?
Consequence of not being able to adapt to or cope with stressors.
Indicators of being under stress and can impair ability to function.
May indicate the emergence of an illness or may be short-lived.
What are the different perspectives (models) on mental health/ mental disorders?
Psychodynamic model
Medical/Disease model
Behavioral model
Cognitive model
Biopsychosocial model
Social and cultural models
Interacting factors or risk factors are often thought in terms of using the descriptions _____ and/or _______
distal; proximal
Distal
a factor that represents an INIDRECT cause or underlying vulnerability for a particular condition
I.e., childhood abuse/neglect, family history of mental illness
Proximal
a factor that represents a DIRECT cause or immediate vulnerability for a particular condition
I.e., recreational drug use, lack of regular exercise
Epigenetics
Modification of gene activity or expression
Can occur through certain exposures
- biological (hormones)
- environmental (famine)
- psychological (chronic stress)
Stress diathesis model
A model of mental illness
Based on interactions between genes and the environment as well as the wear and tear of chronic risk exposures related to stress on mind and body
Diathesis
A person’s predisposition or vulnerability to a medical condition
Schizophrenia and the Stress Diathesis Model
Schizophrenia is a mental illness thought to have a relatively strong genetic component BUT the majority of children with a parent who has schizophrenia will not themselves develop the disorder
SO - research has suggested that certain environmental and lifestyle factors (i.e., regular c cannabis use) can further increase risk in individuals who are already vulnerable or at genetic risk
Psychodynamic model
Developed by Freud in the late 19th/early 20th century
Distress arises due to conscious interpretation of psychological forces (i.e., anxiety) that mask true unconscious origin (i.e., suppressed urges from childhood)
Medical/ Disease model
Based on work of Aristotle, Hippocrates
Supported by Emile Kraeplin who believed that psychiatric illness was caused by biological and genetic malfunction
Emphasizes recovery through somatic treatment such as brain stimulation and medication
Behavioral model
Based on learning theories developed by Pavlov, Watson, and Skinner
Behaviour is learned due to reinforcement
Behaviour theory aims to reverse learning
Cognitive model
Mental disorders are the result of errors in thinking or biases
The cognitive model was combined with the behavioural model to create…
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
Describe the cognitive aspect of CBT and the behavioural aspect of CBT
Cognitive -> identifying and correcting errors and biases in thinking
Behavioral -> changing maladaptive behaviour
Biopsychosocial model
Introduced by Engel
Emphasizes the interacting roles of biological, psychological, and sociological factors
Osler Medical Humanistic model
Holistic approach
Incorporates all relevant biological, psychological, and social factors
Less rigid than the biopsychosocial model
Social and cultural models
Broader community based influences on mental health
