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