Module 1: Intro to the Science of Well-being, Mental Health and Resiliency Flashcards
Well being
-considered an overall state of feeling comfortable, healthy and happy, this is made up of many components, one of which is mental health
Mental health
-includes psychological, emotional, and social aspects of thinking, feeling, and behaving
Aristotle origins of well being
-thought that the goal of life was happiness and flourising
African religious origins of well being
-relationships with land and community members are important paths to wellness
Ubuntu
-the belief that a person cannot flourish in isolation, but can only grow in connection with others
Components of well being
-mental health
-physical health
-supportive/secure environment
Mental health
-embodies positive psychological, emotional, and social functioning
-includes feeling happy and and satisfied with life, positive functioning and self-realization, and positive social value
Physical health
-refers to taking proper care of your body for optimum health and functioning, as well as disease prevention
Supportive/secure environment
-one in which a person feels socially, emotionally, and physically safe and valued
Contributors to mental health
-realizing potential
-emotional health
-psychological health
-social connectedness
Realizing potential
-the degree to which you feel like you are reaching your potential and making meaningful contributions to the world around you
Emotional health
-made up of your feelings and emotions, and your ability to regulate your feelings across different challenges etc
Psychological health
-involves how you think about things and regulate your feelings, includes ability to self reflect, problem solve, manage emotions, be resilient, think, and be attentive
Social connectedness
-involves creating and maintaining good relationships in a socially responsible and acceptable way
Mental health spectrum levels
-well
-symptoms
-concerns or problems
-disorders or illness
Well
-feeling content, capable and happy
-stress and disappointment is manageable
Symptoms
-refers to experiences that can be associated with some distress, but may be situational and not indicative or a disorder
-anxiety, mood swings, sleep problems
Concerns or problems
-presence of symptoms that persist and are associated with distress or difficulty, but are not severe enough to be considered a diagnosable mental illness
Disorders or illness
-clinically diagnosed illnesses that require evidence-based treatments provided by health care professionals, described as clinically significant symptoms characterized by a disturbance in thought, feeling, and perception that negatively affects daily functioning
How many canadian university students have depression
-46%
How many canadian university students have anxiety
-65%
Need for university mental health services
-at risk age
-transition period where students will encounter new stressors
-vulnerable brain
-laking support
-decrease in stigma and increase in reporting
Contributors to mental health and academic outcomes in the first year
-family factors
-personal factors
-early environment
-psychological factors
-lifestyle and behaviour factors
-academic success
Family factors
-relationships
-parent mental health history
-parent education
Personal factors
-mental and physical health
-age
-gender
-sexuality
-socio-cultural background
Early environment
-childhood abuse
-neglect
-peer bullying
-early loss-separation
Psychological factors
-emotional self-awareness
-compassion
-resilience
-mental health literacy
-stigma
Lifestyle and behavior
-exercise and recreation
-social connectedness
-sleep quality
-substance use
Academic success
-level of symptoms
-well-being
-life satisfaction
-personal goals
-grades and completion of degree
Components of well being
-community
-social
-recreational
-career
-academic
-relationships
-cultural
Community
-support/contribute to positive change for others in communities
Social
-make new social connections and develop a broader social network
Recreational
-maintain physical fitness
-engage in recreation, hobbies or cultural activities
Career
-look for enriched or applied learning experienced such as volunteering or internships
Academic
-achieve and maintain good grades and self-directedness in learning
Relationships
-make new and keep existing meaningful personal relationships
Cultural
-every culture has a different way of thinking about well-being and mental health
-overcoming stigma and sharing your story can be useful
Questions to ask about energy levels and motivation
-are you motivated to begin your day?
-do you have the energy to complete all your daily tasks?
Questions to ask about concentration and cognition
-are you able to concentrate on the task at hand?
-how do you perform in environments that demand thinking and comprehension?
Questions to ask about self efficacy
-do you feel that you are able to succeed in your goals and generally cope with what you may be faced with at university?
Questions to ask about managing stressful situations
-how well do you manage stressful situations?
-what helps you to cope when you are feeling stressed?
Questions to ask about belongingness
-do you feel part of the learning environment and like you can collaborate with others on the university journey?
Mental health concepts
-risk factors
-protective factors
-stressors
-resilience
-signs and symptoms
Risk factors
-biological, psychological, or sociological characteristic or exposure that is associated with a higher liklihood of negative outcomes
Examples of risk factors
-sleep problems
-using drugs
-no support network
-prior mental health condition
Protective factors
-characteristic or exposure that lowers the likelihood of negative outcomes or that reduces the impact of a risk factor
Examples of protective factors
-reliable support network
-good study-life balance
-healthy sleep schedule
-feeling included
Stressors
-person, place or situation that causes a state of psychological strain or tension
Examples of stressors
-upcoming test
-relationship problems
Resilience
-being able to adjust, adapt, overcome and cope with a disappointment, stressor, threat, or adverse event
Signs and symptoms
-happens when the person does not adapt, includes indicators which either distress the individual or impairs their ability to function emotionally, socially, or academically
Historical perspective models of mental disorders
-psychodynamic model
-behavioural model
-biopsychosocial model
-medical/disease model
-cognitive model
-social and cultural models
Psychodynamic model
-processes of the mind involve the interplay of psychological forces and distress arises because the conscious interpretation of these forces masks their true unconscious origin
Behavioural model
-how you behave day to day is conditioned due to the reinforcement you receive for your actions
-you are more likely to do things that have positive concequences and less likely to do things with negative concequences
Biopsychosocial model
-3 factors: biological, psychological, and social
-not always equal in their role in determining mental illness
Osler medical humanist model
-reminds us to take the whole individual person into account when assessing for a diagnosis and developing a treatment plan
Medical/disease model
-psychiatric illness were diseases caused by biological and genetic malfunction
-emphasizes recovery though somatic treatment such as medication and brain stimulation
Cognitive model
-takes perspective that mental disorders are a result of errors in thinking or biases
-errors in your thinking about yourself and the world may cause disruptions to your health
Cognitive behavioural therapy
-includes a cognitive component, including identifying and correcting errors and biases in thinking
Social and cultural models
-emphasizes providing support though addressing contributing factors including work/study conditions, nutrition, housing and living conditions, socioeconomic, cultural and environmental conditions, education, and healthcare services
The mad movement
-led by those with lived experience and focuses on a non-stigmatizing way of approaching mental health experiences
Distal risk factors of mental health
-can include family environment during childhood in terms of family functioning and emotional support, as well as the degree to which adequate housing and a safe nurturing environment was provided
Proximal risk factors of mental health
-choices that we make such as using cannabis or binging on alcohol and establishing a healthy sleep and exercise/recreation routine impacts our mental health
Risk factors
-genes
-epigenetics
-environment
-stress diathesis model
-culture
Genes
-temperament and predisposition to mental disorders is in part related to our genetic makeup and family history
Epigenetics
-refers to the modification of gene activity or expression
-can occur through certain exposures including biological, environmental, and/or psychological factors
Environment
-refers to your physical, psychological, and social surroundings, including emotional context at home or in class
Stress diathesis model
-based on interactions between genes and the environment, and the wear and tear effect of chronic risk exposures related to stress on your mind and body
Culture
-affects ways that people view health and illness, to treatment seeking patterns, the nature of the therapeutic relationship and issues of racism and discrimination
