Unit 4 AOS 2 Flashcards
Defining mental wellbeing, Application of a biopsychosocial approach to explain specific phobia and Maintenance of mental wellbeing
Wellbeing
a state in which an individual is mentally, physically and socially healthy and secure
Mental Wellbeing
an individual’s psychological state, including their ability to think, process information and regulate emotions
Levels of Functioning
the degree to which an individual can complete day-to-day tasks in an independent and effective manner
Characteristics of high levels of functioning
- able to carry out basic everyday tasks
- be independent
- be productive
- adapt to changes in the environment
- be independent
Characteristics of low levels of functioning
- struggle to carry out basic tasks
- unable to cope with changes in the environment
- feeling lethargic or tired, thus being unproductive
- lack direction
Resilience
the ability to cope with and manage change and uncertainty
Individuals with high levels of resilience…
- seek solutions to problems
- use appropriate coping strategies
- flexible in changing circumstances
- optimistic and hopeful
Individuals with low levels of resilience…
- experience feelings of being overwhelmed
- rely on unhealthy or unhelpful coping strategies
- unable to adapt to change
- lack hope and optimism
High levels of resilience is a feature of an overall positive state of mental wellbeing, which can lead to an individual having…
- high self-esteem
- increased coping flexibility
- more confidence in carrying out tasks
Social wellbeing
the ability for an individual to form and maintain meaningful bonds with others, and adapt to different social situations
A person with high levels of social wellbeing may…
- have a strong support network
- able to form and maintain meaningful relationships
- able to effectively communicate with others
A person with low levels of social wellbeing may…
- be isolated or lack support from others
- difficulty forming and maintaining meaningful relationships
- struggle to effectively communicate with others
Emotional wellbeing
the ability for an individual to appropriately control and express their own emotions in an adaptive way, as well as understand emotions of others
A person with high levels of emotional wellbeing may…
- experience a wide range of emotions
- express emotions at appropriate times
- be aware of their and others’ current emotional state
A person with low levels of emotional wellbeing may…
- be unable to experience certain emotions
- express emotions inappropriately
- be unable to understand their own or others’ emotions
The SEWB framework is…
Multidimensional and holistic
Social and Emotional Wellbeing (SEWB)
A framework that includes all elements of being and wellbeing for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
7 dimensions of the SEWB Framework
- Connection to Body
- Connection to Mind and Emotions
- Connection to Family and Kinship
- Connection to Community
- Connection to Culture
- Connection to Country
- Connection to Spirituality and Ancestors
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
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
connections to wide social systems, providing individuals and families the ability to connect with and support each other
Connection to Culture
provides a strong sense of identity, values, tradition and connection between the past, present and future that drives behaviour and beliefs
Connection to Country
Connection to the traditional lands of a particular language or cultural group, including both geographical boundaries and the spiritual, emotional and intellectual connections to and within it
Mental wellbeing continuum
a tool used to track fluctuating mental wellbeing
Characteristics of a person with moderate levels of mental wellbeing (middle of continuum)
- not functioning at an optimal level
- amplified emotions and high levels of stress
- difficulty concentrating
- irrational thought patterns
Characteristics of a person with high levels of mental wellbeing
- able to function independently and cope with everyday demands
- still may experience stress, but have a high ability to cope with these experiences, and regulate and express emotions appropriately
Characteristics of a person with low levels of mental wellbeing
- high levels of distress
- unable to independently complete tasks and meet the demands of their environment
- impacted for an extended period of time
- may be diagnosed by a mental health professional
Internal factors
Arise from within the individual
External factors
Arise from an individual’s environment
Examples of internal factors that influence mental wellbeing
- poor sleep
- stress response
- thought patterns
- genetic predisposition
Examples of external factors that influence mental wellbeing
- social environment
- level of education
- loss of a significant relationship
- access to support services
Stress
A psychological and physiological experience that occurs when an individual encounters something of significance that demands their attention and efforts to cope
Stress on the mental wellbeing continuum
- can involve both eustress and distress, not necessarily a sign of low levels of mental wellbeing
- usually in response to a known cause
Anxiety
A psychological and physiological response that involves feelings of worry and apprehension about a perceived threat
Anxiety on the mental wellbeing continuum
- involves only negative feelings (distress)
- worrying about events that may occur in the future
- broader than stress, may be due to an unknown stimulus
Specific phobia
a type of diagnoseable anxiety disorder that is categorised by excessive and disproportionate fear when encountering or anticipating the encounter of a particular stimulus
Similarities of stress and anxiety
fluctuates between high and low levels of mental wellbeing, can be adaptive in short-term, maladaptive when persistent
Specific phobia on the mental wellbeing continuum
low levels of mental wellbeing, distress only and always maladaptive, response is to a known stimulus
Characteristics of specific phobia
- going great lengths to avoid phobic stimulus
- fear affects daily functioning
- phobia is persistent, irrational and excessive
- diagnosable mental disorder
Biopsychosocial approach
A holistic, interdisciplinary framework for understanding the human experience in terms of the influence of biological, psychological and social factors
Contributing factors to specific phobia
- GABA dysfunction
- Long-term potentiation
GABA dysfunction
Insufficient neural transmission or reception of GABA in the body
How does GABA dysfunction contribute to the development of phobias?
it may cause someone’s flight-or-fight-or-freeze or anxiety response to be activated more easily than someone with adequate GABA levels
Long-term potentiation
the long-lasting and experience-dependent strengthening or synaptic connections that are regularly coactivated
How does long-term potentiation contribute to the development of phobias?
by strengthening the association between neural signals involved in perceiving a stimulus and neural signals involved in activating the fear response
How does LTP strengthen a phobic response?
repeated coactivation of signals involved in perceiving a phobic stimulus and neural signals involved in activating the fear response
Precipitating factors
factors that increase susceptibility to and contribute to the occurrence of developing a specific phobia
How does classical conditioning contribute to the development of phobias?
by increasing susceptibility to and contributing to their occurrence
- What becomes a phobic stimulus is initially the…
- Conditioned stimulus…
- Conditioned response…
- Neutral stimulus (NS)
- phobic stimulus
- phobic response
Perpetuating factors
factors that inhibit a person’s ability to recover from a specific phobia
How does operant conditioning contribute to phobias?
it perpetuates phobia by preventing an individual from overcoming them
- Antecedent
- Behaviour
- Consequence
- Negative reinforcement
- phobic stimulus
- individual avoids phobic stimulus
- individual avoids fear response
- behaviour is negatively reinforced due to the avoidance of the phobic stimulus (fear response)
Cognitive Bias
a predisposition to think about and process information in a certain way
How does Memory Bias contribute to phobias?
as phobias are often caused by traumatic events, people may remember the trauma as extremely significant or harmful, and this impacts their present cognitions about the stimulus
Memory Bias
a type of cognitive bias caused by inaccurate or exaggerated memory
Catastrophic Thinking
a type of cognitive bias in which a stimulus or event is predicted to be far worse than it actually is
Specific environmental triggers
stimuli or experience in a person’s environment that evoke an extreme stress response, leading to the development of a phobia
Evidence-based interventions for specific phobia
- GABA agonists
- breathing retraining
- cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)
- systematic desensitisation
- psychoeducation
Types of specific environmental triggers
- direct confrontation with traumatic stimulus/event
- observing another person have a direct confrontation with a traumatic stimulus/event
- learning about a traumatic stimulus/event indirectly
Stigma around seeking treatment
sense of shame a person might feel about getting professional help for their phobia
Agonists
a type of drug that imitates neurotransmitters by binding to and activating the receptor site of a neuron
Benzodiazepines
a type of medication that depresses central nervous system activity and is often used as a short-acting anti-anxiety medication
How can benzodiazepines be used to treat GABA dysfunction?
benzodiazepines bind to GABA receptor sites and mimic the effects of GABA to increase its inhibitory response. This reduces the rapid excitatory communication between neurons in the fear response, relieving anxiety it causes
Breathing retraining
a method used to reach breathing control techniques that may reduce physiological arousal
Process of breathing retraining
1) Learning to control breathing with a therapist/doctor
2) applying breathing techniques near phobic stimulus
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
a form of psychotherapy that encourages individuals to replace dysfunctional cognitions and behaviours with more adaptive ones
Systematic desensitisation
a therapy technique used to overcome phobia that involves a patient being exposed to increasingly anxiety-inducing stimuli in a staged way, combined with the use of relaxation techniques
Process of systematic desensitisation
1) learning relaxation techniques
2) development of fear hierarchy
3) gradual step-by-step exposure to each item of the fear hierarchy
4) continuation of this systematic exposure
Psychoeducation
educating family and supporters of individuals with mental health disorders about how to better manage their disorder
2 important components of psychoeducation that are taught to family and supporters
- challenging unrealistic or anxious thoughts
- not encouraging avoidance behaviours
Protective factors
Influences that enable an individual to promote and maintain high levels of mental wellbeing
2 biological protective factors
- adequate nutrition and hydration
- sleep
Biological protective factors
influences that stem from an individual’s brain or body that can maintain or promote mental wellbeing
Adequate nutrition and hydration
when the type and amount of food and drink that an individual consumes meet their physical needs
How does sleep act as a protective factor
adequate sleep reduces the likelihood of mental health disorders and promotes mental wellbeing
Psychological protective factors
influences that relate to mental processes that can maintain and promote mental wellbeing
2 psychological protective factors
- cognitive behavioural strategies
- mindfulness meditation
Cognitive behavioural strategies
techniques that utilise traits of cognitive behavioural therapy, including recognising and changing dysfunctional thought and behavioural patterns
Mindfulness meditation
the practice of meditation in which an individual focuses on their present experience to promote feelings of calm and peace
Social protective factors
influences that exist in an individual’s social environment that can maintain and promote mental wellbeing
1 social protective factor
- support
Support
genuine and effective assistance provided by family, friends and community
Support needs to be…
authentic and energising to be effective
Determinants of wellbeing
factors that influence wellbeing on individual and community levels
Culture
a strong sense of identity, values, tradition and connection between the past, present and future that drives behaviour and beliefs
2 cultural determinants of wellbeing
- cultural continuity
- self-determination
Cultural continuity
the passing down and active practice of cultural knowledge, traditions and values from generation to generation
How can cultural continuity be disrupted/destroyed
if cultural practices are not allowed to continue
Why cultural continuity is important to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples?
when they feel connected to their past and can sense their culture all around them in the present, they are able to imagine themselves in the future
Self-determination
The rights of all peoples to pursue freely their economic, social and cultural development without outside interference
Self-determination can include endeavours such as…
- Aboriginal community-controlled organisations
- established partnerships between communities, governments and non-government organisations
Why must self-determination be present to support cultural continuity?
If you cannot control how you and your peoples live, you cannot maintain your culture
