Ways of considering mental wellbeing
what is mental wellbeing?
an individual’s psychological state, including their ability to think, process information, and regulate emotions
What is the Mental wellbeing continuum ?
a tool used to track fluctuating mental wellbeing
What is the BPS model?
a holistic, interdisciplinary framework for understanding the human experience in terms of the influence of biological, psychological, and social factors
Examples of Biological interventions?
GABA agonists (Benzodiazepines) and Breathing retraining
Identify the Cultural determinants of wellbeing for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities
Cultural expression and continuity Indigenous language, Self-determination and leadership Family, kinship, and community Connection to Country Indigenous beliefs and knowledge, and Culture.
Examples of low levels of functioning are..?
• carry out basic everyday tasks, such as maintaining personal hygiene and dressing appropriately
• be productive in completing daily tasks
• set goals and take steps towards achieving them
• be independent
• adapt to changes in the environment.
• is not functioning at an optimal level
• experiences a temporary or moderate impact on mental wellbeing
• experiences amplified emotions and high levels of stress
• has difficulty concentrating
• is more likely to experience irrational thought patterns
List the psychological factors contributing to phobias
Classical conditioning, Operant conditioning, Cognitive biases, Memory bias, Catastrophic thinking
What is Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) ?
Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is a form of psychotherapy that encourages individuals to substitute dysfunctional cognitions and behaviours with more adaptive ones.
CBT involves a cognitive and a behavioural component.
• The cognitive component involves:
– identifying negative thoughts and feelings (cognitions) about the issue.
– replacing these negative thoughts and feelings with more positive ones.
• The behavioural component involves:
– identifying negative behaviours relating to the issue.
– developing and maintaining more positive behaviours relating to the issue.
What is cultural continuity?
Cultural continuity: the passing down and active practice of cultural knowledge, traditions, and values from generation to generation
Cultural continuity can be achieved through a variety of cultural practices, including engaging with arts, crafts, music, dance, theatre, writing, storytelling, languages, food, and so much more.
• seek solutions to problems
• use appropriate coping strategies
• be flexible in changing circumstances
• be optimistic and hopeful.
What are factors influencing mental wellbeing?
Internal factors factors that arise from within the individual
External factors factors that arise from an individual’s environment
what is GABA dysfunction?
refers to the insufficient neural transmission or reception of GABA in the body. This can be due to a low level or production of GABA, or an insufficient reception or transmission of GABA across the synapse. GABA dysfunction can contribute to the development of phobia because:
• GABA dysfunction may cause someone’s flight-or-fight-or-freeze or anxiety response to be activated more easily than someone with adequate GABA levels. This means that, for some people, the stress response is more easily triggered by certain stimuli. • recurrent stress responses to specific stimuli can lead to the development of a phobia
Cognitions: • Memory bias • Catastrophic thinking • A belief that the phobia can never be overcome • A belief that the phobia can only get worse • Embarrassment • Extreme fear
Behaviours: • Avoidance behaviours in which a person avoids their phobic stimulus and anything related to it at all costs • Not seeking help • Avoiding social activities that may expose a person to their phobia
what is self determination?
Self-determination: the rights of all peoples to pursue freely their economic, social, and cultural development without outside interference
What is Social and emotional wellbeing (SEWB) ?
a framework that includes all elements of being, and therefore wellbeing, for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
Examples of internal factors?
• Stress response
• Thought patterns
• Genetic predisposition
What is Specific environmental triggers, and the 3 different types.
Specific environmental triggers refer to stimuli or experiences in a person’s environment that evoke an extreme stress response, leading to the development of a phobia. There are a few different types of environmental triggers, including:
• direct confrontation with a traumatic stimulus or event, e.g. being bitten by a snake.
• observing another person having a direct confrontation with a traumatic stimulus or event, e.g. watching someone be threatened with a weapon.
• learning about a potentially dangerous or traumatic stimulus or event indirectly, e.g. by watching a movie about threatening motorcycle gangs or reading about the danger of snakes.
The 4 steps of systematic desensitization
1. The learning of relaxation techniques.
2. The development of a fear hierarchy
3. The gradual step-by-step exposure.
4. The continuation of this systematic exposure
what is an example of self determination
The United Nations specifies that all nations have the right to self-determination, which refers to the rights of all peoples to pursue freely their economic, social, and cultural development without outside interference (for example, without the government of a country making it illegal to perform certain cultural practices).
Self-determination requires that First Nations people are involved in ‘every layer of decision making’, including decisions that impact communities, states, and the country as a whole.
Self-determination can include endeavours such as: • Aboriginal community-controlled organisations.
• established partnerships between communities, governments, and non-government organisations, which is any not-for-profit organisation that exists to address a political or social issue.
• constitutional recognition for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. This will recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Nations of Australia and empower Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to determine their own futures
The factors on the SEWB framework are?
Family and Kinship, Community, Culture, Country, Body, Mind and Emotions, Spirituality and Ancestors
Difference between stress, anxiety and phobia?
stress is a physiological response and is a normal part of life and is in response to a known cause, anxiety can involve eustress and distress and can be towards and unknown stimulus and is future orientated, phobia is a diagnosable disorder with low levels of functioning and avoidance behaviours
What are precipitating and perpetuating factors?
Perpetuating factors: (in relation to specific phobia) factors that inhibit a person’s ability to recover from a specific phobia
Precipitating factors: (in relation to specific phobia) factors that increase the susceptibility to and contribute to the occurrence of developing a specific phobia
Psychoeducation and the 2 components
teaching families and supporters of individuals with mental health disorders how to better understand, deal with, and treat their disorder
1. challenging unrealistic or anxious thoughts of the individual, and
2. not encouraging avoidance behaviours.
What is an example of cultural continuity in Australian history
the lives of Indigenous Australians today are affected by what has happened to us and our ancestors over the past 230 years since Europeans arrived.
In particular, as part of the British colonisation practices, assimilation and ‘protection’ policies saw many First Nations people violently separated from their families, and punished for speaking their languages or honouring their culture.
As such, cultural continuity is a vital cultural determinant for the re-establishment and maintenance of wellbeing in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, and Indigenous populations worldwide, as it enables communities to heal and form strong identities.