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Chapter 2Chapter 2

Psychosocial Health: Achieving Mental, Emotional, Social, and

Spiritual Wellness

Part 1 Finding the Right BalancePart 1 Finding the Right Balance

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Psychosocial Psychosocial Dimensions OfDimensions OfHealthHealth

INTELLECTUAL (thinking)

EMOTIONAL (feeling)

SOCIAL (relationships)

SPIRITUAL (being)

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Psychosocial HealthHow we face life’s up and

downsChallengesDisappointments Joys frustrationsPainComplex interactionBetween a person’s history

and conscious & unconscious thoughts + interpretations of the past

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Resiliency CharacteristicsPS HealthFeel good about

themselvesFeel comfortable with

peopleControl tension &

stressMeet the demands of

lifeCurb hate & guilt

Positive outlookEnrich the lives of

othersCherish things that

make them smileValue diversityAppreciate nature

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Consider Your Personal PsychosocialHEALTH !

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INTELLECTUAL HEALTHINTELLECTUAL HEALTHThe Thinking You

The ability toThe ability to: reason / interpret / remember sense / perceive / evaluate solve problems / sort through clutter

of life

Positive / negative developmentPositive / negative developmentdevelop healthy attitudes & beliefs -

body, family, relationships, and life learn, understand, appreciatedifferences / contradictions

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EMOTIONAL HEALTHEMOTIONAL HEALTHIntense FEELINGS / SUBJECTIVE

Minute to minuteMinute to minute

Day to dayDay to dayLovingLovingCaringCaringHatingHatingHurtHurtDespairDespairReleaseRelease

JoyJoyAnxietyAnxietyFearFearFrustrationFrustrationAngerAnger

The emotional The emotional experienceexperience

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Lazarus - Four Basic TypesLazarus - Four Basic TypesEMOTIONSEMOTIONS

Emotions from harm, Emotions from harm, loss or threatsloss or threats

From benefitsFrom benefitsBorderline - hope and Borderline - hope and

compassioncompassionComplex - grief, Complex - grief,

disappointment, disappointment, bewilderment and bewilderment and curiositycuriosity

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EMOTIONAL RESPONSESEMOTIONAL RESPONSES(Non Life-threatening) (Non Life-threatening)

HEALTH vs. UNHEALTHYHEALTH vs. UNHEALTHY

Healthy:Healthy:StableAppropriateNon-extreme Behave consistentlyAdopt an offensive

attack mode

Unhealthy:Unhealthy:Feelings overpowerHighly volatileUnpredictable emotional

outburstsFrightening responsesVerbal / physical violence

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Emotions & Social InteractionsEmotions & Social Interactions

DisplayDisplayHostilityHostilityWithdrawnWithdrawnMood Mood

fluctuationsfluctuationsGrumpyGrumpyNastyNastyHurtfulHurtful Get Help!!!!Get Help!!!!

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SOCIAL HEALTHSOCIAL HEALTHInteractions With OthersInteractions With Others

Achievement and Maintenance of HealthAchievement and Maintenance of Health

Social bondsSocial bondsProvide intimacyProvide intimacyBelonging / integrationBelonging / integrationGive / receive nurturanceGive / receive nurturanceProvide reassurance of worthProvide reassurance of worthAssistance & guidanceAssistance & guidanceProviding adviceProviding adviceFeel connected to life & liveFeel connected to life & live

Unconditional Unconditional Love?Love?

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Social SupportSocial SupportExpressive SupportExpressive SupportEmotional Support /

Encouragement

Structural SupportStructural Support Housing / MoneyChildren - Families

Expressive & StructuralExpressive & Structural Adults - Develop Own

Social network - Friends /Social network - Friends /

FamilyFamily

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Prejudice Cults & Social HealthPrejudice Cults & Social Health

Extreme groups / Extreme groups / belonging + supportbelonging + support

CultsCultsElements / social Elements / social

healthhealthNegative Negative

representationrepresentationAggressive Aggressive HateHateBiasBias

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Spiritual HealthDifficult-to-describe Element That Gives Zest For LifeDifficult-to-describe Element That Gives Zest For Life

A unifying force that gives propose or meaning to life

Nature, family, religion, communityEgocentric / self orientatedClothing, car, home, possessionsWestern civilization denies spiritual until later in

lifeDeath, failed relationships, Midlife crisis - sense of spiritual bankruptcyWhat if i die tomorrow

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Factors Influencing Psychosocial Health

easy to defineeasy to define

difficult to assessdifficult to assessPsychosocially wellVirtually all the timeSome of the timeAlmost never

External influencesFamily - adjustmentsDysfunctional familiesGreater environmentWhere you liveEducationAccess to health

services

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External InfluencesFamily SituationsFamily Situationshealthy / supportive /nurturing /

happiness

OR!OR!violence / sexual, physical,

emotional abuse / distrust / anger / dietary deprivation

Dysfunctional families

Greater EnvironmentGreater EnvironmentWhere you live / safety /

stressors / threatsEducation / Lifestyle Access to health services

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Internal InfluencesInternal InfluencesHereditary traitsHormonal functioningPhysical health status

Formative yearsFormative yearsschool, sports, self

perception, job,

relationshipsPersonal worthSelf Esteem

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SELF PERCEPTIONBelieving in Yourself

Self - efficacySelf - efficacy

Personal controlPersonal control

Learned Learned helplessnesshelplessness

Belief in your ability to perform a task successfully

Internal resources allow you to control a situation

Past failures influence what you do now - ‘I give up’ / ‘why bother’

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Personality & Freud

IdId

EgoEgo

SuperegoSuperego

Unconscious desire for immediate gratification

wants and needs- disregards laws / society / others

Personality forces that restrain the IdId - Satisfy the IdId in socially acceptable ways

Personality forces that act as our conscious

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Psychology…Psychology…

Behavioral Behavioral psychologypsychology

Developmental Developmental psychologypsychology

Humanistic Humanistic psychologypsychology

B.F. Skinner - all behavior learned by reward and punishment

Right Vs. WrongRight Vs. Wrong

Personality +development of emotional health successful completion of tasks at various agestasks at various ages

Emotional well being based on hierarchy of hierarchy of needsneeds

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Life Span and MaturityPersonality Personality

impossible to defineimpossible to defineDynamicDynamicTemperaments Temperaments

change as we growchange as we growEarly development Early development

or lack can influence or lack can influence our livesour lives

Self-esteem - Self-esteem - sense of sense of self, respect & self, respect & confidenceconfidence

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Developing and Maintaining Developing and Maintaining Self-EsteemSelf-Esteem

Perception from othersPerception from others Internalized / realized/ Internalized / realized/

demonstrateddemonstrated Strength training for Strength training for

self-esteemself-esteem Find A support group Find A support group

peers who: share values, peers who: share values, goals, positive, honestgoals, positive, honest

Help you develop as a Help you develop as a personperson

Learn To See YourselfLearn To See Yourself

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Self-Esteem.., continuedSelf-Esteem.., continuedForming realistic

expectations life is not all Or

nothingTaking and making

time for yourselfMaintaining physical

healthExamining problems

and seeking help (if required)

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Getting Adequate Amounts of Rest fix worries or grieffix worries or grief

alcohol or smokingalcohol or smoking avoid heavy mealsavoid heavy meals reduce caffeine reduce caffeine avoid daytime napsavoid daytime naps spend an hour restingspend an hour resting

before trying to sleepbefore trying to sleep don’t worry about sleepdon’t worry about sleep clocks / out of direct sightclocks / out of direct sight sleep at regular schedulessleep at regular schedules

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When Thing Go WrongWhen Thing Go Wrong Depression……………….Endogenous - biochemical

disorder (neurotransmitter)Exogenous - external cause Symptoms Similar:

sadness

joyless

loss of interest - work / school

fatigue

hopelessness / worthlessness

sleeplessness

Facts & Fallacies Real Depression not a

natural reaction to crisis and loss

People will not ‘snap out’ of depression with a little will power - leading cause of suicide

Frequent crying not related to depression

Depression is not “all in the mind”

Genetic predisposition many causes many treatments

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Depression…… continuedFacts & FallaciesFacts & FallaciesReal Depression not a natural reaction Real Depression not a natural reaction

to crisis and lossto crisis and lossPeople will not ‘snap out’ of depression People will not ‘snap out’ of depression

with a little will power - leading cause with a little will power - leading cause of suicideof suicide

Frequent crying not related to Frequent crying not related to depressiondepression

Depression is not “all in the mind”Depression is not “all in the mind”Genetic predispositionGenetic predispositionmany causesmany causesmany treatmentsmany treatments

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Treating Depression

PsychotherapeuticPsychotherapeuticsocial & interpersonal cognitive - view life

rationally / less pessimistic

6 to 8 months & interpersonal therapy -

correct chronic human relationship problems

PharmacologicalPharmacological relieve symptoms - sleep &

appetite

Antidepressant drugs - 80%

Electroconvulsive therapy

shock treatment

every 5 seconds for 15 to 20

minutes

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Other DisordersOther Disorders………...………...

ObsessiveObsessive

compulsivecompulsive

disorderdisorder

- a disorder a disorder characterized by characterized by obsessive thoughts or obsessive thoughts or habitual behavior habitual behavior that can not be that can not be controlledcontrolled

cleanliness - washing cleanliness - washing hand 20 times before hand 20 times before eatingeating

pulling out hairpulling out hair self mutilationself mutilation causes are unclear causes are unclear avoiding deeper avoiding deeper

problemsproblems lack of neurotransmitter lack of neurotransmitter

serotonin ( emotion + serotonin ( emotion + motivation)motivation)

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Anxiety DisordersAnxiety Disorders

Disorders characterized by persistent feeling of anxiety in coping with everyday problems of living……..,

fatigue, back pains, headaches, unreality,

weakness in legs, and losing control.

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Phobias and othersPhobias and othersPhobias: Phobias: A deep and persistent A deep and persistent

fear of a specific object, activity, fear of a specific object, activity, situationsituation

spiders, flying, heights, public spiders, flying, heights, public speaking, eating in public places speaking, eating in public places

Panic Attacks:Panic Attacks:Disabling TerrorDisabling Terror breathing, heart rate, sweating, breathing, heart rate, sweating,

shaking, choking, tremblingshaking, choking, trembling Heart AttackHeart Attack Biochemical imbalanceBiochemical imbalance

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Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)Light Therapy - Mimics SunlightLight Therapy - Mimics Sunlight

A Type of DepressionA Type of Depression

““the winter blues”the winter blues”reduced sunlight

irritability, apathy, CHO craving,

weight gain, more sleep & sadness.

Hypothalamus functionHypothalamus function

external stimuli

response regulator

women 4X more than men

ages 20 to 40

Canadians at high risk

Latitude matters………………

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Suicide: Giving Up On LifeSuicide: Giving Up On LifeA Cry for Help, Gone WrongA Cry for Help, Gone Wrong

3,500 each year3,500 each yearUniversity StudentsUniversity Students poor coping skillspoor coping skills lack of social supportlack of social support low self-esteemlow self-esteem perspective of negative perspective of negative

situationsituationwomen attempt 4X the women attempt 4X the

rate of menrate of menmen are 3X more men are 3X more

successfulsuccessful

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Suicide……….. Continued...Risk FactorsRisk Factors family historyfamily history previous attemptsprevious attempts drug / alcohol drug / alcohol

depression…...depression…... financial financial loss of loved oneloss of loved one death or rejectiondeath or rejection

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Warning Signals of Suicide

I can’t take it I can’t take it anymoreanymore

I might as well end itI might as well end it soon the pain will be soon the pain will be

overover giving away prized giving away prized

possessionspossessions loss of interestloss of interest personality changepersonality change risk takingrisk taking personal appearancepersonal appearance drug / alcohol usedrug / alcohol use

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Suicide……. Continued!Suicide……. Continued!monitor warning signalsmonitor warning signals take threats seriouslytake threats seriously tell them you care & are there tell them you care & are there

for themfor them listenlisten ask directlyask directly don’t challenge the attemptdon’t challenge the attempt alternativesalternatives get help / remove pills / guns get help / remove pills / guns

etc……..etc…….. tell family memberstell family members

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When do I need help????

I think I need itI think I need itmood swingsmood swings problems effect daily lifeproblems effect daily lifewithdrawnwithdrawn hallucinationshallucinations life - worth living?life - worth living? Inadequate / worthlessInadequate / worthless emotional response & emotional response &

situation don’t matchsituation don’t match crises crises Can’t get act togetherCan’t get act together

suicidalsuicidal

drugs/alcohol usedrugs/alcohol use

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Seeking Professional Help!Seeking Professional Help!Psychiatrist:Psychiatrist: Licensed Physician

specialists mental / emotional disordersPsychoanalyst:Psychoanalyst: reveals past traumas

blocking personal growthClinical /Psychiatric Social worker: Clinical /Psychiatric Social worker:

Mater’s Degree, work in clinical settings/ sometimes insured by employee assistance programs

CounsellorCounsellor: Wide variety of services, academic - family, relationship, self-esteem, behaviours……

AnyoneAnyone can have the title of Counsellor- so check them out!