1. Psychological Health
Chapter Three

2. Defining Psychological Health
Mental Health
Psychological Health…
Is the presence of wellness- which includes all six dimensions of wellness
Encourages us to fulfill our own potential-
Psychological health is not..
The same as psychological normality- Being “normal” for any parameter just means that you are average; Not falling into a category labeled as average does not mean that you do not possess psychological health
Conforming to social norms- conforming to social norms is not always psychologically healthy; there is a need to challenge and question the world around you and failing to do so means that you are not fulfilling your potential as a thinking, questioning human being
Having the need to seek help for personal problems- If a person seeks help for personal problems, this does not signify a lack of psychological health; In fact is psychologically healthy to recognize and seek help when problems arise; Not seeking help for personal problems does not prove you are psychologically healthy any more than seeking help proves you are mentally ill.
Peoples appearance – A persons appearance does not in any way show whether a person is psychologically healthy or not.

3. Defining Psychological Health
Abraham Maslow’s “Toward a Psychology of Being”
Studied very successful people
He determined a hierarchy of needs
Physiological needs (most urgent)
Safety
Being loved
Maintaining self-esteem
Self-actualization* (least urgent?)
Abraham Maslow authored a book called “Toward a Psychology of Being” where he described the presence of a hierarchy of needs as the following (listed in order of decreasing urgency); He based his findings on people that he perceived as being successful.
Physiological Needs- having food and water, shelter, sleep, exercise and sex
Safety and security- having safe surroundings, protection by others, & knowing to avoid risks
Love and Belongingness – being loved, loving and connected
Self-esteem- having self-esteem as a person, as a doer and in relationships
Self-actualization –Realism, Acceptance, Autonomy, authenticity, Intimacy, Creativity,

4. Self-Actualization (A Closer Look)
Maslow concluded that visibly successful people achieved self-actualization & that they share the following qualities:
Realism
Acceptance
Self-image
Self-esteem
Autonomy
Authenticity
Intimacy
Creativity
In Maslow’s opinion Self-Actualized describes a person who has obtained their highest level of growth. Who determines what one persons highest level of growth?
Conclusions: based on a study of very successful people that have lived their lives to their fullest. They have achieved self-actualization and that they share the following qualities:
Realism – realistic people are able to deal with the world as it is and not demand that it be otherwise; knowing what you can change and what you cannot; accepting evidence that contradicts what they want to believe and if it is important evidence they modify their beliefs.
Acceptance – being able to accept themselves and others. Self acceptance means having a positive self-concept (self-image) or having high self-esteem; having a positive mental image of themselves and positive feelings about who they are and what they are capable of and what roles they play.
Autonomy – being able to direct yourself and acting independently of their social environment and finding guidance from within; not being afraid to be yourself; acting b/c you choose to and not because you are pressured, sometimes called being authentic or being true to oneself
Intimacy – being capable of physical and emotional intimacy and being able to expose feelings and thoughts to others.
Creativity – being creative and having an ongoing appreciation for what goes on around them; they do not fear what is unknown to them and are willing to see and learn more about the world around them.

5. ©2008 McGraw-Hill Companies. All Rights Reserved.
Physiological needs are the most urgent and when the more urgent needs are met in a persons life then they move on to the less urgent needs, the least urgent being self-actualization
Chapter Three
©2008 McGraw-Hill Companies. All Rights Reserved.

6. Dealing with life’s challenges

7. Erikson's Eight Stages of Personality Development
Psychological Growth Occurs as a series of steps
Trust versus mistrust
Autonomy versus shame and self-doubt
Initiative versus guilt
Industry versus inferiority
Identity versus identity confusion
Intimacy versus isolation
Generativity versus self-absorption
Integrity versus despair
Trust versus mistrust
Age Birth to 1 year; mother or primary caregiver are important influences
Developing trust that others will respond to your needs
Ex. In being fed and comforted
Autonomy versus shame and self-doubt
1-3 years; parents
learning self-control without losing the capacity for assertiveness
Ex. In toilet training, locomotion, and exploration,
Initiative versus guilt
3-6 years; family
Developing a conscience based on parental prohibitions that is not too inhibiting
Ex. As in playful talking and locomotion
Industry versus inferiority
6-12; neighborhood and school
Learning the value of accomplishment and perseverance without feeling inadequate
Ex. when in school and playing with peers
Identity versus identity confusion
During Adolescence; peers are most influential
Developing a stable sense of who you are, your needs, abilities, interpersonal style and values
Intimacy versus isolation
Young adulthood; close friends, sex partners
Learning to live and share intimately with others, often in sexual relationships
Generativity versus self-absorption
Middle adulthood ; work associates, children, community
Doing things for others, including parenting and civic activities
Integrity versus despair
Older adulthood; humankind
Affirming the value of life and its ideals

8. Self-esteem

9. Achieving Healthy Self-Esteem
When does it begin and what does it involve?
Developing a Positive Self-Concept
Ideally begins in childhood
Based on experiences inside and outside family
Involves integration
Involves stability
Developing a Positive Self-Concept
Begins in childhood
Based on familial experiences and outside experiences
Children need to develop a sense of being loved and being able to give love
Integration
An integrated self-concept is one that you have made for yourself as opposed to the image that others have of you.
A self-image that a child makes for him/herself as opposed to someone else’s image of you. The building blocks of a self-image come from the mannerisms and characteristics of parents and caregivers
Stability- depends on not having contradictions about the messages that you receive from parents and caregivers; receiving contradictory messages defies integration and can lead to shifting levels of self-esteem
Meeting Challenges to Self-Esteem
Challenge is your self-concept
Acknowledge that something has gone wrong
Notice your patterns of thinking
Develop realistic self-talk
Being less defensive
Being optimistic

10. Achieving Healthy Self-Esteem
How to achieve a healthy self-esteem
Notice patterns of thought
Avoid focusing on the negative
Develop realistic self-talk
Maintain honest communication
Maintaining honest communication
Recognize what you want and express it clearly; be assertive or be expressive in a way that is forceful but not hostile
Dealing with loneliness
You don’t’ have to be lonely with all of the many activities that are out there, however don’t feel the need to associate with people just because of your feelings of loneliness
Dealing with anger
It is important to express your feelings even when they are feelings of anger; You don’t want to express your feelings in an explosive manner b/c it puts you at a health risk and it may lead to you destroying property or destroying relationships by saying hurtful things you don’t mean.
Managing your own anger
When managing anger (1) reframe what you are thinking, look for mitigating factors and (2) distract yourself before you respond. You always respond differently to things after you have had the time to think about them.
Dealing with anger in other people
Respond to the angry attitudes of others in a calm manner, trying to solve the problem instead of making it worse and if this is unsuccessful, then remove yourself, at least temporarily from the situation.

11. Psychological & Mood disorders

12. Anxiety Disorders Anxiety Disorders Simple/specific phobia
Social phobia
Anxiety is another word for fear, esp. a feeling of fear that is not in response to any definite threat

13. Anxiety (Fear) Disorders Panic disorders
Anxiety Disorders
Anxiety (Fear) Disorders
Panic disorders
Anxiety is another word for fear, esp. a feeling of fear that is not in response to any definite threat

14. Anxiety Disorders Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)
Obsessive-Compulsive disorder (OCD)
Post-Traumatic Stress disorder (PTSD)

15. Mood Disorders Depression Feeling of sadness and hopelessness
Most common mood disorder
Affects young and older adults
Takes the form of:
Feeling of sadness and hopelessness
Loss of pleasure
Poor appetite, weight loss
Insomnia
Restlessness
Thoughts of worthlessness
Trouble concentrating
Thoughts of death or suicide

16. Warning Signs of Suicide
Expressing the ‘wish’ to be dead
Increasing social withdrawal/isolation
Sudden inexplicable lightening of mood
Previous history of attempts

17. Treating Depression Depends on severity and persons risk of suicide
Antidepressants
Prescribed for Anxiety, PTSD, OCD, eating disorders, etc.
Prozac, paxil
Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)
The most common antidepressant’s include:
Prozac, paxil
Prescribed for anxiety, PTSD, OCD, eating disorders, etc.
They work by increasing the level of serotonin available for the postsynaptic cell (neuron)
in the modulation of anger, aggression, body temperature, mood, sleep, human sexuality, appetite, and metabolism, as well as stimulating vomiting
ECT apparently works similar to antidepressants

18. Mood Disorders Mania and Bipolar Disorder Bipolar disorder
Gender differences exist when considering psychological disorders, but why?
Reporting bias
Difference in hormones
Women emphasize the relationships in their lives and may use them to determine their own self-esteem and when one/more deteriorates this can lead to greater rates of depression, etc.
Gender roles place women in less autonomous situations

19. Psychological Disorders
Schizophrenia
General characteristics
A mood disorder is the term given for a group of diagnoses in the DSM IV TR classification system where a disturbance in the person's emotional mood is hypothesised to be the main underlying feature

20. Facts About Suicide In the U.S. suicide is higher in men
White men over 65 have highest rate
Women attempt 3X as many suicides as men, men succeed at more than 3X rate of women

21. Physiological Basis for Psychological Disorders
Neurotransmitters such as serotonin and norepinephrine alter the overall responsiveness of the brain and are responsible for mood, level of attentiveness and other psychological states
Many psychological disorders are related to problems with neurotransmitters and their receptors and drug treatments frequently target them.

22. Models of Human Nature and Therapeutic Change
Four Perspectives can be applied to psychological disorders each with a distinct view of human nature

23. Models of Human Nature and Therapeutic Change
Biological
Behavioral
Cognitive
Psychodynamic
Four Different perspectives can be applied to human problems such as psychological disorders
Biological
pharmacological therapy - shows that drugs can make anxiety and other disorders better or worse
Emphasizes that the activity of the mind depends entirely on the brain
Behavioral
Emphasis is on the behavior or actions of people
Behaviorists analyze behavior in terms of stimulus, response and reinforcement; What are the stimuli that reinforce maladaptive behavior and then try to alter the reinforcements
Practice exposure by deliberately and repeatedly enter the feared situation and remain in it until their fear begins to subside
Cognitive
emphasis is on the effect of ideas on behavior and feeling. This model states that behavior results from complicated attitudes, expectations and motives rather than reinforcements
Ex. recurring false ideas produce feelings such as anxiety and depression; A student that is afraid to speak in front of the class might think that when she begins to speak, she will say something stupid and then the class/teacher will lose respect for her or laugh at her, she will get a bad grade and her classmates will avoid her
Psychodynamic
Thoughts