Mental Health and Social Psychology PDF

Mental health and Social psychology Prepared by DR. Abdelgaber A. Abdelzaher Associate Professor - Mental health Dept. Faculty of Education - South Valley University 1  Mental health and Social psychology Introduction: Mental health is...

Mental health and Social psychology Prepared by DR. Abdelgaber A. Abdelzaher Associate Professor - Mental health Dept. Faculty of Education - South Valley University 1  Mental health and Social psychology Introduction: Mental health is more than the mere lack of mental disorders. The positive dimension of mental health is stressed in WHO’s definition of health as contained in its constitution: “Mental Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” Concepts of mental health include subjective well-being, perceived self-efficacy, autonomy, competence, intergenerational dependence and recognition of the ability to realize one’s intellectual and emotional potential. It has also been defined as a state of well-being whereby individuals recognize their abilities, are able to cope with the normal stresses of life, work productively and fruitfully, and make a contribution to their communities. Mental health is about enhancing competencies of individuals and communities and enabling them to achieve their self-determined goals. 2 Mental health refers to cognitive, behavioral, and emotional well-being. It is all about how people think, feel, and behave. People sometimes use the term “mental health” to mean the absence of a mental disorder. Mental health can affect daily living, relationships, and physical health. Looking after mental health can preserve a person’s ability to enjoy life. Doing this involves reaching a balance between life activities, responsibilities, and efforts to achieve psychological resilience Conditions such as stress, depression, and anxiety can all affect mental health and disrupt a person’s routine. So, Mental health can be gained and lost each day through our interactions, relationships and how we behave towards one another. A person may not have a mental illness but can still have poor mental health. As well, a person can have a mental illness but have good mental health. Mental health problems affect society as a whole, They are therefore a major challenge to global development. No group is immune to mental disorders, but the risk is higher among the poor, 3 homeless, the unemployed, persons with low education, victims of violence, migrants and refugees, indigenous populations, children and adolescents, abused women and the neglected elderly. Although the term mental health is in common use, many conditions that doctors recognize as psychological disorders have physical roots. Understanding Mental Health The World Health Organization (WHO) in its constitution of 1948 defines health as: “Mental health is a state of well-being in which an individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community” (WHO: 2003) The WHO stress that mental health is “more than just the absence of mental disorders or disabilities.” Peak mental health is about not only avoiding active conditions but also looking after ongoing wellness and happiness. They also emphasize that preserving and restoring mental health is crucial on an 4 individual basis, as well as throughout different communities and societies the world over. Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices. Mental health is important at every stage of life, from childhood and adolescence through adulthood. Mental Health is “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”. 2 Mental health is defined as “a state of well- being whereby individuals recognize and realize their abilities, are able to cope with the normal stresses of life, work productively and fruitfully, and make a contribution to their communities” (WHO: 2003). Positive mental health includes emotion, cognition, and social functioning and coherence. (WHO: 2009). Mental health is a key determinant of overall health and socio economic development. It influences a variety of outcomes for individuals 5 and communities such as healthier lifestyles; better physical health; improved recovery from illness; fewer limitations in daily living; higher education attainment; greater productivity, employment and earnings; better relationships with adults and with children; more social cohesion and engagement and improved quality of life (WHO: 2009). What is mental illness? Mental illness is a general term that refers to a group of illnesses, in the same way that heart disease refers to a group of illnesses and disorders affecting the heart. A mental illness is a health problem that significantly affects how a person feels, thinks, behaves, and interacts with other people. It is diagnosed according to standardized criteria. The term mental disorder is also used to refer to these health problems. A mental health problem also interferes with how a person thinks, feels, and behaves, but to a lesser extent than a mental illness. Mental health problems are more common and include the mental ill health that can be 6 experienced temporarily as a reaction to the stresses of life. Mental health problems are less severe than mental illnesses, but may develop into a mental illness if they are not effectively dealt with. Mental illnesses cause a great deal of suffering to those experiencing them, as well as their families and friends. Furthermore, these problems appear to be increasing. According to the World Health Organization, depression will be one of the biggest health problems worldwide by the year 2020. There is a difference between mental health and mental illness. A mental illness is when a person is diagnosed with a problem that alters their thinking, mood and/or behavior. Illnesses are linked to times when a person is distressed and their ability to function well has changed. Examples of mental illness include depression and anxiety disorder. Determinants And Consequences of Mental Health And Disorders 7 Determinants of mental health and mental disorders include not only individual attributes such as the ability to manage one's thoughts, emotions, behaviors and interactions with others, but also social, cultural, economic, political and environmental factors such as national policies, social protection, living standards, working conditions, and community social supports. Exposure to adversity at a young age is an established preventable risk factor for mental disorders. Depending on the local context, certain individuals and groups in society may be placed at a significantly higher risk of experiencing mental health problems. These vulnerable groups may [but do not necessarily) include members of households living in poverty, people with chronic health conditions, infants and children exposed to maltreatment and neglect, adolescents first exposed to substance use, minority groups, indigenous populations, older people, people experiencing discrimination and human rights violations, prisoners, and people exposed to 8 conflict, natural disasters or other humanitarian emergencies. In many societies, mental disorders related to marginalization and impoverishment, domestic violence and abuse, and overwork and stress are of growing concern. Normal And Abnormal Berhavior Abnormality (or dysfunctional behavior) is a behavioral characteristic assigned to those with conditions regarded as rare or dysfunctional. Behavior is considered abnormal when it is atypical or out of the ordinary, consists of undesirable behavior, and results in impairment in the individual's functioning. Abnormality is that which is considered deviant from specific societal, cultural and ethical expectations. These expectations are broadly dependent on age, gender, traditional and societal categorizations. The definition of abnormal behavior is an often debated issue in abnormal psychology because of these subjective variables. Abnormal behavior should not be confused with unusual behavior. Behavior that is out of the 9 ordinary is not necessarily indicative of a mental or psychological disorder. Abnormal behavior, on the other hand, while not a mental disorder in itself, is often indicative of mental and psychological disorders. A psychological disorder is defined as an "ongoing dysfunctional pattern of thought, emotion, and behavior that causes significant distress, and is considered deviant in that person's culture or society". Important to note is that abnormal behavior, as it relates to psychological disorders, would be "ongoing" and a cause of "significant distress". A mental disorder describes a patient who has a medical condition whereby the medical practitioner makes a judgment that the patient is exhibiting abnormal behavior based on the DSM-5 criteria. Thus, simply because a behavior is unusual does not make it abnormal; it is only considered abnormal if it meets these criteria. SEVERAL CONVENTIONAL CRITERIA There are five criterion of abnormality. They are: 1. Statistical Criterion 2. Social Criterion 3. Personal Discomfort 10 4. Maladaptive Behaviour 5. Deviation from Ideal Abnormal behaviors are "actions that are unexpected and often evaluated negatively because they differ from typical or usual behavior". The following Criteria are subjective: 1- Maladaptative and Malfunctional behaviors. Behaviors which, due to circumstance, are not fully adapted to the environment become malfunctional and detrimental to the individual or others. For example, a mouse continuing to attempt an escape when escape is obviously impossible. 2- Behavior that violates the standards of society. When people do not follow the conventional social and moral rules of their society, the behavior is considered abnormal. (See Deviation from Social Norms) 3- Observer discomfort If a person's behavior brings discomfort to those in observation, it is likely to be considered abnormal. The standard criteria in psychology and psychiatry is that of mental 11  illness or mental disorder. Determination of abnormality is based upon medical diagnosis. Other Criteria Statistical Infrequency: A statistical definition of abnormal behavior is based upon the concept of the relative frequency of behaviors in a population. Abnormality could be defined as those behaviors that are relatively infrequent or are atypical of the population. A statistical definition would provide a definition based on behaviors that are numerically rare. Utilizing a statistical definition of abnormality we can classify most behaviors within a distribution. The majority of the ‘normal’ population would fall into the middle ranges of a bell-shaped curve. As one moves away from the middle range in either direction they could be classified as being 12  statistically more extreme and therefore abnormal. There are several problems with defining abnormality in this way. If we go back to our previous example of binge drinking, just because more people are engaging in a behaviour that might be dangerous or dysfunctional does not make it normal. However, under this definition, the behaviour would be classified as normal because a large number of individuals participate. Within the statistical definition there are many examples where extremes are useful. Unusual abilities or talents would be classified as abnormal under this definition but we would not consider a gifted person as abnormal. If a specific dimension were agreed upon as relevant in determining abnormal behavior, there might be a problem in deciding whether extremely high or low scores, or both, were to be included in the notion of abnormality. Statistically rare behaviors are called abnormal. Though not always the case, the presence of abnormal behavior in people should be rare or 13 statistically unusual. Any specific abnormal behavior may be unusual, but it is not uncommon for people to exhibit some form of prolonged abnormal behavior at some point in their lives. Deviation from Social Norms Deviation from Social Norms defines the departure or deviation of an individual from society's unwritten rules (norms). For example, if one was to witness a man jumping around, nude, on the streets, the man would be perceived as abnormal, as he has broken society's norms about wearing clothing. There are also a number of criteria for one to examine before reaching a judgment as to whether someone has deviated from society's norms. The first of these criterion being culture; what may be seen as normal in one culture, may be seen as abnormal in another. The second criterion being the situation & context one is placed in; for example, going to the toilet is a normal human act, but going in the middle of a supermarket would be seen as highly abnormal, i.e., defecating or urinating in public is illegal as a misdemeanor act of indecent public conduct. The 14 third criterion is age; a child at the age of three could get away with taking off clothing in public, but not a man at the age of twenty. The fourth criterion is gender: a male responding with behavior normally reacted to as female, and vice versa, is often retaliated against, not merely corrected. The fifth criterion is historical context; standards of normal behavior change in some societies, sometimes very rapidly. A social definition defines abnormal behaviour within the view of conformity. Individuals in society follow norms and widely accepted standards of behaviour. Conformity to these standards defines normal behaviour whereas deviation from these standards defines abnormal behaviour. Behaviours that violate social norms are likely to be those labelled as abnormal. The social definition recognizes that behaviours viewed outside of social parameters as dangerous, disruptive or merely beyond comprehension are likely to be singled out as deviant. Individuals who violate role expectations are likely to be labelled as deviant or mentally ill. 15 There are a few problems with the social definition of abnormality. First, it does not meet the characteristics of many mental health professionals who believe that mental illness is more than a violation of social norms. Thomas Szasz (2004) argument stems from three beliefs: behaviour is labelled abnormal because it is different not wrong; abnormal behavior is a reflection of something wrong in society and not the individual; and individuals are labeled mentally ill because their behaviours violate the social order. - FF: Failure to Function Adequately is a behavior that is abnormal, and indeed these criteria are necessary to label an abnormality as a disorder, if the individual is unable to cope with the demands of everyday life. Psychologists can disagree on the boundaries that define what is 'functioning' and what is 'adequately', however, as some behaviors that can cause 'failure to function' are not seen as bad. For example, firemen risking their lives to save people in a blazing fire may be ‘failing to function’ in the fact that they are risking their life, and in another 16 context their actions could be construed as pathological, but within the context of being a firefighter said risks are not at odds with adequate functioning. - DIM: Deviation from Ideal Mental health defines abnormality by determining if the behavior the individual is displaying is affecting their mental well-being. As with the Failure to Function definition, the boundaries that stipulate what 'ideal mental health' is are not clearly defined. A frequent problem with the definition is that all individuals at some point in their life deviate from ideal mental health, but it does not mean the behavior is abnormal. For example, someone who has lost a relative is distressed and deviates from "ideal mental health" for a time, but their distress is not defined as abnormal, as distress is an expected reaction. INTEGRATED Criterion A common approach to defining abnormality is a Multi-Criteria approach, where all definitions of abnormality are used to determine whether an individual's behavior is abnormal. For example, 17 psychologists would be prepared to define an individual's behavior as "abnormal" if the following criteria are met. - The individual is engaging in behavior that is preventing them from functioning. -The individual is engaging in behavior that breaks a social norm. -The individual is engaging in behavior that is statistically infrequent. A good example of an abnormal behavior assessed by a multi-criteria approach is depression: it is commonly seen as a deviation from ideal mental stability, it often stops the individual from 'functioning' a normal life, and, though it is a relatively common mental disorder, it is still statistically infrequent. It is imperative that the definition of abnormal behavior include many factors such as value systems, culture, gender, age, context and societal norms. It is clear that a single perspective may not be appropriate for an accurate definition of abnormal behavior. 18  PERSONALITY THEORIES A theory can be considered a kind of map that represents and explains all the data in their interrelationships. Theories are sets of principles used to explain a particular class of phenomena, in our case, the behaviors and experiences relating to personality. If personality theories are to be useful, they must be testable, capable of stimulating research on their various propositions. Personality theories must be able to clarify and explain the data of personality by organizing those data into a coherent framework. Theories should also help us understand and predict behavior. Those theories that can be tested and can explain, understand, and predict behavior may then be applied to help people change their behaviors, feelings, and emotions from harmful to helpful, from undesirable to desirable. In order to understand a personality theory fully then, we should learn something about the life of the person who proposed it. It is important to 19