Mental Wellbeing as a Continuum and the Factors That Influence It (VCE SSCE Psychology): Revision Notes
Mental Wellbeing as a Continuum and the Factors That Influence It
Introduction to factors affecting mental wellbeing
Mental wellbeing is not static – it changes throughout our lives. Understanding what influences mental wellbeing is empowering because many of these factors are within our control. These include nutritional intake, hydration, thinking styles, exercise levels, and relationships. Whilst some factors are difficult to control, focusing on those we can influence allows us to approach our mental wellbeing with a sense of mastery, potentially improving both mental and general wellbeing.
Developing a sense of mastery over the factors we can control is a powerful approach to maintaining and improving mental wellbeing. By focusing on what we can influence rather than what we cannot, we empower ourselves to take positive action.
Everyone's mental wellbeing will face challenges throughout life. However, people differ in their ability to cope with these challenges, depending on the various influences present in their lives. These influences can be understood through two broad categories: internal factors and external factors.
Internal and external factors
Internal factors are influences on mental wellbeing that originate from within a person. These include aspects such as genetics and hormones – essentially, biological and psychological characteristics of the individual.
External factors are influences on mental wellbeing that originate from outside a person. These encompass the physical and social environment in which a person lives.
The biopsychosocial model
The biopsychosocial model provides a framework for understanding how mental wellbeing is influenced. This model is based on the principle that illness or wellbeing does not have a single cause. Instead, it results from the close interaction between biological, psychological, and social factors.
The three components of this model can be categorised as either internal or external:
- Internal factors: biological and psychological factors
- External factors: social factors
This framework offers a holistic approach by giving equal importance to each domain. However, it's important to recognise that specific factors may have more or less influence on a person's mental wellbeing depending on individual circumstances. Additionally, factors do not operate in isolation – they combine and interact in complex ways, each influencing the others.
For instance, being female may increase the risk of sexual discrimination in certain societies (biological factor interacting with social factor), or losing employment can elevate stress hormone levels (social factor affecting biological factor).
Biological factors
Biological factors refer to aspects of a person's body functioning. These are considered internal factors and often lie outside an individual's direct control. Our bodies comprise complex systems working together to enable daily functioning.
People can become more vulnerable to mental health difficulties at different times due to various biological factors, including:
- Genetics: inherited predispositions to certain conditions
- Sex: biological differences that may influence vulnerability
- Neurotransmitter function: the chemical messengers in the brain
- Hormones: chemical regulators affecting mood and stress response
- Immune function: the body's defence system
- Nervous system activity: the functioning of the brain and nerves
- Physical health: overall bodily condition, including disease and injury
These biological factors form the foundation upon which psychological and social factors can act. For example, poor sleep (a biological factor) can impair cognitive functioning, making it harder to cope with stressors.
Psychological factors
Psychological factors relate to the functioning of the brain and mind. These internal factors encompass cognitive and affective processes, including thought patterns and memory. They may relate to prior learning experiences and how we process information.
Key psychological factors include:
- Styles of thinking: patterns of thought that can be positive or negative
- Beliefs and attitudes: our core assumptions about ourselves and the world
- Emotions: our affective responses to situations
- Learning and memory: how we acquire and retain information
- Personality traits: enduring characteristics that shape our behaviour and responses
Psychological factors are particularly important because they represent an area where individuals can often exert some control. For instance, developing more adaptive thinking styles or building self-efficacy can positively influence mental wellbeing. Conversely, rumination (repeatedly dwelling on negative thoughts) or impaired reasoning skills can contribute to declining mental wellbeing.
Social factors
Social factors refer to the conditions in which people live and grow. These are external factors that encompass various aspects of a person's environment and social context.
Examples of social factors include:
- Relationships: connections with family, friends, and partners
- Early life experiences: childhood events that shape development
- Education level: access to and attainment of education
- Income: financial resources available
- Social support: availability of help from others
- Stability of accommodation: housing security
- Experience of abuse: trauma or mistreatment
- Cultural values: beliefs and practices of one's community
- Employment: work status and job satisfaction
- Discrimination: unfair treatment based on characteristics
Social factors can have profound effects on mental wellbeing. For example, loss of significant relationships or lack of support from family and friends can lead to loneliness, which may decrease mental wellbeing. Conversely, strong social support can act as a protective factor during challenging times.
Understanding stress
Stress is a state of mental or emotional and physiological tension resulting from factors perceived to challenge or threaten our ability to cope. Typically, people experience stress in everyday situations, and it can be adaptive and helpful in some circumstances – such as motivating us to meet deadlines or escape danger.
However, stress can impact day-to-day functioning if not managed well. It may contribute to the development of a mental disorder if prolonged or severe. Stress can be experienced in response to a wide range of objects or events.
Factors contributing to stress
When examining stress through the biopsychosocial model, we can identify specific internal and external factors that may contribute to its development:
Internal factors contributing to stress include:
Biological:
- Genetic vulnerability or predisposition
- Poor sleep
- Substance use or misuse
- Poor response to medication due to genetic factors
- Lack of exercise
- Disease and injury
Psychological:
- Personality traits such as poor self-efficacy
- Rumination (repetitive negative thinking)
- Impaired reasoning and coping skills
External factors contributing to stress include:
Social:
- Loss of a significant relationship
- Lack of support from family and friends, leading to loneliness
- Poverty
Worked Example: Sandy's Experience with Stress
Consider the case of Sandy, a 23-year-old medical student. At the start of her degree, Sandy had high mental wellbeing. However, as her studies progressed, stress and anxiety increased, lowering her mental wellbeing.
Biological factors: Her demanding degree, combined with part-time work and a relationship, led her to abandon regular exercise. Her diet deteriorated as she consumed more convenience foods, resulting in weight gain. She slept fewer than six hours most nights due to late studying.
Psychological factors: She began ruminating about her happiness and worried about her future career.
Social factors: She neglected old friendships, sometimes feeling lonely, while dealing with work demands.
This example illustrates how multiple factors interact – biological factors (poor sleep, lack of exercise, poor diet), psychological factors (rumination, concerns about the future), and social factors (neglected friendships, work demands) – to increase stress and reduce mental wellbeing.
Understanding anxiety
Anxiety is an emotion characterised by worrying and uneasiness that something is wrong or something bad will happen. It is usually accompanied by physiological signs such as increased heart rate, sweating, or muscle tension.
Like stress, anxiety is typically experienced in everyday situations and can be adaptive and helpful in some circumstances. It serves as an alert system, preparing us to respond to potential threats. Anxiety can impact day-to-day functioning if not well managed and may contribute to developing a mental disorder.
Anxiety disorders
The term 'anxiety disorder' describes a situation where chronic and/or severe anxiety interferes with daily life, preventing people from doing what they want to do. When anxiety becomes severe, disproportionate to the actual threat, and does not subside, it can be counterproductive and disabling. Anxiety disorders represent a group of disorders with different characteristics.
The factors contributing to anxiety are similar to those contributing to stress, including the biological, psychological, and social factors outlined in the previous section. The key difference lies in the severity, duration, and impact of the anxiety on daily functioning.
Understanding phobia
A phobia is a persistent, intense, irrational fear of a specific object or event. The person's fear is so intense that they actively try to avoid the feared stimulus. When faced with it, they experience acute physiological arousal – the flight-or-fight-or-freeze response. Unlike general anxiety, which can relate to various stimuli, phobias are typically tied to specific objects or events.
Factors contributing to phobia
Phobias involve a complex interplay of biological, psychological, and social factors:
Internal factors contributing to phobia include:
Biological:
- Neurotransmitter dysfunction, particularly involving GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid)
- Family history of mental health problems
- Gender (phobias are more common in females)
- The role of stress response
- Long-term potentiation (constant pairing of fear with the object of fear)
Psychological:
- Developmental stage (specific phobias usually develop in childhood)
- Personality traits such as negativity and high inhibition
- Traumatic events resulting in classical conditioning of the phobic object and fear (behavioural model)
- Avoidance behaviour leading to negative reinforcement/operant conditioning (behavioural model)
- Cognitive biases including memory bias and catastrophic thinking (cognitive model)
External factors contributing to phobia include:
Social:
- Parental modelling (observing parents' fearful responses)
- Family history of mental health problems
- Specific environmental triggers
- Transmission of threat information
- Stigma related to receiving treatment
- Family involvement and accommodation of the phobia
Worked Example: Arjun's Dog Phobia
Consider the case of Arjun, who was bitten by a dog during Year 9 whilst walking home from school. The bite required stitches, and he has been terrified of dogs ever since.
Initial trauma and social response: His parents drove him to and from school afterwards so he wouldn't have to walk near dogs (parental accommodation).
Current avoidance behaviour: Now an adult, Arjun avoids walking in open streets, either driving or jogging instead. He crosses the road when he sees someone with a dog and makes excuses to avoid walks with friends.
Psychological factors: He constantly tells himself that dogs are born to bite and it's only a matter of time until he's bitten again unless he avoids them (catastrophic thinking).
Social barriers to treatment: He has considered seeing a psychologist but worries about being thought of as 'crazy' (stigma).
This example demonstrates how a traumatic event (psychological/social factor), combined with avoidance behaviour (psychological factor), parental accommodation (social factor), and ongoing catastrophic thinking (psychological factor), can maintain and reinforce a phobia. The stigma surrounding mental health treatment (social factor) also prevents him from seeking help.
Comparing stress, anxiety, and phobia
Whilst stress, anxiety, and phobia share some similarities, they differ in important ways:
Key Differences Between Stress, Anxiety, and Phobia
When experienced:
- Stress and anxiety are typically experienced in everyday situations
- Phobias are not experienced by most people in daily life
Whether a mental disorder:
- Stress and anxiety may contribute to developing a mental disorder but are not disorders themselves
- Phobia is a diagnosed mental disorder
Level of impact:
- Stress and anxiety can impact day-to-day functioning if not well managed
- Phobia significantly impacts day-to-day functioning if not well managed
Adaptive or helpful:
- Stress and anxiety can be adaptive and helpful in some situations
- Phobia is not typically adaptive or helpful
Experienced in response to:
- Stress and anxiety can be experienced in response to a wide range of objects or events
- Phobia is typically experienced in relation to a specific object or event
Understanding these distinctions is important for recognising when responses to stress or fear have become problematic and may require professional support.
Key Points to Remember:
- Mental wellbeing is influenced by both internal factors (originating within the person) and external factors (originating from outside the person)
- The biopsychosocial model categorises factors as biological, psychological, and social, providing a holistic framework for understanding mental wellbeing
- Factors do not operate in isolation – they interact and influence each other in complex ways
- Stress and anxiety are common experiences that can be adaptive but may contribute to mental disorders when severe or prolonged
- Phobia is a mental disorder characterised by persistent, intense, irrational fear of specific objects or events, requiring different management approaches than general stress or anxiety