What influences mental wellbeing?
In this area of study, students examine what it means to be mentally healthy. They explore the concept of a mental health continuum and factors that explain how location on the continuum for an individual may vary over time. Students apply a biopsychosocial approach to analyse mental health and mental disorder, and evaluate the roles of predisposing, precipitating, perpetuating and protective factors in contributing to a person’s mental state.
Study design dot points:
Defining mental health
• mental health as a continuum (mentally healthy, mental health problems, mental disorders) influenced by internal and external factors that can fluctuate over time
• the typical characteristics of a mentally healthy person, including high levels of functioning, social and emotional well-being and resilience to life stressors
• ethical implications in the study of, and research into, mental health, including informed consent and use of placebo treatments.
Factors that contribute to the development and progression of mental health disorders
• the distinction between predisposing risk factors (increase susceptibility), precipitating risk factors (increase susceptibility and contribute to occurrence), perpetuating risk factors (inhibit recovery) and protective factors (prevent occurrence or re-occurrence)
• the influence of biological risk factors including genetic vulnerability to specific disorders, poor response to medication due to genetic factors, poor sleep and substance use
• the influence of psychological risk factors including rumination, impaired reasoning and memory, stress and poor self-efficacy
• the influence of social risk factors including disorganised attachment, loss of a significant relationship and the role of stigma as a barrier to accessing treatment
• the concept of cumulative risk
Study design dot points:
Defining mental health
• mental health as a continuum (mentally healthy, mental health problems, mental disorders) influenced by internal and external factors that can fluctuate over time
• the typical characteristics of a mentally healthy person, including high levels of functioning, social and emotional well-being and resilience to life stressors
• ethical implications in the study of, and research into, mental health, including informed consent and use of placebo treatments.
Factors that contribute to the development and progression of mental health disorders
• the distinction between predisposing risk factors (increase susceptibility), precipitating risk factors (increase susceptibility and contribute to occurrence), perpetuating risk factors (inhibit recovery) and protective factors (prevent occurrence or re-occurrence)
• the influence of biological risk factors including genetic vulnerability to specific disorders, poor response to medication due to genetic factors, poor sleep and substance use
• the influence of psychological risk factors including rumination, impaired reasoning and memory, stress and poor self-efficacy
• the influence of social risk factors including disorganised attachment, loss of a significant relationship and the role of stigma as a barrier to accessing treatment
• the concept of cumulative risk