Mental Health

● The best way to understand mental health is to view it as a continuum.

● Our position on this continuum may shift from time to time depending on
events in our lives.
● Good mental health takes balance and that means participating in
productive daily activities, maintaining fulfilling relationships, adapting to
change and coping with stress.
● Most of us experience times or situations when we feel sad, worried, afraid
or depressed. These occasional feelings are part of being human.
● For some of us, however, these kinds of feelings can be more severe and
long lasting. When negative feelings such as anxiety or depression don't go
away, it's time to reach out for help from others.
● We can reach out to our friends and family. We can also seek help from a
teacher counselor, elder social peer support worker or medical professional.

What is Mental Health

The National Mental Health Association describes mentally healthy people as those
who:
● Feel Comfortable about themselves. They are not overwhelmed by their own
feelings, and they can accept many of life’s disappointments in stride. They
experience all of human emotion.
● Feel right about other people. They feel comfortable with others and are able to
give and receive love. They are concerned about the well being of other people
and have relationships that are satisfying and lasting.
● Are able to meet the demands of life. Mentally healthy people respond to their
problems, accept responsibility, plan ahead without fearing the future, and are
able to establish reachable goals.

Mental Health and the Pandemic

● During the COVID-19 quarantine period, more than 20% of adolescents had
anxiety and depression. Long-term home restrictions might have adverse
effects on mental health of adolescents because of a sharp change of
 lifestyles and various stressors, such as fears of infection, frustration, and
boredom.
● They experience fears, uncertainties, substantial changes to their routines,
physical and social isolation alongside high level of parental stress.
Understanding their emotions and responses is essential to properly
address their needs during this pandemic.
● Children/teens are particularly vulnerable because of their limited
understanding of the event. They are unable to escape the harms of the
situation physically and mentally as they have limited coping strategies.
● They may not be able to communicate their feelings like adults.
● Closure of schools and separation from friends can cause stress and anxiety.
● Exposure to mass media coverage of crisis event and unverified information
circulating on social media may aggravate the mental distress.
● Older children and adolescents may feel disappointed for missing birthday
parties, school plays, dance competitions, hanging out with their friends,
sport activities like dance, and soccer with other team members, as well as
not being able to visit their grandparents, aunts, friends, and cousins.

Mentally Healthy People:

● Are not unduly upset by difficulties encountered

● Attack's problems in a real fashion
● Accepts the inevitable
● Understands and accepts his/her limitations and those of others
● He/she does not feel guilty of failing after doing his/her best

Good Mental Health

● Is when everything feels like it is working well. You feel good about
yourself, your relationships with other people and can meet the
challenges/demands of life
● It is more than the absence of mental illness.
Mental Health Factors

Internal Factors
● Genetic
● Hormonal
● Physical
● Neurological
● Physical fitness
● Interpersonal (sense of self, coping mechanisms etc)

External Factors
● Family Influences (physical, emotional, sexual abuse)
● Drug/alcohol abuse
● Dietary deprivation
● Environmental factors (crime, role models)
● Lack of available services and support

Suicide Risk Factors

● Suicide seldom occurs with out warning. Friends and relatives should be
aware of both direct and indirect distress signals. Generally these risk
factors fit into 8 categories.

1. Emotional State
● Depression: feelings of hopelessness, helplessness, worthlessness
● Feelings of guilt and shame
● Emotionality (crying for no reason, easily provoked to temper tantrums)
● Apathy
● Poor self-esteem
● Inability to concentrate or think rationally
● Moodiness, not communicating
2. Major Behavioral Changes
● Begins to neglect personal appearance
● Lack of interest in activities which used to be important
● Avoidance of friends
● Change in school attendance and achievement
● Risk-taking behaviour
● Self-destructive behaviour (cutting)
● Increased use of drugs and alcohol
● Shows anger, hostility, aggressive behaviour

3. Physical Symptoms

● Muscle aches and pains, headaches, stomach aches

● Change in eating habits; over-eating, eating disorders
● Change in sleep patterns; insomnia, nightmares, sleeping at odd times and
in odd places

4. Family Background

● Fragmented family (deaths, divorce, re-marriage etc.)

● Overprotective family
● Rigid achievement-oriented family
● Non-supportive family
● Ethnic conflict family

5. Previous Suicide Attempt

● Probably the strongest indicator of suicidal risk

6. Personal Crisis

● Loss of significant relationship (parent, friend, girlfriend/boyfriend)

● Poor grades, truancy and discipline problems at school
● Difficulty keeping a job
● Change of school or residence
● Trouble with law
● Values conflict
● Experience abuse/bullying

7. Lack of Support Network

● No friends or family members to confide in

● No church, club, team or social group affiliation
● No connection to professional support system (teachers, guidance
councellors, doctors)

8. Warning Signs

● Makes a will, gives favorite things, says goodbye

● Writes poems/drawings about people killing themselves
● Writes suicide notes
● Obtains method (gun, pills, razor blades etc)
● Verbalizes plans either directly (I’m going to kill myself) or indirectly (You
won’t need to worry about me anymore)
● Radical improvement in mood or sudden burst of energy (could indicate the
decision has been made and the person is feeling relieved)
Coping Mechanisms

Positive Coping
○ Meditate
○ Stretch (yoga)
○ Listen to music
○ Exercise
○ Read
○ Socialize with friends
○ Recreational Activities/Sports

Negative Coping
○ Act violently
○ Yell
○ Overeat
○ Smoke/drugs
○ Alcohol
○ Drive fast in a car
○ Throw/kick something

Ten Tips for Better Mental Health

● Build Confidence - identify your abilities and weaknesses together, accept

them, build on them and do the best you can with what you have.
● Accept Compliments - many of us have difficulty accepting kindness from
others but we all need to remember the positive in our lives when times get
tough.
● Make Time for Family and Friends - these relationships need to be
nurtured; if taken for granted they will dwindle and not be there to share
life's joys and sorrows.
● Give and Accept Support - friends and family relationships thrive when they
are "put to the test." Just as you seek help when you are having a tough
time, a friend or family member might come to you in their time of need.
● Create a Meaningful Budget - financial problems are big causes of stress,
especially in today's economy. Over-spending on our "wants" instead of our
"needs" can compound money worries. Writing down where your money is
going helps you keep a closer eye on your finances.
● Volunteer - being involved in community gives a sense of purpose and
satisfaction that paid work cannot. Find a local organization where your life
skills can be put to good use.
● Manage Stress - we all have stressors in our lives but learning how to deal
with them when they threaten to overwhelm us will help to maintain our
mental health.
● Find Strength in Numbers - sharing a problem with others who have had
similar experiences may help you find a solution and will make you feel less
isolated. Even talking about situation with people who have not
experienced what you are going through is a good way to gain outside
perspective.
● Identify and Deal with Moods - we all need to find safe and constructive
ways to express our feelings of anger, sadness, joy and fear. Channeling your
emotions creatively is a wonderful way to work off excess feelings. Writing
(keeping a journal), painting, dancing, making crafts, etc. are all good ways
to help deal with emotions.
● Learn to Be at Peace with Yourself - get to know who you are, what makes
you really happy and learn to balance what you can and cannot change
about yourself.
The Communication Process

● We spend almost 70% of our waking hours communicating; speaking,

listening, reading and writing
● Communication – sending a message to a receiver
● The message can be sent in many forms, yet how do you know if the
message was received or understood?

One-Way vs. Two-Way Communication

One-Way Communication
● Message is sent to a receiver
● Message moves in only one direction in the communication model
● No opportunity for feedback or clarification
● Original message may or may not be accurately received or understood
● Examples include posters, email, school announcements, radio and TV ads

Two-Way Communication
● Message is sent to a receiver and feedback is returned to the sender
● Message moves in both directions in the communication model
● Opportunity for feedback and clarification
● Original message is more likely to be received and understood
● Examples include phone conversations, MSN, chat lines, group discussions

Barriers to Effective Communication

1. Filtering – sender of a message purposely communicates information

that will be favored by the receiver. The key ingredient in filtering is
telling someone what you think he wants to hear.
2. Selective attention – individuals see and hear things based on their
own needs, experiences and motivations. We tend to hear and see
 selectively to reinforce our personal perspectives and we base our
interpretations on our personal value system.
3. Defensiveness – individuals feeling threatened, they tend to react in
a manner that hinders their ability to understand any form of
communication. These people respond aggressively, make sarcastic
comments, refusing to answer or even verbally attacking others.

What is Conflict?

● We define conflict as a disagreement through which the parties involved

perceive a threat to their needs, interests or concerns
● A conflict is more than a mere disagreement - it is a situation in which
people perceive a threat ​(physical, emotional, power, status, etc.) to their
well-being. As such, it is a meaningful experience in people's lives, not to be
shrugged off by a mere, "it will pass…"
● Participants in conflicts tend to respond on the basis of their perceptions of
the situation, rather than an objective review of it. As such, people filter
their perceptions (and reactions) through their values, culture, beliefs,
information, experience, gender, and other variables. Conflict responses are
both filled with ideas and feelings that can be very strong and powerful
guides to our sense of possible solutions.

Common Causes of Conflict

● There are different factors that can cause a conflict;

■ Differing Goals, Needs or Values
■ Rivalries and Personal Ambitions
■ Avoidance of Responsibility
■ Carelessness in Job Performance
■ Overlap in Job Responsibility
■ Personal and Group Stress
■ Prejudice
■ Misunderstandings
 ● If aware of these factors you will understand conflict better and therefore
be able to resolve it easier

Six Styles of Handling conflict

● 1. Avoidance
○ Not dealing with a given situation
○ Can be positive or negative depending on how it is used
○ A good tactic to use when the issue is not important enough to
pursue
○ Bad tactic to use when you are fearful of the consequences or other
reactions
● 2. Denial
○ Not recognizing that a conflict exists
○ Rarely a useful tactic – end result is deception of self and others
● 3. Accommodation
○ Giving in or going along with the wishes of the other parties involved
in the conflict despite your opposition to the position
○ Can be positive or negative depending on circumstances
○ Not wise to accommodate on issues that are important to you
○ Good tactic to use if the conflict is viewed as something to be avoided
● 4. Aggression
○ Using aggressive behavior to win a situation with little regard for the
opinions and feelings of other parties involved
○ Aggressive behavior may result in “winning a battle” but people who
use aggressive tactics in dealing with conflict situations do not have a
positive view of conflict, are most likely afraid to listen to the
opinions of others, and are fearful of being wrong
● 5. Compromise
○ Refers to the process of giving and taking order to reach an
agreement on a common goal
○ Effective method by which to resolve conflict and meet many of the
needs of all parties involved
● 6. Collaboration
○ Involves the sharing of ideas, identifying the scope of the problem,
and brainstorming different options that may assist in meeting the
needs of everyone
○ Involves treating each other as partners in the problem
○ Extremely time and energy consuming
○ Most effective method to use to resolve conflict, but should be saved
for the important issues and the relationships that matter most
○ Best way to solve a conflict and preserve relationships

Techniques to Improve Your Conflict Management Skills

● Active Listening – involves asking the right questions to better understand

how someone else is feeling and why.
● Active listening techniques include;
■ Make eye contact
■ Show you are interested in what they are saying
■ Avoid distracting actions or gestures i.e.. looking at watch
■ Ask questions for clarification and to ensure understanding of
the message
■ Use nonverbal cues such as head nods or hand gestures, to
convey interest
■ Use paraphrasing if necessary to ensure understanding
■ Avoid interrupting the sender, let them complete their
thoughts
■ Don’t over talk – knowledge is composed of two parts: having a
lot to say and knowing when to say it!

● Compromise and Win-Win

● In a compromise situation, one party will give up some of what they really
want and take less to allow the other party to get some of what they want.
Thus, neither party gets all of what they are really looking for. In a win-win
 situation, you must think “outside the box” and explore how to meet the
needs of both parties at the same time.
● Using “I” Messages and Being Assertive
● Assertive people have developed a wide range of respectful strategies for
resolving conflict.
● They use a problem solving approach that strives for the win-win resolution.
● They are attentive, active listeners who accept the other persons view as
valid and they are able to communicate their own feelings, needs and
wishes directly, honestly and openly using “I” messages.
● They behave in ways that meet their own needs, but not at the expense of
compromising anyone else’s needs.
● They communicate their emotions, identifies the situation causing those
feelings and propose a solution without blaming anyone directly.

● Mediation
● A process in which a neutral third party (a mediator) helps the participants
resolve their differences or conflict without aggression or coercion.
● The mediation process has several steps;
a. Establish a respectful environment
b. Identify the problem
c. List the alternatives
d. Select the best alternative
e. Write out a plan
f. Evaluate at a later date
● Adjudication
● A process in which a neutral third party listens to all sides of a dispute and
then makes a judgement based on the available information.
● This takes responsibility for resolving the conflict from the disputants and
hands it over to the adjudicator.
● The adjudicators is sought out by the individuals involved and their decision
is final
 ● Accommodation
● Occurs when one of the conflicting parties makes a conscious decision to
place another person’s viewpoint or needs before or above their own.
● This approach may be viewed as passive because it sometimes involves
making personal sacrifices, often at the expense of your own needs.

Decision-Making Process

IDEAL model of decision making;

Step 1 – Identify or define the problem
Step 2 – Discuss available alternatives for solving the problem
Step 3 – Evaluate pros and cons of each alternative, and determine the
best course of action
Step 4 – Act. It is important to act on the best option. If you do not act,
then the problem will not get resolved
Step 5 – Learn. Reflect on your decision, and learn from the situation for
the future