Chapter 2: Promoting and Preserving Your Psychological Health

1. What is Psychological Health?

i. Psychological health - think / feel / relate / exist
a. Experts say → healthy people display elements:
i. Feel good about themselves
ii. Comfortable with others → respect and compassion
iii. “Self-compassionate”
iv. Control tension / anxiety
v. Meet life’s demands
vi. Curb hate and guilt
vii. Value diversity
viii. Appreciate / respect the world around them
b. Mental Health
i. Mental Health → “thinking” or “rational” dimension of health
c. Emotional Health
i. Emotional Health → feeling / subjective side
d. Social Health
i. Interactions with others
ii. Family
iii. Social Supports / connections
iv. Community
v. Loneliness
e. Spiritual Health
i. Spiritual Health - sense of belonging to something greater
2. Keys to Enhancing Psychological Health
a. Self Efficacy and Self-Esteem
i. Learned Helplessness → giving up because of past failures
ii. Learned Optimism → teach yourself to be optimistic
iii. Defense Mechanisms → unconscious mechanisms to deflect stress
b. Emotional Intelligence
i. Emotional intelligence → perceiving and critiquing one’s emotions
ii. Self-Awareness
iii. Self-Regulation / Self-Management
iv. Internal Motivation
v. Empathy
vi. Social Skills
c. Personality
i. Agreeableness
 ii. Openness
iii. Neuroticism
iv. Conscientiousness
v. Extroversion
d. Lifespan and Maturity
i. Childhood / Transition Periods / Adulthood
e. Happiness and the Mind-Body Connection
i. Positive psychology → human strengths and values
ii. Positive emotion
iii. Engagement
iv. Relationships
v. Meaning
vi. Accomplishment
3. When Psychological Health Deteriorates
a. Mental Health Threats to College students
i. Mental illnesses / disorders
ii. Mood / anxiety / OCD / PTSD / schizophrenia
b. Mood Disorders
i. Major Depression → clinical depression
ii. Depression in College Students
iii. Persistent Depressive Disorder
iv. Bipolar Disorder
v. Seasonal Affective Disorder
vi. What Causes Mood Disorders? → neurotransmitters
c. Anxiety Disorders
i. Generalized Anxiety Disorder
ii. Panic Disorder
iii. Phobic Disorders
iv. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
v. Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
d. What Causes Anxiety Disorders?
i. Biology
ii. Environment
iii. Social and cultural roles
e. Personality Disorders
i, Personality Disorder - “enduring pattern of inner experience and
behavior”
f. Schizophrenia
i. Schizophrenia - irrational / alterations / inability to function in society
4. Suicide: Giving Up On Life
 a. Risk Factors for Suicide
i. Family history, previous attempts, drugs, depression, death, rejection
b. Warning Signs of Suicide
i. Loss / grief
ii. Inability to let go
iii. Personality change
iv. Change in behavior
v. Change in sexual interest
vi. Change in sleep patterns / eating habits
vii. Direct statement
viii. Indirect statement
ix. Final preparations
x. Preoccupation with themes of death
xi. Marked changes in physical appearance
c. Preventing Suicide
i. Monitor signals
ii. Take threats seriously
iii. Show you care
iv. Ask directly
v. Take action
vi. Think of alternatives
vii. Tell people they know
5. Seeking Professional Help
a. Mental Illness Stigma
i. Mentally ill → dangerous / irresponsible
b. Getting Evaluated for Treatment
i. Physical checkup
ii. Psychiatric history
iii. Mental status examination
c. Mental Health Professionals
d. What to Expect in Therapy
i. Treatment models
ii. Psychodynamic therapy → roots of suffering
iii. Interpersonal therapy → social roles / relationships
iv. Cognitive therapy → impact of thoughts and ideas on feelings and
behavior
v. Behavioral therapy → focuses on what we do
e. Pharmacological Treatment
i. Psychoactive medication