Mental health can be a positive thing! Positive mental health truly is a "state of mind" and a feeling of well-being. It is linked to greater productivity, improved cognitive functioning, and has even been shown to improve the immune system. Learn about international perspectives on happiness, well-being, and some universal strategies that can help improve resilience. 1
Brain Health movement. Brain health is more than just learning… Importance to differentiate between Mental Health, Mental Wellness, Mental Illness. The main difference between them is where you want to place your focus. Focus on what is good…or what is a problem? Proactive vs. reactive. 2
Interesting definition because it incorporates culture and talks about resiliency. It also talks about relationships and interactions. Positive Mental Health…suggests a sense of well-being. A sense of “happy.” Good mental health does not mean that life is problem free. When I am talking about happiness, I am speaking about a general sense of well being. 3
Have a quick discussion about what happiness is. Happiness may be a feeling or a multitude of feelings. 4
Happiness is a common human condition, however how we perceive happiness is influenced by values, our culture. Our definition changes depending on what we are looking at and what we are talking about. Geographic influence: the term happiness holds across cultures. A meta-analysis of the definition of happiness among 30 nations revealed that elements of luck and fortune are at least partially included among 80% of the nations’ understanding of happiness. The concept of happiness has changed…in ancient China and Greece, happiness was considered a fatalistic concept, a divine gift that had to do with luck and fortune. (In the US, the definition of happiness no longer includes the notion of good luck and fortune, as it once did in the 1800s. From https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/between-cultures/201605/how-does- culture-affect-our-happiness What, then, is happiness to people around the world and how does culture shape our experience of it? 5
North Americans, happiness is an unalienable human right and is commonly associated with positive experiences as well as personal achievements. Japanese, on the other hand, alluded to social harmony, the transient nature of happiness, along with its socially disruptive consequences. Cross-cultural studies on ideal affect have revealed that while Americans associate happiness with high arousal positive states such as elation, enthusiasm and excitement Hong Kong Chinese define happiness through more low arousal positive states (e.g., calm and relaxation). 5
• World Happiness Report (2016): International Gallup Poll measures the benefits available from income, health, family and friends, and the broader institutional and social context, then it is equally important to broaden the measurement of inequalities beyond those for income and wealth. Looking at factors that are subjecting, however considered essential for living a high quality of life. An interesting note is that the top ranked countries live twice as long as the bottom ranked. This is the second study and the results have be fairly stable. • Taken from: http://worldhappiness.report/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/03/HR- V1Ch2_web.pdf 6
Out of 157 countries, Brunandi, Syria, Togo, Afghananistan are at the bottom. This is due to economic and political unrest. Interestingly, the qualities of mental health, while the negative aspects of illness may be viewed differently amongst cultures, the aspects of positive mental health are universal. What people value and choose to spend their time on is what dictates this. How to measure mental health is tricky. It is a moving target. The positive experiences are happiness, smiling or laughter, enjoyment, feeling safe at night, feeling well-rested, and feeling interested. The six negative experiences are anger, worry, sadness, depression, stress and pain. The report also made recommendations / action points for child well being and ultimately nation building. 7
Cross-cultural difference emerge in the effects that the pursuit of happiness has on well- being. Recent studies > conscious pursuit of happiness is associated with negative consequences on well-being for Americans and Germans, leaving them with feelings of loneliness and disappointment. Unmet expectations – seeing it as goal. An end product. I will be happy if I lose weight, find my soul mate, be rich, beautiful, etc., etc. The pursuit of happiness did result in increased well-being levels in Russia, Japan and Taiwan. A possible explanation for these cross-cultural variations has been attributed to differences in self-construals (independent vs. interdependent), as well as the culture’s degree of collectivism. Namely, in collectivistic cultures where relationship harmony, happiness is pursued in more socially engaging ways, compared to individualistic cultures, where the focus on the self is stronger and self-esteem is an important predictor of life satisfaction. Infro from: https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/between-cultures/201605/how-does- culture-affect-our-happiness 8
Imagine if our country made good mental health a goal? Imagine if we made it a goal for our students? What would change? It may be good to identify what happiness means to your international students. What are their goals? How can we help them to be mindful and reflective? How could they document their journey? How can we help them experience success? 9
Interesting aspects of this… Parents do not report being happier than non-parents! You get happier as you get older. Teens report the lowest level of positive mental health qualities (social connectedness, life enjoyment, coping ability, spiritual values, emotional well being). Newfoundland reports the highest social connectedness, life enjoyment and emotional well being (higher than national average). 10
https://www.cihi.ca/en/improving_health_canadians_en.pdf Canadian Institute for Health Information put out a report in 2009 called Improving the Health of Canadians: Canadian Positive Health They identified 5 components of wellness are : personal health, emotional, spiritual, social connections. But what does this mean? The aspects of social connections talks about many of the foundational human needs, that are found in Maslow’s Hierachy. Income, housing, social supports…the report noted how poverty and education can impact a person’s sense of well-being. We know that too much money would be a good problem to have…but it doesn’t mean you will be happy. 11
Image from: https://cdn.evbuc.com/eventlogos/38631534/happyshow11.jpg We are a system…everything is connected. It is hard to look after our mental well-being if our physiological well being is taxed. It is not impossible, but would require a huge effort. Improving mental health>increases physical health>increases mental health>etc. Recovery from stress a lot quicker. 12
I added Relationships and Community because I think it can be both a result of the 4 dimensions…but I think it is a necessary component of well being. Kids need each other. It is a part of development and how they figure out themselves in the world. The less connected you are socially, the higher risk of mental illness occurs. Howard Gardner – Multiple intelligences. These 4 dimensions can be unequal in an individual. Emotional intelligence (managing positive and negative feelings). Culturally…negative feelings can be dealt with in a multitude of ways. I recently read that in parts of Africa, traumatic events are not talked about because they are done and over. Relieving the experience is not needed. In Canada, we move towards talking and therapy….it is our value. eg. Friend with Cancer. Saying Cancer 100 times to take power out of it. Owning the word and the process. How people experience emotion to maximize its benefits and limit any potentially destructive aspects. This is done by changing the way people think about the circumstances that elicit emotion or changing the way people express emotions. (pg. 28) 13
“Research also shows an association between a person’s ability to regulate and reappraise emotions and various outcomes related to mental health (such as more positive emotions, fewer negative emotions, a greater sense of connectedness and higher life satisfaction)and to physical health (such as lower pain intensity among older adults living in geriatric facilities).133 A large-scale review found that the following characteristics were linked to higher emotional intelligence: better social relations for children and adults, being perceived more positively by others, better family and intimate relationships, better academic achievement, more success at work and better psychological well-being.“ (from: http://www.cihi.ca/en/improving_health_canadians_en.pdf) 13
Increasing capacity or resilience in times of stress can occur by engaging or avoiding the issue or concern. Both are very effective. Both methods are can also be culturally based. When I think of my Russian or Colombian students, compared to some of the students I have worked with from Japan or China. Efforts can be problem focused or emotion focused. This too, can be culturally bound. Canadians use coping methods that active and engaging. Give example of conflict mediation with students. 14
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