Factors Influencing The Psyche

2023 Author: Wallace Forman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-11-27 18:19

Factors influencing the psyche

Mental health is increasingly being discussed today. There are preventive and health-promoting measures not only in the area of physical but also mental health. The subject of psyche, however, is still a taboo.

Mental health, however, can be influenced - at least to a certain extent. Many factors work together, such as self-confidence, meaning in life or social relationships. Well-being and quality of life are also essential for our mental health. In addition, economic and environmental factors play an important role.

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• Definition: soul, psyche & health
• Psychosocial health - a complex system
• Well-being, quality of life and self-efficacy
• Mental health can be influenced

Definition: soul, psyche & health

Soul and psyche are mostly used synonymously in German and are explained as follows:

• Psyche: system of human perception and thought.
• Soul: Today this often refers to the totality of emotions and spiritual processes in humans. In this sense, “soul” is largely synonymous with the expression “psyche”.

The WHO defines psychosocial health as "a state of well-being in which a person can fulfill his or her abilities, cope with normal life stresses, work productively, and is able to contribute to his community."

Psychosocial health - a complex system

Psychosocial health has a strong impact on daily life. It is influenced by many different aspects. As an individual you can only influence to a limited extent whether you remain mentally healthy or not. In addition to personal living conditions and genetic predisposition, social, cultural, economic and environmental factors also have an influence.

Mental health is also expressed as a positive feeling, as well-being. It is also a process that depends on individual factors and on our environment. It shows, among other things, that you can cope with requirements and make good use of resources (skills and attitudes that make it easier for you to cope with stress and conflicts).

Mental or mental health is also referred to as mental health. According to today's biopsychosocial model, mental health is conditioned by a complex system of biological, psychological and social factors. There are methods for measuring mental well-being, such as the mental health scales (SPG). Whether or not someone feels mentally good is also a very subjective matter.

Well-being, quality of life and self-efficacy

There are a few terms that are commonly used in relation to mental health. These include well-being, quality of life and self-efficacy.

Wellbeing

Well-being is often equated with happiness in psychological research. You often feel happy or satisfied with your own life. Positive moods are more common than depressed ones. Life “succeeds” by and large.

A high level of psychological well-being usually occurs when people act as independently as possible, the demands of the environment can be coped with well and positive social relationships are cultivated. Personal development, the recognition of a meaning in life and self-acceptance also support this.

Subjective well-being can be divided into four different dimensions:

• Freedom from subjective stress ("I cannot complain"),
• Joy as a positive and short-term component of wellbeing,
• Satisfaction as well
• Happiness as an emotional factor in wellbeing.

life quality

Quality of life includes physical and psychological well-being, self-esteem, family and friends and our ability to function in everyday life as well as often a fulfilling professional life. Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) is an interplay of physical, psychological and social aspects. It includes much more than the state of health. The quality of life can only be described by yourself. Quality of life questionnaires can help to pay particular attention to individual supportive measures during therapy.

Self-efficacy

A major factor that contributes to our mental health is what is known as self-efficacy. It means that a person can freely choose an action and also believes in putting the project into practice. So you are convinced of your abilities. Self-efficacy thus means control over one's own life and over events in one's personal environment - "being woman / master of her / his life" and not feeling at the mercy of oneself and helpless.

Mental health can be influenced

There are many factors influencing mental health - both positively and negatively. The evaluation of these influences - i.e. how strongly they affect a person and how important they are seen - takes place differently from person to person. These influencing factors include:

• Love and be loved
• Self-confidence
• Safety,
• Meaning of life,
• Feeling of freedom,
• social competence,
• Working conditions,
• Dealing with problems and problematic situations,
• Perception of physical and mental needs and their fulfillment,
• be aware of your own feelings and express them,
• Take responsibility for your own actions,
• Future thoughts and visions as well
• Differentiation between fantasy and reality.

Illnesses, drugs and other factors can have a massive impact on mental health and lead to illness. Certain drugs can also have an impact on the psyche. For more information, see Psyche: Protection & Risk Factors.