14 Mental Health and Wellbeing: Exploring Social and Cultural Impacts
Wellbeing encompasses quality of life and the ability of people and societies to contribute to the world with a sense of meaning and purpose. Focusing on well-being supports the tracking of the equitable distribution of resources, overall thriving and sustainability. A society’s wellbeing can be determined by the extent to which it is resilient, builds capacity for action, and is prepared to transcend challenges.
This activity will need to be adapted to the age and focus of the group. It provides an opportunity for participants to drill down into their personal values and perceptions about their bodies, minds and the social webs and privileges that influence mental health and wellbeing.
Purpose
The purpose of this activity is to start a process of exploring participants’ personal and cultural views about health, mental health and wellbeing.
Learning Objectives
Participants will:
- Define the terms health, mental health and wellbeing.
- Reflect on their own health profile and the social determinants of health that have challenged or supported their wellbeing.
Activity Directions:
- Prepare coloured paper: You will need three different colours of paper. Write the words Health, Mental Health, Wellbeing on different pieces of the coloured paper and post them in different parts of the room.
- Dyads: Ask everyone in the group to find a partner. Give each pair 3 sheets (one of each coloured paper) and ask them to work together to find their definition of each of these terms and write them down on the assigned coloured paper (i.e. health is green paper, mental health is orange and wellbeing is on the blue sheet of paper). Ask them not to use their phone or the internet to search for definitions, but to come up with their own understanding of these terms.
- Gallery Walk: When finished, tape the definitions on the wall and windows in appropriate clusters of colour. Ask the full group to come to the wall or window and read each other’s definitions.
- Full group discussion: What was your experience of trying to define these terms? In your opinion, are our ways of seeing health, mental health and wellbeing influenced by culture? How? These terms represent a Western perspective. Are there translations for these terms in your language? Are there other words that capture these concepts in another way? Can you share any examples of ways your family, community, culture or language have shaped your way of seeing health, mental health or wellbeing? How does gender affect our views of health, mental health and wellbeing? (Note: Facilitator could start this dialogue with a personal example of how health, mental health and wellbeing were viewed in their family, community, gender or culture.)
- Present definitions: Read the following definitions and reflect together on how these fit or don’t fit, with the definitions they have posted:
Definitions
- Health: the state of being free from illness and injury
- Mental Health: the state of health of someone’s mind and the capacity to feel, think and act in ways that enhance the ability to enjoy life and deal with challenges.
- Wellbeing: state of feeling good about yourself and happy with the internal and external state of your body, mind and life. The World Health Organization states “Well-being is a positive state experienced by individuals and societies. Similar to health, it is a resource for daily life and is determined by social, economic and environmental conditions.
5. Self-Assessment and Reflection: Using these terms, have each person evaluate their current state. Explain that they will not need to share their personal reflections. Ask each person to rate themselves on a scale of 1 – 10 with 10 being optimal health, mental health and wellbeing and 1 being extremely unwell. They can record their assessment in a learning journal or in digital notes.
6. Full Group Discussion: After everyone has done their ratings, ask the full group to reflect on what creates and impacts their overall health, mental health and wellbeing. Which aspects are determined at birth and which aspects are impacted by circumstances, environment and society?
7. Discuss scenario: If a teenager grows up in a home with fighting and violence, how might that impact their health, mental health and wellbeing? This is an example of a social determinant of health. Put the following SDH on the screen (or distribute as hand outs) and discuss: How do you think these SDH impact the body and mind? Does anyone in the group have an example of someone they know whose overall mental or physical wellbeing has been impacted by a SDH?
Social Determinants of Health (SDH) are the non-medical factors that influence health outcomes. They are the conditions in which people are born, grow, work, live, and age, and the wider set of forces and systems shaping the conditions of daily life. These forces and systems include economic policies and systems, development agendas, social norms, social policies and political systems.
The SDH have an important influence on health inequities – the unfair and avoidable differences in health status seen within and between countries. In countries at all levels of income, health and illness follow a social gradient: the lower the socioeconomic position, the worse the health.
The following list provides examples of the social determinants of health, which can influence health equity in positive and negative ways:
- Income and social protection
- Education
- Unemployment and job insecurity
- Working life conditions
- Food insecurity
- Housing, basic amenities and the environment
- Early childhood development
- Social inclusion and non-discrimination
- Violence or conflict in families, communities or countries.
- Access to affordable health and mental health assessment and services of decent quality.
Research shows that the social determinants can be more important than health care or lifestyle choices in influencing health. For example, numerous studies suggest that SDH account for between 30-55% of health outcomes. In addition, estimates show that the contribution of sectors outside health to population health outcomes, exceeds the contribution from the health sector.
Addressing SDH appropriately is fundamental for improving health and reducing longstanding inequities in health, which requires action by all sectors and civil society.
7. Personal Reflections: Ask participants to look again at the scaled ratings they gave themselves for (health, mental health and well-being). Ask them to spend 15 minutes writing on the following prompt:
Reflect on how your personal health profile has been impacted, both positively and negatively by social determinants of health in your upbringing, culture and community. What factors have been challenging for your overall health (examples: poverty, conflict, discrimination, poor access to doctors or therapists etc.) and what have been some protective factors that have nurtured your health and wellbeing. (i.e. family support, good mental and physical health care, sports, access to good food, spirituality etc.) This is a quick-write reflection that is just for you to explore the unique circumstances that shape your particular health profile. You will not need to share these reflections unless you choose to.
Material and Resources
- Three different coloured papers cut in half. Make enough for each dyad to have one piece of each colour of paper
- Tape to put up definitions on walls or windows
- Copies or screen access to WHO post on Social Determinants of Health
- Personal reflection journal
Extension Activity:
Watch the short video on “Designing Healthy Campus Communities.”
Discuss: What is the socio-ecological approach promoted by this video? How might this approach be relevant to your educational institution, organization or community? What would be a first step you might take that would help move your work or learning community towards a more wholistic approach to mental health and wellbeing?
Video Exploring a Socio-Ecological Approach to Wellbeing:
Designing Healthy Campus Communities