MENTAL, EMOTIONAL, AND SOCIAL
HEALTH
MASLOW’S HIERARCHY OF NEEDS –
THEORY IN PSYCHOLOGY, WITH LARGEST AND
MOST FUNDAMENTAL NEEDS AT BOTTOM
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Physiological - Air, water, and food are metabolic
requirements for survival in all animals, including humans.
Clothing and shelter provide necessary protection from the
elements. The intensity of the human sexual instinct is
shaped more by sexual competition than maintaining a birth
rate adequate to survival of the species.
Safety - Safety needs take over after life necessities. In the
absence of physical safety, people experience post-traumatic
stress disorder and trans-generational trauma transfer. In the
absence of economic safety , these safety needs manifest
themselves in such things as a preference for job security,
savings accounts, insurance policies.
Love/Belongings - The need is especially strong in childhood
and can over-ride the need for safety; can lead to disability to
form healthy relationships if neglected; can come from family,
friends, sports, gangs, etc; this can override the physiological
needs like an anorexic.
Esteem - Esteem presents the normal human desire to be
accepted and valued by others; that many people with low
self-esteem will not be able to improve their view of
themselves simply externally, but must first accept
themselves internally
Self-actualization - This level of need pertains to what a
person's full potential is and realizing that potential; Maslow
describes this desire as the desire to become more and more
what one is, to become everything that one is capable of
becoming. This is a broad definition of the need for selfactualization, but when applied to individuals the need is
specific.
GENERAL ADAPTION SYNDROME WHAT THE ALLEGED EFFECTS OF STRESS HAS
ON THE BODY.
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stress is a major cause of disease because chronic
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stress causes long-term chemical changes.
body would respond to any external biological source of
stress with a predictable biological pattern in an
attempt to restore the body’s internal homeostasis.
This initial hormonal reaction is your fight or flight
stress response - and its purpose is for handling stress
very quickly!
there is a limited supply of adaptive energy to deal with
stress.
Alarm - Your first reaction to stress recognizes there’s a
danger and prepares to deal with the threat; main
stress hormones cortisol, adrenaline, and
noradrenaline, is released to provide instant energy; If
this energy is repeatedly not used by physical activity, it
can become harmful; At this stage everything is working
as it should – you have a stressful event, your body
alarms you with a sudden jolt of hormonal changes, and 
you are now immediately equipped with enough energy
to handle it.
Resistance - source of stress being
possibly resolved; Homeostasis
begins restoring balance and a
period of recovery for repair and
renewal takes place; If a stressful
condition persists, your body adapts
by a continued effort in resistance
and remains in a state of arousal;
Problems begin to manifest when
you find yourself repeating this
process too often with little or no
recovery
Exhaustion - Your body’s ability to
resist is lost because its adaptation
energy supply is gone; Here is where
stress levels go up and stay up
STRESS MANAGEMENT
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Unhealthy response:
Smoking
Drinking too much
Overeating or undereating
Zoning out for hours in front of the
TV or computer
Withdrawing from friends, family,
and activities
Using pills or drugs to relax
Sleeping too much
Procrastinating
Filling up every minute of the day
to avoid facing problems
Taking out your stress on others
(lashing out, angry outbursts,
physical violence)
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Healthy response:
Avoid stress – saying “no,” avoid people,
take control, avoid hot-topics, & pare
down to-do list.
Alter situation – express your feelings,
compromise, be assertive, & manage
time.
Adapt to stressor – reframe problems,
look at big picture, adjust standards, &
focus on positive.
Ways – relaxation techniques, go for a
walk, spend time in nature, call a good
friend, sweat out tension, write in journal,
take a long bath, light scented candles,
savor a warm cup of coffee or tea, play
with a pet, work in garden, get a
massage, read, music, watch a comedy.
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN EMOTIONS AND
EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION
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Tone refers to various sound aspects of words as
they are spoken.
Body language can be considered nonverbal
communication.
Choosing the right words to communicate with are
also important when trying to express emotion
clearly.
Feeling hurt by someone's words or actions can be
considered primary
Differences in culture and family systems should
also be considered when effectively communicating
emotion.
MENTAL ILLNESS
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Warning signs - Confused
thinking; prolonged
depression; feelings of
extreme highs and lows;
excessive fears, worries, &
anxieties; social withdrawal;
dramatic changes in eating or
sleeping habits; strong
feelings of anger; delusions;
growing inability to cope with
daily problems; suicidal
thoughts; denial of obvious
problems; numerous
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unexplained physical ailments;
& substance abuse.
Support Systems:
 Substance Abuse and Mental
Health Services Administration
(SAMHSA)
 National Alliance for the
Mentally Ill (NAMI)
 American Psychiatric
Association
 American Academy of child and
Adolescent Psychiatry
 National Institute of Mental
Health (NIMH)
Treatment – Accept your feelings,
handling unusual behavior,
establishing support, seeking
counseling, taking time out,
medication, friends, family, etc.
SUICIDE PREVENTION
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Risk factors – mental
illness, social
interactions, low
income,
unemployment, abuse,
family history, esteem.
National Suicide
Prevention Hotline.
Talk to anyone.
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Teen Warning signs:
Disinterest in favorite extracurricular activities
Problems at work and losing interest in a job
Substance abuse, including alcohol and drug
(illegal and legal drugs) use
Behavioral problems
Withdrawing from family and friends
Sleep changes
Changes in eating habits
Begins to neglect hygiene and other matters of
personal appearance
Emotional distress brings on physical complaints
(aches, fatigues, migraines)
Hard time concentrating and paying attention
Declining grades in school
Loss of interest in schoolwork
Risk taking behaviors
Complains more frequently of boredom
Does not respond as before to praise
FORMS OF COMMUNICATION
Nonverbal describes the process of conveying
meaning in the form of non-word messages.
 Visual is the conveyance of ideas and information
through creation of visual representations.
 Oral, while primarily referring to spoken verbal
communication, typically relies on both words,
visual aids and non-verbal elements to support the
conveyance of the meaning
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