Module-2 (Understanding Psychosocial Factors in Social

Issues )

Objectives of this
module:
2.1 impact of social
issues on mental
health
2.2 Stigma and
discrimination
2.3 Social identity and
its influence on
behavior
2.4 Resilience and
coping mechanisms
 1.1 impact of social issues on
mental health
Health
World Health Organization defines health as. ‘it is a state
of complete, physical, mental and social well- being and
not merely the absence of disease or infirmity'. This
definition tells that, there are many paths to wellness
that such as spiritual, environmental, emotional and
physical health. Ensuring that all aspects of one’s health
are functioning well will help them to develop a better
sense of overall wellness. The term wellness can refer to
a variety of conditions within the body. While many
people associate their wellness to their physical health it
can also be used to describe your environmental,
mental, intellectual, occupational, emotional or spiritual
well-being. These different dimensions of health interact
together to help determine one’s full quality of life.
Following are five major dimensions of health.
1. Physical
Physical wellness can refer to any of the aspects that are needed to keep the body in top condition.
• It is the ability of human body to function properly. It is about the Structure and function of the body.
• The body's capacity to carry out everyday activities and be free from illness.
• It includes fitness, weight, body shape and ability to recover from illness.
• Consuming a healthy diet and getting an adequate amount of exercise to build cardiovascular health, endurance or flexibility are
essential to this goal.
• One is responsible for his or her health care which means treating minor conditions and consulting a professional to manage more
serious conditions.
• On the path to good physical health, one should Monitor warning signs so one understand when one’s body is not getting the
nutrition it needs or establishing an unhealthy state.
• One’s physical health helps to improve determination, self-control and self-esteem. Sufficient amount of sleep, avoidance of
harmful substances like tobacco products, and annual physical exams are some of the tips for maintain a good physical health.
• An ideal health numbers for conditions such as weight, cholesterol, blood pressure or blood sugar etc.
• This dimension of health focuses on the importance of moderate daily physical activity, proper nutrition, maintaining a healthy
weight, getting recommended preventive screenings (based on age, gender and health history) and managing conditions to prevent
them from getting worse.
• Increasing physical activity is one of the most effective ways to improve and maintain your health. Research shows that physical
activity lowers the risk for many chronic conditions (e.g., diabetes, heart disease, obesity, bone and joint problems, and cancer),
improves mood and boosts energy. Engaging in physical activities such as walking, bicycling or swimming with another person can
provide a framework for a friendship, as well as afford accountability for physical wellness.
2. Mental

• Mental health refers to the cognitive aspect of health. Often mental health is linked to or
includes emotional health, but there is a difference that Mental health is more related to
the functioning of the brain, while emotional health refers to a person’s mood and often
connected to their hormones.
• Mental health then includes many mental health issues such as Alzheimers and dementia.
It refers to the persons ability to use their brain and think. This may be to solve problems
or to recall information, but the focus is on the cognitive aspect of the person.
• Mental healthcare affect the other dimensions of health. An increase in mental health can
come as a result of increased physical activity, and good mental health can then lead to an
increase in self esteem as mental performance improves. Greater self esteem then leads to
more confidence in social situations and can lead one to ask the larger questions about life
leading to increased spiritual health.
2. Social
Humans are naturally social beings, and building and maintaining satisfying relationships is important for our emotional well-being.
• Having the ability to form and maintain healthy relationships with others is key. This includes connecting well with parents, friends, and
teachers in a way that is considered acceptable by our community.
• It also means respecting social norms, like waiting in line or behaving appropriately in public places.
• This aspect of health involves building supportive relationships with friends and family.
• According to a joint Yale University/University of Utah research study, social support is linked to better health and lower risk of disease and
death. Social connections protect us from health issues, including heart problems, and help those with illnesses recover better.
• Spending quality time with friends and family helps build emotional strength and strengthen social connections for challenging times.
• Social wellness means interacting well with others, respecting yourself and others, developing strong relationships, and good
communication skills. It helps create a support system of family and friends.
• People with strong social wellness believe in living harmoniously with others and the environment.
• They consider the well-being of the community before their own.
• They build healthy, interdependent relationships and behaviors.
• They balance their community responsibilities and care for the environment.
• Social health also involves the relationship between patients and healthcare professionals. This relationship is influenced by beliefs,
interests, and communication and can significantly impact health outcomes, not just in Western medicine but in different medical systems
worldwide.
• Poor social conditions lead to most diseases worldwide. Disadvantaged groups have less access to healthcare, get sicker, and die earlier than
privileged groups. Despite medical advances, health inequalities continue to worsen globally.
• Social factors that impact health, known as social determinants, are widely recognized by governments and organizations. These factors
shape individuals' health and well-being.
The World Health Organization (WHO) Europe in 2003 suggested that the social determinants of health included:

1. People who are lower on the social and economic ladder tend to have shorter lives and get sick more often compared to
those who are higher up. In simple terms, the poorer or less advantaged someone is, the more likely they are to face
health problems and die earlier.
2. Stress (including stress in the workplace)
3. Early childhood development
4. Social exclusion
5. Unemployment
6. Social support networks
7. Addiction
8. Availability of healthy food
9. Availability of healthy transportation
3. Emotional

Emotional wellness focuses on ensuring that you are attentive to your feelings, thoughts and
behavior. This includes both, positive and negative reactions, though overall you should
seek an optimistic approach to life, enjoying life in spite of occasional disappointment and
adjust to change and express your emotions appropriately.
This dimension of health focuses on an awareness and acceptance of feelings and stressors.
Emotional well-being includes the ability to manage your feelings and related behaviours,
the ability to cope effectively with stress, and the adaptability to change. There are practical
ways to enhance mood, build resilience and improve your response to life’s challenges. Just
as it requires effort to build or maintain physical health, the same is necessary for emotional
health.
Emotions contribute to almost all aspects of our life, at times, even setting course of actions.
Symptoms of emotional problems, such as hopelessness, depression, anxiety, and even
suicidal tendencies are not always easily detectable but can lead to dire consequences.
Awareness and acceptance of our strength and shortcomings is essential for our emotional
wellbeing
4. Spiritual

Spiritual wellness involves discovering a set of beliefs and values that brings
purpose to your life. While different groups and individuals have a variety of
beliefs regarding spiritualism but the general search for meaning for our existence is
considered essential to creating harmony with yourself and others regardless of the
path to spirituality you choose to follow.
It is considered healthier to find your own path to the meaning of life that allows
you to be tolerant of the beliefs of others and life a life that is consistent with your
beliefs. However, these dimensions interact and overlap. They also complement
each other to form the whole person. Similarly change in one dimension affect the
other dimensions. For example, a person who begins an exercise program to lose
weight (physical) may also improve his or her self-esteem (emotional). A college
student studying philosophy to fulfil university requirements (intellectual) may
discover meaning in life, a purpose for living (spiritual). When someone is ill
(physically), he probably doesn’t feel like spending time with his friends (social).
Social issues and their impact on mental health

A social issue is a challenge or a situation that affects individuals within a

society and it is considered undesirable by a significant portion of population.
Social issues are often tied up to moral values, cultural values, and social
norms, the impact of social issues on our mental health is very serious.
There are many factors that can impact our Mental health negatively and
these factors can be grouped into two main categories:
[Link] Explanations: These are physical factors that affect the brain,
such as genetics, chemical imbalances, or brain injuries. Mental health
problems can sometimes run in families, or they may be caused by changes
in how the brain works.
[Link] Explanations: These are factors in our environment that can affect
our mental health, like stressful life events, relationships, financial issues, or
other social challenges. How we live, the kind of support we have, and the
conditions we face can all impact our mental well-being.
Social explanations: Social explanations fall into two general categories: Social causation and Social constructionist.

1. Social causation perspective refers to how the various inequalities in society (mainly to
do with ethnicity, gender and class) produce toxic levels of stress for some people. As a
result of this stress, people may be ‘tripped’ into mental illness, whether it is a woman
expected to bring up children on her own and keep down a job; or the experience
someone from an ethnic minority group has of being racially abused by a neighbour; or
the constant soul destroying grind of poverty and not being able to lead the life of that
others enjoy.
2. Social constructionist explains mental illness is something that does not exist as a ‘fact’
or something that is ‘real’ and has absolutely no organic basis. This sociological view is
influenced by the work of Foucault, who has argued that there is no single incontestable
truth that can be discovered and agreed on by everyone. Rather, society is constructed by
the idea and conceptualizations of both individual people and also, more importantly,
certain powerful groups. Some groups, such as psychiatrists, are able to construct a
discourse that privileges a certain view point of others, which allow them to effectively
rule out and rule in ways of conceptualizing, for example what constitutes mental illness.
Constructing such discourses allows such groups to become dominant in society and
allows them to regulate and control the activities of others.
Cont..
Thus, both biological explanations and social explanations explain about mental illness. But these two are not
sufficient to address the complexity of mental health and illness. Rather there is a complex interweaving of both
society and biology, where both have to be understood as often working together in complex and dynamic ways.
As captured by Rose (2005) in his discussion of causes of mental illness and how biology and society interact.
He points out that just because a change in the chemistry of the brain takes place does not mean that the
chemical change caused the illness.
To illustrate this point he gives a beautiful example: if someone has a headache, he takes an aspirin. If we were
then to check the chemicals in the person’s brain in order to discover the chemical basis of a headache, we
would find aspirin. Thus, according to the biological explanation, we would claim that aspirin causes headache,
because people who do not have headaches do not have the chemical aspirin present in their brains. Now,
obviously, this not to be the case. So, Rose concluded that chemical changes do occur, but that could equally be
the result of other (in this case social) factors.
Pilgrim and Rogers (1994) acknowledges and develops the social and cultural factors responsible for mental
health in their studies. According to them the misery and sufferings of the world is related to the complexities of
human life: that humans are simultaneously organic biological and social beings.
This critical realist perspective fully acknowledges the strong and influential role of culture, but does not say
that it is all down to society. It also accepts the importance of medical information and research, but crucially,
questions how diagnoses are framed by the social influences on the medical professions. Finally, a critical realist
perspective accepts that biological processes are at work but, like Rose (2005) attempts to place those processes
in a wider context where social factors may be the cause of biological changes.
2.2 Stigma and discrimination

Stigma is when someone sees you in a negative way because of a particular characteristic or attribute (such
as skin colour, cultural background, a disability or a mental illness). When someone treats you in a
negative way because of your mental illness, this is discrimination.
Stigma happens when a person defines someone by their illness rather than who they are as an individual.
For example, they might be labelled ‘psychotic’ rather than ‘a person experiencing psychosis’.
For people with mental health issues, the social stigma and discrimination they experience can make their
problems worse, making it harder to recover. It may cause the person to avoid getting the help they need
because of the fear of being stigmatised.
Stigma refers to an attitude that ‘discredits’ or prevents someone’s full acceptance in a particular situation.
Social stigmas increase the stress of those with mental illness and exacerbate feeling of social exclusion
and social distance. Goffman is one of the best known sociologists to have studied and theorized how
certain groups of people attract stigma. His humanistic and sympathetic work focuses on why certain
attributes of an individual or group deny them full acceptance in given situations and lead them either to
be excluded or to be left with a feeling of not ‘fitting in’.
WHY DOES IT HAPPEN?

•People with mental •Not knowing the facts

health disorder are about mental health
sometimes stigmatised disorders sometimes
and discriminated makes people afraid of
against because they those having any
think and behave symptoms of mental
differently. disorders.
 For people with mental health issues, the
social stigma and discrimination they
experience can make their problems worse
and can predispose them to frequent
relapses and turning their illness chronic.

IMPACT OF • A person suffering from a mental health

disorder may be rejected by friends,
STIGMA relatives, neighbours and employers.

• A person who is rejected may then feel

more lonely and unhappy and this will make
recovery even more difficult
Harmful effect of stigma
 Component Public Stigma Self Stigma

Negative belief about a

Negative belief about
group (e.g.,
the self (e.g., character
Stereotype dangerousness,
weakness,
incompetence,
incompetence)
character weakness)

Types of Agreement with belief

Agreement with belief,
negative emotional
Stigma Prejudice
and/or negative
reaction (e.g., low self-
emotional reaction
esteem, low self-
(e.g., anger, fear)
efficacy)

Behavioral response to
prejudice (e.g., Behavioral response to
Discriminati avoidance, withhold prejudice (e.g., fails to
on employment and pursue work and
housing opportunities, housing opportunities)
withhold help)
Types of stigma
He classifies stigma into three broad groups:  Physical stigma - mainly to do with aspects
visible ‘on the surface’ of people, for example facial scarring, a physical impairment or an
amputation.  Personal/character stigma - mainly to do with aspects ‘below the surface’,
for example drug use, sexuality or mental health.  Social stigma - belonging to a
particular group or ethnic minority. (Goffman, 1968) The ‘counting the cost’ survey by
Baker and Macpherson (2000) for MIND highlighted the extent of stigmatizing images and
the effects they had on people with mental illness. For many respondents to the survey the
social stigma was harder to deal with than the symptoms of their particular condition.
Stigma is a mark of shame, disgrace or disapproval, which results in an
individual being shunned or rejected by others (World Health
Organization)
•Discrimination is the unfair and less favourable treatment towards
those who are stigmatized.
WHAT CAUSES SELF-STIGMA?

Economics, culture, politics

Access to care services

Community support networks

Sources of information

Levels of stigma and discrimination
The
Self

Self-
Stigma

Societ Contex
y t
WHAT CAUSES SELF-STIGMA?

Economics,
Belief or meaning systems; moodculture,
statespolitics
(e.g. depression, anxiety); coping skills
and resilience; levelsAccess to care services

of knowledge; life experience and life skills; Self esteem

Community support
and self awareness; sexuality and disclosurenetworks
of status
The Self 
Sources of information

Levels of stigma and discrimination

Economics, culture, politics; access to care services; community

support networks; sources of information; levels of stigma and
Society discrimination

The individual’s circumstances and conditions; use of drugs or alcohol;

childhood sexual abuse; power relationships; living conditions; time since
Context diagnosis; family circumstances
What is the difference between stigma
and discrimination?
Stigma: When you think negative
things about me because of my HIV
status Stigma is a thought while
discrimination is an action.
Self-Stigma: When I think or say Stigma is a mark of shame, disgrace or
negative things about myself because
of my HIV status disapproval, which results in an
individual being shunned or rejected by
others (World Health Organization)
Discrimination: When you do negative
things to me because of my HIV status
•Discrimination is the unfair and less
favourable treatment towards those
who are stigmatized.
 HOW CAN YOU MINIMISE STIGMA &
DISCRIMINATION?
1. Educate the person with mental illness and their caregivers: Provide adequate
education to the person who is coming to get treated for mental health issues and for his or
her family members. Ensure that they take medications regularly. Staying mentally fit can
empower the person and help him or her lead a good quality of life.
2. Be non-judgemental: As a Community Health Officer, avoid being judgemental towards
the person taking treatment and his family members. The support and care that we show to
them will ensure that they come regularly for treatment and follow ups. Highlight the
positive milestones that the patient has reached in his or her efforts to get better.
3. Educate public to stop believing negative news about stigma: A change in public
attitude towards the persons with mental illness is the key to bringing down stigma.
Educating the public about the myths and misconceptions, negative bias and stereotypes
that they hold will make the community more informed about how they treat persons with
mental illness.
4. Support groups: Identify support groups that you can refer persons affected with mental
health disorders and their caregivers. This will help them in updating themselves on coping,
treatment, skills training, benefits and their approaches if any. As a Community Health
Officer you can work with the ASHA and MPW to create Patient and Caregiver Support
Groups for mental health in the community.
HOW CAN IT BE COUNTERED?
• Sharing accurate information about the problems.
• Countering negative stereotypes.
• Providing support and treatment to people with mental
health problems.
• Respecting the rights of people with mental health
problems.
 1. Get the mental health treatment you need. Try not to let the fear
of being labelled with a mental illness stop you from getting help.
2. Do not believe it. Sometimes, if you hear or experience
something often enough, you start to believe it yourself. Try not to
Dealing with stigma let other people’s ignorance influence the way you feel about
yourself. Mental illness is not a sign of weakness and is rarely
something you can deal with on your own. Talking about your
mental health issues with healthcare professionals will help you on
your road to recovery or management.
3. Do not hide away. Many people with mental illness want to
isolate themselves from the world. Reaching out to people you trust
– family, friends, coaches or religious leaders – can mean you get
the support you need.
4. Connect with others. Joining a mental health support group –
either online or in person – can help you deal with feelings of
isolation and make you realise that you are not alone in your
feelings and experiences.
5. You are not your illness. Do not define yourself by your illness
as other people might. Instead of saying ‘I'm schizophrenic’, say ‘I
have schizophrenia’. There is power in language.
6. It’s not personal. Remember that other people’s judgements
often come from a lack of understanding rather than anything else.
These judgments are made before they get to know you, so do not
believe that their views have anything to do with you personally.
 The harmful effects of stigma

Some of the effects of stigma include:

• feelings of shame, hopelessness and
isolation
• reluctance to ask for help or to get
treatment
• lack of understanding by family, friends or
others
• fewer opportunities for employment or
social interaction
• bullying, physical violence or harassment
• self-doubt – the belief that you will never
overcome your illness or be able to achieve
what you want in life.
 2.3 Social identity and its influence on behavior

To understand social identity one should understand the theory

of social identity also called SIT , SIT in social psychology is the
study of the interplay between personal and social identities, this
theory aims to specify and predict the circumstances under
which individuals thinks of themselves as individuals or as group
members. This theory also considers the consequences of
personal and social identities for individuals and group behavior.
History:
SIT developed from a series of studies, frequently called
minimal-group studies, conducted by British social psychologist
Henri Tajfel and his collogues in the early 1970s. Social identity
theory was developed to explain how individuals create and
define their place in society. According to the theory, three
psychological processes are central in that regard: social
categorization, social comparison, and social identification.
Cont…

Concept Definition Example

The tendency to perceive Viewing Seema as a feminist, a

Social oneself and others as members lawyer, or a football fan,
Categorization of specific social categories instead of focusing on her
rather than unique individuals. personal qualities.

School teachers may be seen

The process of determining the
as having higher status than
Social Comparison relative value or social standing
garbage collectors, but lower
of a group and its members.
than professors.

The notion that people’s self- A person's sense of identity,

Social concept and identity are shaped by their belonging to a
Identification influenced by their group particular group, affects how
memberships. they view others.
 Identity threat

• According to social identity theory, group members can

face different kinds of identity threats:
• Group-status threat: It occurs when a group's
competence is devalued.
• Social identity threat: It happens when the morality
of a group is questioned, even if members aren't
personally responsible (e.g., feeling guilt for past actions
of one's country).
• Group-distinctiveness threat: It arises when a
group's unique identity is not recognized, like linguistic
minorities seeking autonomy.
• Categorization threat: It happens when individuals
are treated based on group membership rather than
personal qualities (e.g., a female lawyer being
addressed by her gender, not profession).
• Acceptance threat: It occurs when members are not
accepted into groups they belong to, like a manager of
Asian descent not being invited to a local Asian business
club.
People cope with these threats differently, depending on
 How it influence someone’s behavior
Social identity: refers to the part of an individual’s self-concept derived from their membership in social
groups, such as nationality, religion, gender, or profession. This identity shapes how people see themselves
and others, influencing thoughts, emotions, and behaviours. Here we discuss how social identity impacts
someone’s behaviour:
[Link]-group favouritism: People tend to favour and show loyalty to those who belong to their group, often
treating in-group members more positively than out-group members. This can lead to cooperation within
the group and competition or bias against those outside it.
[Link]: Individuals may adjust their behaviour to align with the norms and values of their group.
The desire to fit in with the group can drive actions such as adopting specific speech patterns, dress
codes, or beliefs.
[Link] loyalty and sacrifice: Strong identification with a group can lead people to act in ways that
benefit the group, even if it comes at a personal cost. For example, soldiers may risk their lives for their
country, or employees may work longer hours for their company.
[Link] and discrimination: Social identity can also lead to negative behaviour, such as prejudice and
discrimination against out-group members. People may perceive other groups as threats or inferior,
leading to biased actions or exclusion.
[Link] responses: Social identity influences how people emotionally respond to events. Positive
events for one’s group (e.g., a sports team winning) can lead to pride, while negative events (e.g., group
criticism) can evoke feelings of shame or anger.
2.4Resilience and coping
mechanisms

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND

 Meaning of Resilience

Resilience is basically an elastic quality of a substance (Greene et al ,2002).The word Resilience has
originated from the Latin word 'Resilens'. The concept has come from the science of Physics & it is based
on the principle of flexibility & moulding nature of matter ,so Resilience also refers to the adaptability &
flexibility of human nature. Its individual's tendency to cope with stress & adversity. Some examples of
sources of stress are- family disharmony, incompatible relationships, severe illness, workplace
harassment ,financial failures & so on. The Webster's twentieth century dictionary refers to Resilience as 'the
ability to bounce or spring back after being stretched or constrained , or recovering strength or spirit'. If a
person is adapting well inspite of trauma, tragedy or threat he is considered to be a resilient person.
According to Masten ,"Resilience refers to a class of phenomenon characterised by good outcomes inspite
of threats to adaptation or development." so a resilient person not only recovers from difficulty & distress
but also maintains Psychological equilibrium. Resilience can be regarded as a bio-psycho-social process
rather than a trait or characteristic of an individual. Sometimes it is even referred to as a post traumatic
growth or 'steeling effect' due to the triumph over circumstances. It is also defined as the maintenance of the
positive attitude and adaptation despite an individual experience with significant adversity or traumatic
experience. (Luthar, 2000.)
 Dimensions of resilience

There are 4 dimensions of Resilience. These intertwine and unite to make up our state of mind
and wellbeing, and create an integrated system.
1. Cognitive Dimension: Staying curious and trying to learn new skills is a way towards
intellectual wellness, preventing causes of cognitive decline and promoting healthy aging.
2. Interpersonal/ Social Dimension: Social bonds with others bind us together keeping us
grounded, and nourishing our well being. It helps in creating a strong social network that we
can fall back on when threatened.
3. Emotional Dimension: Maintaining balance of our various emotions is very important as we
are emotional 3 beings with a wide range of emotions that affect us. When our emotions are
not balanced we do not function well.
4. Spiritual Dimension: Various values, ethics and beliefs affect our life, and being aware of
these can help us practice more mindfulness, compassion and reflection.
Strategies

Interpersonal/
Cognitive Emotional Spiritual
Social
The
Avoiding Building Being part of
strategies
in each misinterpretatio Building connections Emotional faith-based
dimension n of crises Quotient groups
contribute Maintaining good Moderation of Accepting
Making realistic
significant interpersonal heightened change as
ly to the goals
relationships emotionality natural
Resilience Managing
demonstr Taking decisive Accepting help from responses to
ated by Self exploration
actions others fear, anger,
the
individual. frustration
Accepting
Finding positive Accepting
Being part of support circumstances
ways to reduce change as
groups that can't be
stress natural
changed
 Meaning of Coping

Coping means to consciously make an effort to solve personal & interpersonal problems, to
minimize stress & conflict It is a series of efforts taken by a person with his own values, beliefs
and limitations with an environment with characteristic resources and constraints, taken over time
and repeatedly, where both affect each other. Thus, effectiveness of coping is dependent on type
of stressor, Individual & Environment.
The concept of coping mechanisms or strategies is closely related to the idea of survival, and
threat. It is a key concept of emergency management.
Significant life events, whether positive or negative, can cause psychological stress. Difficult
events, such as divorce, miscarriage, the death of a loved one, or the loss of a job, can cause most
people to feel grief or distress. But even events that are considered positive by many
getting married, having a child, and buying a home can lead to a significant amounts of stress. To
adjust to this stress, people may utilize some combination of behavior, thought, and emotion,
depending on the situation. People may use coping mechanisms for stress management or to cope
with anger, loneliness, anxiety, or depression.
How are coping mechanism and
defense mechanisms different?

Defense Mechanisms:
Coping Mechanism: are
mostly occurs at an
used to manage an
unconscious level, and
external situation that is
people are generally
created problems for an
unaware they are using
individual. One can use
them. Defense Mechanism
coping mechanism and it
can change a person’s
is totally conscious and
internal psychological
purposeful.
state.
 Coping styles can be problem-focused also called instrumental or
Coping style and emotion-focused.

Problem-focused coping strategies are typically associated with

methods of dealing with the problem in order to reduce stress,
while emotion-focused mechanisms can help people handle any
mechanism
feelings of distress that result from the problem.

Further, coping mechanisms can be broadly categorized as active

or avoidant. Active coping mechanisms usually involve an
awareness of the stressor and conscious attempts to reduce
stress. Avoidant coping mechanisms, on the other hand, are
characterized by ignoring or otherwise avoiding the problem.
Some coping methods, though they work for a time, are not
effective for a long-term period. These ineffective coping
mechanisms, which can often be counter productive or have
unintended negative consequences, are known as “maladaptive
coping.” Adaptive coping mechanisms are those generally
considered to be healthy and effective ways of managing stressful
situations
Types of coping Mechanism
1. Support: Talking about a stressful event supportive person can be effective way to
manage stress. Seeking external support instead if self-isolating and internalizing the
effects of a difficult situation.
2. Relaxation: Any number of relaxing techniques activities can help people cope with
stress. Relaxing activities may include practicing meditation, progressive muscle
relaxation or other calming techniques, sitting in nature, or listening to soft music.
3. Problem-solving: This coping mechanism involves identifying a problem that is
causing stress and then developing and putting into action some potential solutions for
effectively managing it.
4. Humor: Making light of a stressful situation may help people maintain perspective and
prevent the situation from becoming overwhelming.
5. Physical activity: Exercise can serve as a natural and healthy form of stress relief.
Running, yoga, swimming, walking, dance, team sports, and many other types of
physical activity can help people cope with stress and the aftereffects of traumatic
events.
 A short list of common maladaptive coping
mechanisms includes

1. Escape: To cope with anxiety or stress, some people may withdraw from friends and become socially
isolated. They may absorb themselves in a solitary activity such as watching television, reading, or
spending time online.
2. Unhealthy self-soothing: Some self-soothing behaviours are healthy in moderation but may turn into
an unhealthy addiction if it becomes a habit to use them to self-soothe. Some examples of unhealthy
self-soothing could include overeating, binge drinking, or excessive use of internet or video games.
3. Numbing: Some self-soothing behaviors may become numbing behaviors. When a person engages in
numbing behavior, they are often aware of what they are doing and may seek out an activity that will
help them drown out or override their distress. People may seek to numb their stress by eating junk
food, excessive alcohol use, or using drugs.
4. Compulsions and risk-taking: Stress can cause some people to seek an adrenaline rush through
compulsive or risk-taking behaviors such as gambling, unsafe sex, experimenting with drugs, theft, or
reckless driving
5. Self-harm: People may engage in self-harming behaviors to cope with extreme stress or trauma.