HWEL2006 Social And Emotional Wellbeing Case Study

Introduction: Social And Emotional Wellbeing

Elevate your academic performance and get free assignment samples with our proven Assignment Help solutions that deliver results.

48-year-old Simon is a late middle-aged gentleman whose eventful life includes a divorce which can severely impact a person’s psychological, social, and emotional well-being. The father of two is also living his life for the last 5 years with a post-injury retirement from athletic activities. His habits of drinking, occasional smoking, and dependency on grabbing or ordering cooked food have the potential to impact his overall well-being. Work-induced prolonged stress and lack of quality sleep have diminished the quality of his life. Identification of the detrimental habits and other issues compromising the health of the gentleman and a subsequent intervention can prevent further damage and help Simon live a healthier life.

Main Health-compromising Behaviours and Issues

The obvious change in the physical activity level in Simon’s life due to injury makes him vulnerable to replacing healthy habits with easy-to-do habits which are not as beneficial. Post-trauma stress developed after the life-turning injury can have multiple impacts on both physical and mental health. Suddenly losing the ability to take part in intense athletic activities which boost confidence and regularly release endorphins acts as a shock which is usually hard to withstand for an individual whose personality and identity as an athlete has been a major part of his or her life (Gervis, Pickford, & Hau, 2019). Endurance and strength-intensive activities like ultramarathons and triathlons are highly demanding in terms of both physical and mental labour. Habit forming with a high-performance regimen, and suitable dietary practices is a long-term process of achievement. Sudden changes in those behaviours can make an individual like Simon overweight and even severely depressed (Ruiz et al., 2019). The undesired physical discomforts due to the injuries, and the introduction of various elements including medications, and therapies during the recovery process compel Simon to desert healthy habits and incorporate changes.

These “forceful habitual changes” introduced in the emerging situation feel “unacceptable” at first but become lasting parts of life which are hard to get rid of even after a certain level of injury management. An adult with a record of repeated participation in highly demanding athletic activities is bound to develop a personality and an identity which revolve around the successes in these. Suddenly losing the chance to experience success in a significantly rewarding part of life can affect an individual like Simon’s well-being (Oftedal et al., 2019). Five years is a long time for the body and mind to experience changes due to these influences which are hard to reverse. Simon is a parent of two children and it makes him bear responsibilities and form connections with the children and others associated with the children’s lives in the society (Ding et al., 2021). The changes in Simon’s life due to the injury made him less active and absent from achievements in those physical activities. This can create a perception of being “less desirable” and may lead to discouraging Simon from taking part in social interactions.

A divorced person of late middle age, Simon, can be greatly affected by the event. The absence of a partner in life, at this age, can be challenging for various reasons. Co-parenting, spending time together in a cordial fashion, fulfilling each-others emotional needs, and facing challenges together are the rewarding parts of a successful relationship (Upadhyaya et al., 2020). The absence of a partner in his life makes these rewarding activities absent from his life as well. His emotional, psychological, and social well-being is dependent on these factors. The absence of these can make him lonely, and lead to the formation of a lifestyle which lacks order and is filled with chaos. Dealing with the retirement from athletic activities due to the injury sustained 5 years ago could have been easier with the emotional support from a caring partner who is present in Simon’s life. Identifying the detrimental habits and preventing those from being reinforced can be easier when a partner is present with input and assistance (Tosi, & van den Broek, 2020). The encouragement from the partner to take part in social interactions, revisit cherishable memories, and change their lifestyle in a good way in the wake of emerging situations can be beneficial in ensuring both physical and mental well-being.

Most of Simon’s nighttime voids are filled with the pouring of alcohol, and he also has a habit of occasionally smoking. These are highly un-athlete-like behaviours which could have been developed after Simon had to quit ultramarathons and triathlons due to the injury. The absence of his partner in life may have acted as a catalyst which has led to forming this habit and reinforcing it. Loneliness, the absence of usual rewarding activities, and the absence of someone who could have stopped Simon from forming the habits of drinking and smoking have contributed together in this. The consequence of developing a dependency on alcohol, and nicotine can have several consequences affecting the physical and mental health of Simon. Simon’s cardiovascular health and pulmonary health can be damaged by changes due to addiction (Buckley et al., 2019). These changes can make Simon become further involved in a sedentary and detrimental lifestyle at home.

The stressful nature of his work also acts as a negative influence. Seeking relief from stress by indulging in these isn't an effective solution and the addiction can further diminish the possibility of engaging in positive social interactions (Oftedal et al., 2019). The undesired effect of the changes in his lifestyle can be indicated by the 15-kilogram weight gain in the last 5 years. Cooking is a good habit with multiple benefits. From the control over the selection and quality of the ingredients to the scope to engage in physical activities, the benefits of cooking are unavailable to Simon (Begley et al., 2019). Simon prefers picking up food from restaurants or ordering them to his place which reduces the possibility of getting healthy and fresh food on his plate. This creates the risk of nutritional imbalance and a tendency to undesirable continuous weight gain (Hillier-Brown et al, 2019). Simon’s quality of sleep is also affected by a combined effect of these reasons. His mental distress due to separation, sudden retirement from athletic activities, and the lack of a satisfying activity-packed lifestyle led to his inability to sleep properly (Garefelt et al., 2020). The lack of sleep-in turn affects his mental well-being.

Main Solutions and Interventions

Simon's recovery from this lifestyle full of unmanaged stress and depressive behaviours can be reinforced by guiding him to hold onto meaningful positive emotions like the joy of contributing to his two children's and others' wellbeing, contentment from the success of becoming a positively influential athlete, and love for life. Negative emotions like anxiety, despair, and sadness must not be held on (Khan et al.,2020). Application of Seligman's "PERMA theory of wellbeing" to rekindle Simon’s life with the embracement of "positive emotion", "engagement", "relationships", "meaning", and "accomplishment" can be helpful (Donaldson et al., 2021).

Figure 1: “PERMA”

Source: (Baglioni et al. 2020)

Fredrickson's idea of positive emotions including "gratitude" and "serenity" can be integrated into Simon’s belief system. Mindfulness in everyday activities can make Simon’s life feel less chaotic and more purposeful. Not reliving the past trauma caused by the injury and divorce, noticing the detail in things and activities like cooking food, "Mindfulness meditation" can be helpful for Simon (Nelson-Coffey et al., 2019). "Mindfulness to Meaning" theory-described strategy to manage thoughts and feelings and not be overwhelmed by those that are needed in his life. "Australian Physical Activity and Exercise" guidelines suggest limiting sitting and lying down for adults like Simon and including activities in daily life like simple exercises and walking in the park. The "trauma" from injury and divorce can be managed by helping Simon focus on his cognitive, emotional, and behavioural distortions. Resolution of these "temporary maladaptive states" can foster positive growth.

Steps to Implement

Based on "stress reduction theory", Simon can be encouraged to regularly interact with elements which have a "calming effect". Natural elements like water and greenery can influence Simon to have a more positive outlook on life (Reese, Kohler, & Menzel, 2021). The behavioural, thought pattern and emotion-related problems must be identified and explained to Simon with the encouragement to accept the "temporary maladaptive states" in order to work on them.

Figure 2: Biopsychosocial Model of Mental Health

Source: (Baglioni et al. 2020)

This "problem-focused coping" can lower his stress and promote overall well-being. Considering all the "biopsychosocial" factors, "Cognitive Behavioural Therapy" may be pursued if Simon's depression is not curbed through the above-mentioned approaches (Baglioni et al., 2020).

Figure 3: “CBT”’s effectiveness

Source: (NCBI, 2018)

Relaxation and mindfulness nurturing techniques including controlled breathing, meditation, and simple exercises need to be incorporated into his daily life.

Conclusion

Considering all of the "biopsychosocial" social aspects of the 48-year-old gentleman, Simon's deteriorated quality of life has been instrumental in the assessment and intervention processes. The recognition of the impactful incidents in his life including a serious injury compelling him to retire from rewarding athletic participation, a separation due to an unsuccessful relationship, prolonged work stress, bad habits like drinking, smoking, dependency on prepared foods, and the inability to sleep properly has been useful in understanding the causes of that. Application of the proven theories on the challenges he is facing paves the way for planning appropriate intervention. The whole process becomes successful through the well-coordinated and mindful participation of all the stakeholders propelling Simon’s transformation.

References

• Baglioni, C., Altena, E., Bjorvatn, B., Blom, K., Bothelius, K., Devoto, A., ... & Riemann, D. (2020). The European Academy for Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia: An initiative of the European Insomnia Network to promote implementation and dissemination of treatment. Journal of sleep research, 29(2), e12967.https://doi.org/10.1111/jsr.12967
• Begley, A., Paynter, E., Butcher, L. M., Bobongie, V., & Dhaliwal, S. S. (2019). Identifying participants who would benefit the most from an adult food-literacy program. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16(7), 1272. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16071272
• Buckley, G. L., Hall, L. E., Lassemillante, A. C. M., Ackerman, K. E., & Belski, R. (2019). Retired athletes and the intersection of food and body: a systematic literature review exploring compensatory behaviours and body change. Nutrients, 11(6), 1395. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu11061395
• Ding, D., Gale, J., Bauman, A., Phongsavan, P., & Nguyen, B. (2021). Effects of divorce and widowhood on subsequent health behaviours and outcomes in a sample of middle-aged and older Australian adults. Scientific Reports, 11(1), 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-93210-y
• Donaldson, S. I., Heshmati, S., Lee, J. Y., & Donaldson, S. I. (2021). Examining building blocks of well-being beyond PERMA and self-report bias. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 16(6), 811-818.https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2020.1818813
• Garefelt, J., Platts, L. G., Hyde, M., Magnusson Hanson, L. L., Westerlund, H., & Åkerstedt, T. (2020). Reciprocal relations between work stress and insomnia symptoms: A prospective study. Journal of Sleep Research, 29(2), e12949. https://doi.org/10.1111/jsr.12949
• Gervis, M., Pickford, H., & Hau, T. (2019). Professional footballers’ association counselors’ perceptions of the role long-term injury plays in mental health issues presented by current and former players. Journal of Clinical Sport Psychology, 13(3), 451-468. https://doi.org/10.1123/jcsp.2018-0049
• Hillier-Brown, F., Lloyd, S., Muhammad, L., Summerbell, C., Goffe, L., Hildred, N., ... & Araújo-Soares, V. (2019). Feasibility and acceptability of a Takeaway Masterclass aimed at encouraging healthier cooking practices and menu options in takeaway food outlets. Public health nutrition, 22(12), 2268-2278. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S1368980019000648
• Khan, S., Malik, B. H., Gupta, D., Rutkofsky, I., & Rutkofsky, I. H. (2020). The role of circadian misalignment due to insomnia, lack of sleep, and shift work in increasing the risk of cardiac diseases: a systematic review. Cureus, 12(1). DOI: 10.7759/cureus.6616 
• Nelson-Coffey, S. K., Killingsworth, M., Layous, K., Cole, S. W., & Lyubomirsky, S. (2019). Parenthood is associated with greater well-being for fathers than mothers. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 45(9), 1378-1390.https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167219829174
• Oftedal, S., Kolt, G. S., Holliday, E. G., Stamatakis, E., Vandelanotte, C., Brown, W. J., & Duncan, M. J. (2019). Associations of health-behavior patterns, mental health and self-rated health. Preventive medicine, 118, 295-303. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2018.11.017
• Reese, G., Kohler, E., & Menzel, C. (2021). Restore or get restored: The effect of control on stress reduction and restoration in virtual nature settings. Sustainability, 13(4), 1995.https://doi.org/10.3390/su13041995
• Ruiz, M. C., Kaski, S., Frantsi, P., & Robazza, C. (2019). Reactions to a career-ending sport injury: Pekka Hirvonen, a professional ice hockey player. The Psychology of Sport and Performance Injury: An Interprofessional Case-Based Approach. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781351111591-10
• Tosi, M., & van den Broek, T. (2020). Gray divorce and mental health in the United Kingdom. Social science & medicine, 256, 113030. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2020.113030
• Upadhyaya, S., Tolmunen, T., Elomaa, A. P., Ruohomäki, A., Kraav, S. L., Kauhanen, L., ... & Lehto, S. M. (2020). Parental alcohol problems, parental divorce, and type 2 diabetes in adulthood: A longitudinal prospective cohort study in middle-aged men. Psychosomatic Medicine, 82(9), 817-822. DOI: 10.1097/PSY.0000000000000865