Mental health psychology focuses on understanding, evaluation, and improvement while solving psychological problems and distress. It is focused on improving quality of life and functioning; it is also an interdisciplinary approach that comprises many aspects of mental health, such as cognition, emotion, behavior, and social interaction. Effective interventions and treatment plans to focus on understanding psychological diseases such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and personality disorders are required. It is also necessary to consider neurodegenerative disorders’ causes, symptoms, and underlying principles. Aggressive index, intelligence, instability, and other mental health and psychological disorders can be evaluated by mental health psychologists through standardized testing, interviews, and clinical observation.
Nurture is the impact of factors like parental care, life experiences, interpersonal communication, and education on a human being’s upbringing and behavior, while nature is biological factors such as genes and inherited traits (Houmark, 2023). The concepts of nature and nurture in mental health signify the extent to which genetic and environmental factors determine the onset and expression of psychopathologies and positively shape mental health, respectively.
Nature carries risk variants and gene-environment interactions where some genetic variations, e.g., single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and copy number variations (CNVs), could lead to the risk of developing mental health disorders. Genetic dispositions that are inherited from biological parents may be the cause of a person being more at risk of certain mental health disorders such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and ASD (Sønderby et al, 2022). The phenotypic expression and severity of symptoms can result from the interaction between genetic risk variants and environmental factors, such as stress, trauma, and social support. Among gene-level processes regulating mental health are the functions of neurotransmitters, brain architecture, and neural circuitry regulating emotion, stress response, and cognitive functioning. Such neurological processes’ abnormal activity may contribute to the continuation and occurrence of mental diseases.
Trauma, abuse, neglect, and dysfunctions in the family unit are ACEs (Advanced childhood experiences) that ought to be taken seriously since they can cause serious and lasting problems to mental health. The economic position, availability of housing, employment, education, healthcare, and other social factors of health greatly determine total health. Cultural practices, social networks, and social support are protective factors mitigating psychopathology and promoting mental health and resilience in individuals (Liu & Goldstein, 2022). Environmental triggers such as stress from a significant life event, chronic stress, discrimination, and lower socioeconomic status may contribute to or worsen mental health problems, and also prolonged exposure to stress disrupts the hormonal balance within the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, which makes a person vulnerable to such disorders. Social support, family cohesion, access to mental health services, and community resources may be seen as positive environmental determinants that can contribute to the development of resilience and, therefore, increase mental well-being by turning environmental stressors and genetic factors into disadvantages.
Twin studies, which assess similarities and differences within matched sets of identical, who share 50% of their genes, and fraternal twins, who share 100% of their genes, provide a tool for the psychologist to examine the impact of genealogy and environment (Flint, et al 2020). Through this comparison of these twins’ behavioral and psychological traits, scientists can find the proportional share of heredity and environment in various characteristics and outcomes. Further, they utilize adoption studies and other characteristics that compare the adopted children to biological and adoptive parents to know the role of environment and genetics in expressing characteristics and behaviors. Using this method, scientists can explore the influence of nature and nurture by comparing the traits of adopted children to those of their biological parents.
Likewise, family studies are also implemented to see the distinctions and similarities between and among siblings, parents, kids, and any other family member (Her et al., 2021). They do it by studying the degree of similarity between relatives who are dissimilar in genetic relatedness and different upbringings in the environment. Thus, scientists can estimate the proportions of nature and nurture in the emergence of specific traits. Another critical area of research is the scientific field of gene-environment interaction, which studies the relationships between genetic predispositions and environmental factors that influence the development of behavior. Researchers study the impact of specific environmental factors in conjunction with specific genetic differences on personality, mental health, and cognitive ability.
As an additional measure, longitudinal research is used where the individuals under investigation are interviewed periodically to record and detect such changes in witness behavior and growth. Such investigations involve monitoring changes in people’s traits and accomplishments and assessing the effect of inherited and environmental factors at different stages during development (Eriksson et al., 2020). Scientists can finally learn more about the complex and often misunderstood relationships between nurture and nature. Additionally, biological measures are used by psychologists to study the biological aspects of behavior and to understand how genetics and the environment work together on the neurological and physiological levels. These approaches include brain imaging techniques, genetic tests, and physiological measurements.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) theory proposes that psychological disturbance can be triggered by unhelpful thought and behavior patterns. Attention is understanding, challenging, and replacing harmful or incorrect ideas with mournful thoughts and coping behaviors (Misciagna, 2020). In many different mental health disorders, including depression, anxiety disorders, PTSD, and eating disorders, CBT is used. It facilitates the development of skills to improve symptom management, problem-solving, and emotional control.
Besides that, existential and humanistic theories also recognize that people are in control when establishing their own awareness, development, and meaning-making. The goals of humanistic theories, such as person-centered treatment, are to teach clients how to actualize oneself, show others empathy, and maintain unconditional positive regard. Existentialism deals with the themes of freedom, responsibility, and existential dread. The theories are further explored in existential therapies. They provide psychological well-being and emotional robustness by making people explore themselves and their authenticity and getting them independently empowered.
The attachment theory states that how they develop socially and emotionally is impacted by early attachment bonds. The corollary to this is that strong ties to the attachment figures provide a basis for prioritizing positive interpersonal interactions, healthy emotional controls, and the ability to cope with stress (Misciagna, 2020). Therapies targeting the development of healthy attachment links and attachment-related treatments are guided by the attachment theory. It equals adequate provision of safe therapy relationships and treating attachment-based patterns in relationships and self-image.
In conclusion, the study of mental health brings together types of perspectives to clarify and support psychological well-being. Researchers and practitioners strive to solve the puzzles associated with psychic disorders, contribute to resilience, and increase the quality of life by using different psychological theories as the foundation. However, these theories propose several models for the assessment and treatment spanning from a humanistic-existential perspective that concerns personal growth and meaning-making to a cognitive-behavioral approach that focuses on resolving maladaptive thought and behavioral patterns. Attachment theory focuses on how early attachment experiences shape affiliation and interpersonal relationships, and the biopsychosocial approach points out that biological, psychological, and social elements are interrelated in their contribution to mental health outcomes.
Eriksson, P. L., Wängqvist, M., Carlsson, J., & Frisén, A. (2020). Identity development in early adulthood. Developmental Psychology, 56(10), 1968.
Flint, J., Greenspan, R. J., & Kendler, K. S. (2020). How Genes Influence Behavior 2e. Oxford University Press.
Her, Y. C., Batur, Z. Z., Vergauwen, J., & Mortelmans, D. (2021). Siblings’ similarities and dissimilarities: A review of theoretical perspectives and empirical insights. Journal of Family Theory & Review, 13(4), 447-462.
Houmark, M. A. (2023). The Role of Nature and Nurture in Child Development.
Liu, E., & Goldstein, B. (2022). Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Studies. Family & Intimate Partner Violence Quarterly, 15(2).
Misciagna, S. (Ed.). (2020). Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: Theories and Applications. BoD–Books on Demand.
Sønderby, I. E., Ching, C. R., Thomopoulos, S. I., van Der Meer, D., Sun, D., Villalon‐Reina, J. E., … & McCabe, K. L. (2022). Effects of copy number variations on brain structure and risk for psychiatric illness: Large‐scale studies from the ENIGMA working groups on CNVs. Human brain mapping, 43(1), 300–328