15 Is DNA Destiny?
(Another look at the Nature Nurture Debate)
Purpose:
To examine and discuss currrent research on the complex physical, social and environmental factors that contribute to mental health.
Learning Objectives
Participants will:
- Examine current research on the aspects of physical and mental health that are determined by genetics, environment and personal factors.
- Begin the process of exploring locus of control and personal strategies that could be helpful to health and wellbeing.
Jig-Saw Learning Activity to explore current understandings of mental health
What is jigsaw Learning?
Jigsaw is a cooperative learning strategy that enables each student of a “home” group to specialize in one aspect of a topic (for example, one group studies habitats of rainforest animals, another group studies predators of rainforest animals). Students meet with members from other groups who are assigned the same aspect, and after mastering the material, return to the “home” group and teach the material to their group members. With this strategy, each student in the “home” group serves as a piece of the topic’s puzzle and when they work together as a whole, they create the complete jigsaw puzzle.
Purpose of Jig Saw Learning Activity
Activity Directions:
- How much of our overall health is determined and how much do we have control over?
- What things related to mental health are within your locus of control and which things are not?
- Based on what we have read and discussed, what are your group’s top 5 recommendations to boost wellbeing?
3. Full Group Closing Reflection: Facilitator can ask if anyone wants to share reflections from this session’s content. A final wrap-up summary could include these points:
Key Takeaways
- Health, mental health and wellbeing all influence each other and arise from complex genetic, family and social factors.
- The new field of epigenetics is finding that people can have vulnerabilities or genetic pre-dispositions to some disorders or diseases, but these might only become “turned on” if there are significant triggers or stresses that impact psychological and/or physical health.
- It can also be important use critical analysis to explore the power dynamics, social messages, and oppressive forces that often influence mental health and resilience. Multi-generational patterns of trauma, poverty, violence, colonialism, racism, sexism and other repressive forces need to be unravelled so that an individual can look clearly at the complex variables that influence their current state of well-being. It can be empowering for individuals to recognize the personal resources that they have developed to survive and stand up to the negative messages or circumstances that have influenced their personal circumstances and narratives.
- It is also true that we all have some control over making the best of the “cards we are dealt” to influence our overall health and happiness.
- Dr. Emma McAdam states, “I really don’t believe that your gene