1
Part 1: Psychological Distress and Disorder
Formerly, culture greatly determines how different psychological disorders manifest
themselves among people in different societies. For our newly identified country, three factors
associated with psychological distress or disorders, which may differ across cultures, are
socioeconomic disadvantage, early life adversity, and childhood adversity. These factors are
important determinants of mental health, and they relate to the presence and expression of
psychological disorders in various cultural environments.
Socioeconomic disadvantage is found to be a significant indicator of mental health status
throughout the life span, with apparent socioeconomic disparities about different mental
disorders in different cultures. Kirkbride et al. (2024) have posited that Socioeconomic
disadvantage is the key driver of mental health trajectories through the life span. This influence
covers education, finance, occupation, and standard of living, all of which have been linked to
mental health and disorders. In our new nation, the effects of escalated socioeconomic position
on substantial psychological uneasiness may include poor loopholes in mental health care, higher
vulnerability to stressors, and poor chances of self-actualization.
Childhood stress is another important determinant of psychological dysfunction and
disorder that differs cross-culturally. Kirkbride et al . (2024) argue that Various early life
(prenatal / perinatal) adversities have been found to be robust predictors of adult mental disorder,
including maternal stress, obstetric complications, and malnutrition, based on outcomes
measured decades later. Perhaps due to the social background of the newly discovered nation,
2
early life adversities may vary from those experienced in other cultures, and this may have
implications for the physical and psychological wellbeing of the population. These early
experiences can affect neurobiology, stress systems, and cognition, therefore, setting a
susceptibility to suffering from mental illness and psychological troubles in life.
Childhood adversity appears as the third factor to affect psychological distress and
disorders, which differ across cultures. Kirkbride et al. (2024) have described childhood
adversities as 'those events which will be expected to provoke some substantial change in the
average child and which involve a standard of environment to which the child might reasonably
be expected to adapt.' Hence, in our new nation, there may be types of childhood adversity
peculiar to the social structure, culture, and history of the society in question. Childhood
adversity may cause mental disorder vulnerability with Kirkbride et al. (2024) identifying a
connection between the two, saying that Childhood adversity is a significant risk factor with a
four to twelve-fold increased risk of depression and suicide attempts.
These three factors, socioeconomic disadvantage, early life adversity, and childhood
adversity, play a vital role in exploring the nation's psychological distress due to their extensive
nature in signifying the overall mental wellbeing of people. Socioeconomic poor position can
then be seen as a fundamental social setting that may not allow persons to enjoy proper mental
health. Childhood stress predisposes an individual to experience psychological dysfunction at
some point in life, with the possibility of passing it on to the next generation. Childhood
adversities, on the other hand, mean that the period is a sensitive one as far as mental health is
concerned since conditions nurtured during the early stages of life have a solid predictive
influence on the course that will be followed later.
3
It is therefore essential to comprehend these influences if there is a possibility of
formulating the right strategies and recommendations for reducing possible distress in this newly
added nation. Understanding the social determinants of mental health, psychosocial
development, and trauma history helps develop personalized interventions to support mental
health and alleviate the marginalization experienced by cultural minorities in the realm of
psychological suffering in the nation. Such an approach therefore will be very vital in developing
a society that enhances individuals’ psychological health.
Part 2: Happiness and Wellbeing
The study of elements that facilitate happiness and wellbeing in the newly identified
nation reveals the influence of cultural differences. Three cultural differences that have impact on
happiness and wellbeing include; subjective well being, purpose in life, and social relationships.
These are important factors for increasing a nation's welfare given that they all refer to vital
organizing principles of human existence and social relationships that affect psychological
wellbeing and subjective wellbeing.
subjective wellbeing emerges as the most critical determinant of happiness and
wellbeing, although cultural differences characterise its function. According to VanderWeele et
al. (2020) Subjective wellbeing and is defined as; any evaluation by an individual of any part of
his/her life within him/her (e. g. , financial status, health status). In some cultures, subjective
wellbeing is an essential part of personal happiness, while in others, objective wellbeing may be
valued more. It is probable that in our newly formed nation the nature and significance of
4
subjective well being may be different and in this way, conceivably affect reported levels of
happiness through life satisfaction and/or positive affect.
It is thus imperative that subjective wellbeing is given much importance since it is a vital
tool in the growth and development of a nation. According to VanderWeele et al. (2020), the
study on the 'subjective wellbeing' has be an active area of focus in the field of psychology for
decades now. Subjective wellbeing can effectively give emotion strength, enhance Mental
Health, and amplify the quality of live satisfaction. In our nation, if there is an attempt to
increase the subjective wellbeing cultural attitude, there will be massive changes in overall
happiness. It could mean promotion of activity, supporting evangelical, health or other positive
experience frameworks, or drafting measures which improve on the wellbeing indexes.
Another factor that relates to happiness and wellbeing and differs from culture to country
is purpose in life. According to VanderWeele et al. (2020), there is an emphasis on eudaimonic
wellbeing, which is defined as 'the judgment of whether individuals feel that they have reached
optimal functioning or self-actualization' (VanderWeele et al. , 2020). While people belonging to
different cultures may focus on different sources of purpose, which may include religious or
spiritual beliefs, one’s achievements, or family responsibilities, or contributi. In the new country,
to determine a person’s goal, it will be crucial to consider the cultural history of a society and its
representation of roles that people are to embrace in life.
The importance of purpose in life for the wellbeing of a nation is derived from one’s
ability to guide, propel and persevere through the challenges of life. In a study it was revealed
that when people have purpose or goal in life they will have a better quality to their life including
their levels of wellbeing and satisfaction. Therefore, according to VanderWeele et al. (2020),
5
some of the most robust correlates of physical health including all-cause mortality in prospective
research are purpose and optimism. Promoting citizen's opportunities to find and develop his/her
calling can provide a massive boost to wellbeing in our new nation through effective policies and
related initiatives.
Social relationships are the third wide cultural difference that directly impacts happiness
and human wellbeing. VanderWeele et al (2020) list social relations as one of the indices to
promote wellbeing according to VanderWeele et al (2020). These include the relationship that
people have with family, friends, neighbours, church and any other organisation with which one
interact in the society regarding the concept of happiness and wellbeing. In the new nation that
we have discovered, knowledge about the culture of this society in regards to the control of
relationships can greatly help in methods of increasing national happiness.
The significance of social relations for enhancing the quality of life of the nation focuses
on their impact on emotional support, feelings of inclusion, and quality of life as a whole. These
social relations are major determinant of happiness and human wellbeing, and people with closer
and more positive relationship feel happier. At the same time there is also acknowledgment that
people from different cultures may define social relationships and their importance in somewhat
different ways. Thus, it will be crucial to identify means to enable and encourage people to
maintain healthy and positive social relations beyond the limits of traditional culture in our
nation.
Each of these three influences – subjective wellbeing, purpose in life, and social
relationships are crucial in enhancing national wellbeing because they capture the core of the
6
perceived and constructed subjective experience of people's lives. Thus, by engaging these
aspects, it is possible to develop a more extensive strategy for improving the quality of life,
excluding the concept of happiness. This overarching viewpoint acknowledges the relations
between specific processes and a person's experience of individual meaning and significant
social environments in promoting wellbeing.
Part 3: Policy Recommendations
Based on the analysis of psychological distress and wellbeing in our newly discovered
nation, the following policy recommendations are proposed to address both aspects of mental
health:
To reduce psychological distress, three key policy recommendations are:
Implement comprehensive early childhood support programs: Since early life adversity
predisposes one to long-term mental illness, it is very important to ensure that strong family
support is provided to young families. It is suggested that care and education to parenting and
early interventions services required for high risk families should be included in this policy.
According to Kirkbride et al. (2024) the following is stated, they were of the observation that ,
‘Early life exposure to socioeconomic disadvantage is associated with a higher later mental
health risk’ (Kirkbride et al. , 2024). In other words, if possible sources of adversity in childhood
arear can be avoided or got rid of, this will come in handy in reducing adverse impacts on the
psychological wellbeing of a person in future.
7
Develop socioeconomic support initiatives: Regarding to the effects of socioeconomic
drawback on mental health, it is crucial to apply significant social support. Kirkbride et al.
(2024) note that ‘Thus, socioeconomic disadvantage forms a starting condition within which
individuals many not possess the prerequisites of support and hope in order to preserve excellent
psychological wellness. ’ It seeks to minimize incidences of financial pressure and support the
subject’s integration into society.
Expand access to mental health services through community-based approaches: Thus, to
remove the barriers to the utilization of mental health care services the establishment of
community mental health services is recommendable since it helps to break the cycle of stigma.
Though such a policy should aim at establishing mental health supports in primary care settings
and community supports for delivering culturally appropriate interventions, it should not limit its
scope to just these aspects of care.
For psychological wellbeing, three policy recommendations are:
Promote subjective wellbeing through national initiatives: The necessity of improving
subjective wellbeing as the key aspect of global happiness requires enact- ing policies for
positive experiences and life satisfaction. According to VanderWeele et al. (2020), Psychology
has for decades centered on the study of subjective wellbeing. For example, money to support
mental health services, formal and informal health-related classes, and efforts aimed at
enhancing the standard of living.
Develop programs to promote purpose in life: Tackling now the eudaimonic wellbeing,
design the ways to assist the citizens in finding and achieving the meaningful activities. In their
8
recent paper, VanderWeele et al. (2020) ponder that purpose is in fact more regularly and
strongly associated with physical health outcomes. This could include placement in jobs or
internships, volunteer placements, and education/training for self-improvement endeavors.
Establish policies to strengthen social relationships: In regard to the correspondents’
inquiries about the significance of social connections for happiness, develop programs that
contribute to the construction of beneficial social relationships. Religious connection and social
connectedness are among the recommendations of measures proposed by VanderWeele et al. ,
(2020). This could cover things like participation in the relevant community activities, funding
for policies to support families, and combating loneliness.
References
Carrozzino, D., Patierno, C., Pignolo, C., & Christensen, K. S. (2023). The concept of psychological
distress and its assessment: A clinimetric analysis of the SCL-90-R.(International Journal of
Stress Management,(30(3), 235. https://cris.unibo.it/bitstream/11585/918506/5/The%20concept
%20of%20psychological.pdf
DiMaria, C. H., Peroni, C., & Sarracino, F. (2020). Happiness matters: Productivity gains from subjective
wellbeing. Journal of Happiness Studies,(21(1), 139-160.
https://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/77864/8/MPRA_paper_77864.pdf
Intelisano, S., Krasko, J., & Luhmann, M. (2020). Integrating philosophical and psychological accounts of
happiness and wellbeing. Journal of Happiness Studies,(21(1), 161-200.
Kirkbride, J. B., Anglin, D. M., Colman, I., Dykxhoorn, J., Jones, P. B., Patalay, P., ... & Griffiths, S. L.
(2024). The social determinants of mental health and disorder: evidence, prevention and
recommendations.(World psychiatry,(23(1),
58.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10786006/
9
Ruggeri, K., Garcia-Garzon, E., Maguire, Á., Matz, S., & Huppert, F. A. (2020). Wellbeing is more than
happiness and life satisfaction: a multidimensional analysis of 21 countries. Health and quality of
life outcomes,(18, 1-16. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12955-020-01423-y
VanderWeele, T. J., Trudel-Fitzgerald, C., Allin, P., Farrelly, C., Fletcher, G., Frederick, D. E., ... &
Kubzansky, L. D. (2020). Current recommendations on the selection of measures for wellbeing.
Preventive Medicine,(133, 106004.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0091743520300281
