In this episode, Dr Matthew Iasiello speaks with A/Prof Claudia Trudel-Fitzgerald about her research in psychological, social, and behavioral determinants of mental health.

Prof Trudel-Fitzgerald is Assistant Professor of Psychology at Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, with an appointment as a Regular Researcher at the Research Center of Institut Universitaire en Santé Mentale de Montréal.

They discuss the importance of mental health in physical health outcomes, the role of resilience and coping strategies, and the need for cultural sensitivity in wellbeing measurement. Claudia shares her journey into positive psychology, the misconceptions surrounding resilience, and the future directions of wellbeing research, emphasizing the need for context-specific approaches.

Keywords: mental health, wellbeing science, resilience, coping strategies, psychological wellbeing, health outcomes, positive psychology, cultural sensitivity, emotional regulation, research

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction to Positive Psychology and Research Background

02:54 Transition from Clinical Psychology to Positive Psychology

05:42 Exploring the Link Between Mental Well-being and Physical Health

08:27 The Importance of Psychological Well-being in Health Outcomes

11:16 Understanding Mechanisms Linking Well-being to Health

14:13 The Role of Optimism and Purpose in Health

16:49 Challenges in Measuring Well-being

19:46 Implications of Well-being Research for Cancer Patients

22:26 The Debate on Well-being Measurement in Research

34:16 Cultural Sensitivity in Measurement

39:52 The Intersection of Coping and Resilience

46:00 Misconceptions About Resilience

52:27 Adaptive vs. Maladaptive Strategies

58:21 Cross-Disciplinary Insights on Well-Being

01:03:43 Contextual Factors Affecting Resilience