Talk about mental health in set chunks: people develop coping mechanisms, show signs of emotional distress, and work on their psychological well-being.
Talking about mental health
Not "The therapist helped her make coping mechanisms." — say "The therapist helped her develop coping mechanisms.". Coping mechanisms are built over time, so the verb is develop.
Try it: Ira: Since I started sleeping eight hours a night, I feel calmer and happier. Liam: Sleep does wonders for psychological ___. Choose the words for the blank. (well-being / distress / patterns) Answer: well-being — Your overall mental health is your psychological well-being, while "distress" is suffering.
Word
Pronunciation
Example
coping mechanisms
/ˈkoʊpɪŋ ˈmɛkəˌnɪzəmz/
Journaling is one of the coping mechanisms that help me after a long day.
emotional distress
/ɪˈmoʊʃənəl dɪˈstrɛs/
The counselor was trained to spot early signs of emotional distress in students.
psychological well-being
/ˌsaɪkəˈlɑdʒɪkəl ˈwɛlˌbiɪŋ/
Regular exercise can noticeably improve your psychological well-being.
Research and therapy words
Research and therapy use fixed terms: a strong correlation links two things, cognitive behavioral therapy works on thoughts, and behavioral patterns are repeated actions.
Not "Research shows a big correlation between exercise and health." — say "Research shows a strong correlation between exercise and health.". A correlation is strong or weak; "big" sounds too casual.
Try it: Yasmin: Streets with more trees have fewer people with asthma. Diego: So the two are linked by a strong ___. Choose the words for the blank. (correlation / pattern / therapy) Answer: correlation — A measured link between two things is a correlation, while a "pattern" is repeated behavior.
Word
Pronunciation
Example
strong correlation
/strɔŋ ˌkɔrəˈleɪʃən/
The data showed a strong correlation between sleep quality and concentration.
cognitive behavioral therapy
/ˈkɑɡnɪtɪv bɪˈheɪvjərəl ˈθɛrəpi/
She was referred for cognitive behavioral therapy to manage her anxiety.
behavioral patterns
/bɪˈheɪvjərəl ˈpætərnz/
The study tracked behavioral patterns in adults over a five-year period.
Bouncing back and seeing things
Resilience is the ability to recover from difficulties, perception is how you interpret what happens, and resistance to change is refusing something new.
Not "She showed great resistance and recovered quickly after the setback." — say "She showed great resilience and recovered quickly after the setback.". Resilience means bouncing back; resistance means pushing against something.
Try it: Mateo: After the fire, the bakery reopened within a week. Camila: The owners showed amazing ___. Choose the words for the blank. (resilience / resistance / perception) Answer: resilience — Recovering quickly from a difficulty shows resilience, while "resistance" means pushing against change.
Word
Pronunciation
Example
resilience
/rɪˈzɪliəns/
Her resilience after the injury impressed everyone on the team.
perception
/pərˈsɛpʃən/
A bad night's sleep can change your perception of a whole day.
resistance to change
/rɪˈzɪstəns tə tʃeɪndʒ/
Older staff showed real resistance to change when the office went paperless.
What shapes our choices
Social influence is how other people shape what we do, unconscious processes work without our awareness, and cognitive dissonance is discomfort from conflicting beliefs.
Not "I did it without noticing; it was a conscious habit." — say "I did it without noticing; it was an unconscious habit.". Unconscious means without awareness; conscious means aware.
Try it: Wei: I only started running because all my friends did. Lani: That's a classic example of social ___. Choose the words for the blank. (influence / dissonance / perception) Answer: influence — Copying what people around you do is social influence, while "dissonance" is inner conflict.
Word
Pronunciation
Example
social influence
/ˈsoʊʃəl ˈɪnfluəns/
Social influence explains why a busy restaurant attracts even more diners.
unconscious
/ʌnˈkɑnʃəs/
Most of us tap our feet to music without noticing; it's unconscious.
cognitive dissonance
/ˈkɑɡnətɪv ˈdɪsənəns/
Smokers who know the health risks often feel cognitive dissonance.
What are the common mistakes?
Incorrect
Correct
Why
The therapist helped her make coping mechanisms.
The therapist helped her develop coping mechanisms.
Coping mechanisms are built over time, so the verb is develop.
Research shows a big correlation between exercise and health.
Research shows a strong correlation between exercise and health.
A correlation is strong or weak; "big" sounds too casual.
She showed great resistance and recovered quickly after the setback.
She showed great resilience and recovered quickly after the setback.
Resilience means bouncing back; resistance means pushing against something.
I did it without noticing; it was a conscious habit.
I did it without noticing; it was an unconscious habit.
Unconscious means without awareness; conscious means aware.