a state of complete physical, mental, and social wellness, not merely the absence of disease or infirmity
WHO
Health
Mental Health
state of emotional, psychological, and social wellness evidenced by:
one is responsible, displays self-awareness, self-directive, reasonably worry
free, and can cope with usual daily tensions
a positive state
or personal, factors include a person’s biologic
makeup, autonomy and independence, self-esteem, capacity for growth, vitality, ability to find meaning in life, emotional resilience or hardiness, sense of belonging, reality orientation, and coping or stress management abilities.
Individual/Genetics
or relationship, factors include effective communication, ability to help others, intimacy, and a balance of separateness and connectedness.
Interpersonal/Childhood Experiences
Or environmental, factors include a sense of
community, access to adequate resources, intolerance of violence, support of diversity among people, mastery of the environment, and a positive, yet realistic, view of one’s world.
Social/Cultural/Life Circumstances
a clinically significant behavioral or psychological syndrome or pattern that occurs in an individual and is associated with present distress (e.g., a painful symptom) or disability (i.e., impairment in one or more important areas of functioning) or with a significantly increased risk of suffering death, pain,
disability, or an important loss of freedom
Mental Illness
include biologic makeup, intolerable or unrealistic worries or fears, inability to distinguish reality from fantasy, intolerance of life’s uncertainties, a sense of disharmony in life, and a loss of meaning in one’s
life
Individual
include ineffective communication, excessive
dependency on or withdrawal from relationships, no sense of belonging, inadequate social support, and loss of emotional control
Interpersonal
include lack of resources, violence, homelessness, poverty, an unwarranted negative view of the world, and discrimination such as stigma, racism, classism, ageism, and sexism.
Social/Cultural
Mental health is like a violin with strings of interaction, behavior, affect and intellect. May
produce a pleasant or stimulating melody or they may be discordant and irritating. The tune continually changes.
Mental Health-Illness-Continuum
No one is entirely mentally unhealthy and no one is fully healthy at all times.
Ebersole and Hess, 1985
interpersonal process whereby the professional nurse practitioner through the therapeutic use of self, assist an individual, family, group or community to promote mental health, to prevent mental illness & suffering, to participate in the treatment &
rehabilitation of the mentally ill & if necessary to find meaning in this experiences
Psychiatric Nursing
Mental Hygiene
Abraham Maslow (1970) - Hierarchy of Needs
Characteristics of a mentally healthy person
Factors Influencing Mental Health Development
(Shives, 1994)
Biological
Pschological
Socio-cultural
attempt to relate mental disorders to physical disorders
Aristotle (382-322 BC)
Primitive culture
Ancient Greece