Mental Health
Mental health is a concept that refers to a human individual’s emotional and psychological well-being. Merriam-Webster defines mental health as “A state of emotional and psychological well-being in which an individual is able to use his or her cognitive and emotional capabilities, function in society, and meet the ordinary demands of everyday life.”
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there is no one “official” definition of mental health. Cultural differences, subjective assessments, and competing professional theories all affect how “mental health” is defined. In general, most experts agree that “mental health” and “mental illness” are not opposites. In other words, the absence of a recognized mental disorder is not necessarily an indicator of mental health.
One way to think about mental health is by looking at how effectively and successfully a person functions. Feeling capable and competent; being able to handle normal levels of stress, maintain satisfying relationships, and lead an independent life; and being able to “bounce back,” or recover from difficult situations, are all signs of mental health.
Overview:
Most experts consider mental health as a continuum. Thus, an individual’s mental health may have many different possible values. Mental wellness is generally viewed as a positive attribute, such that a person can reach enhanced levels of mental health, even if they do not have any diagnosable mental illness. This definition of mental health highlights emotional well being, the capacity to live a full and creative life and the flexibility to deal with life’s inevitable challenges. Many therapeutic systems and self-help books offer methods and philosophies espousing presumably effective strategies and techniques for further improving the mental wellness of otherwise healthy people. Currently the science of psychology is leaning towards the biological approach, i.e. widespread, although controversial, use of psychoactive drugs in the treatment of mental illness.
World Health Organization definition of mental health:
“Mental health has been defined variously by scholars from different cultures. Concepts of mental health include subjective well-being, perceived self-efficacy, autonomy, competence, inter-generational dependence, and self-actualization of one’s intellectual and emotional potential, among others. From a cross-cultural perspective, it is nearly impossible to define mental health comprehensively. It is, however, generally agreed that mental health is broader than a lack of mental disorders.”
Mental hygiene concept:
Mental health, as a concept, is quite distinct from mental illness, and enhancement of mental health plays no part in what most mental health professionals actually do. Instead, the Western medical model relies primarily upon the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) or ICD-10 to diagnose and treat the symptoms associated with what they call mental illnesses and disorders.
Mental health promotion:
Mental health promotion works from the principle that everyone has mental health needs, not just people who have been diagnosed with a mental illness. Mental health promotion is essentially concerned with making changes to society that will promote people’s mental well-being.
Mental health promotion is a term that covers a variety of strategies. These strategies can be seen to occur at three levels:
* Individual - encouragement of individual resources by promotion of interventions for self-esteem, coping, assertiveness in areas such as parenting, the workplace or personal relationships.
* Communities - increasing social inclusion and cohesion, developing support structures that promote mental health in workplaces, schools and neighbourhoods.
* Government reduce socioeconomic barriers to mental health at governmental level by promoting equal access for all and support for vulnerable citizens.
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