CONTINUUM OF MENTAL HEALTH CONCEPT Mental health is defined as successful performance of mental function, resulting in the ability to engage in productive activities, enjoy fulfilling relationships, and change or cope with adversity. Mental health provides people with the capacity for rational thinking, communication skills, learning, emotional growth, resilience, and self-esteem (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,1999). The World Health Organization defines health as 'a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, not merely the absence of disease or infirmity'. In 1991 the Australian Health Ministers' (AHM) Conference provided a definition of mental health that will serve as a starting point for discussion.this definition asserts that mental health is ...the capacity of individuals within the groups and environment to interact with one another in ways that promote subjective well-being, optimal development and use of mental abilities (cognitive, affective and relational) and collective goals consistent with justice. Psychiatry's definition of normal (mental health) changes over time and reflects changes in cultural norms, society's expectations and values, professional biases, individual differences, and the political climate of the time (Sadock & Sadock,2003). The AHM Conference also produced a statement entitled Mental health: statement of rights and responsibilities which points out that: Good mental health is resource for everyday life. It is a positive concept which embraces both inner individual experience and interpersonal group experience. To the individual, good mental health means happiness, competence, a sense of power over one's life, positive feelings of self-estreem and the capacities to love, work and play. Good mental health also allows individuals to deal with difficult life events. Mental health is defined according to commonly held values. The definitions referred to above indicate that individuals are regarded as enjoying positive mental health when the behaviour they demonstrate is adaptive (that is, it causes no particular distress to themselves or others), and enables them to fulfil satisfactorily their culturally accepted daily activities, including communicating their needs clearly and without impediment. All human behaviour lies somewhere along a continuum of mental healh and mental illness. A helpful approach in defining mental illness and mental health is based on evaluating individual behavior in two dimensions: Along the adaptive-maladaptive continuum, behaviors are assessed to the degree that they contribute to or are detrimental to the individual's psychological well-being. Maladaptive behavior allows a problem to continue and often generates new problem. Interfering significantly—often over an extended period of time—with an individual's ability to function in such important areas of life as health, work, love, and interpersonal relationships. On other hand, adaptive behavior solves problems in living and enhances an individual's life. Regarding the second dimension, behavior along the constructive-destructive continuum often affects others as much as the individual. Destructive behavior not only results in failure to deal with a problem—and thus is maladaptive—but also undermines or destroys the psychological and often biological well-being of the individual and others. Such behavior—whether it occurs once or repeatedly—may seriously undermines health, significantly increase chances of for actually bring about) death, or drastically affect psychological functioning in the individual or others. On the other hand, constructive begavior contributes to psychological growth and biological well-being. It improves the health and positively influences the psychological functioning of the individual and others. MENTAL HEALTH VERSUS MENTAL ILLNESS SIGNS OF MENTAL HEALTH SIGNS OF MENTAL ILLNESS Happiness Major Depressive Episode Control Over Behavior Control, Disorder, Undersocialized, Aggressive Appraisal of Reality Schizophrenic Disorder Effectiveness in Work Adjustment Disorder with Work (or Academic) Inhibition A Healthy Self-concept Dependent personality Disorder A key to understanding mental health and mental illness is defining these terms in cultural contexts. The Western notion of mental health divides overall health into three realms; the Eastern notion views health in terms of bodily systems working in harmony. Imbalance or "disharmony" is the cause of illness and results from physical, psychological, nutritional, environmental or spiritual influences tipping that balance. Components of our mental health not only affects our emotional states, but our bodies physiological and biological states, as well. Psychological and social factors have been linked to physical disease states in three ways: (1) psychophysiological hyperactivity, (2) disease stability and (3) host vulnerability. Though psychophysiological hyperactivity sounds like a complicated concept, it simply means that there is continuous mental stress being put on the body. If one is continuously exposed to a stressful environment, the body's ability to fight infection is reduced. Stress, in all of its forms, from mental to job-related, affects physical health in a variety of ways. Constant work strain, related to perceived levels of control at work, and lowered levels of social support have been shown to elevate risks for cardiovascular disease. Psychological stress, resulting from both work and personal life, has been shown to increase the risk of heart disease. Stresses associated with migration from one culture to another has shown a worsening in existing physical illnesses, such as cancer especially where there was a perceived reduction of social support. Disease stability refers to how psychological or social factors may influence existing disease. For instance, people who have asthma can never exactly predict when an asthma attack will occur or how severe the attack will be. Attacks and severity however, can be influenced by psychosocial factors such as the degree of stress in the immediate environment. The greater the stress the person is feeling, the greater the chance for a severe attack. Host vulnerability is the prolonged effects of stress on the body. In essence, the patient or "host" is much more vulnerable to disease and illness because of exposure to mental stressors. This concept has been validated by research that shows that people are more likely to develop a common cold when they are under stress. Factors contributing to the mental health continuum : Influences that can have an impact on an individual's mental health : REFERENCES
Jumat, 18 Desember 2009
On a continuum from adaptive to maladaptive
On a continuum from constructive to destructive
Find life enjoyable.
Can see in objects, people, and activities their possibilities for meeting one's needs.
Loss of interest of pleasure in all or almost all usual activities and pastimes.
Mood as described by person is depressed, sad, hopeless, discouraged, "down in the dumps"
Can recognize and act on cues to existing limits.
Can respond to the rules, routines, and customs of any group to which one belongs.
A repetitive and persistent pattern of aggressive conduct in which the basic right of others are violated.
Accurate picture of what is happening around one.
Good sense of the consequences, both good and bad that will follow one's act.
Can see the difference between the "as if" and "for real in situations.
Bizzare delusions, such as delusions of being controlled.
Auditory hallucinations.
Delusions with persecutory or jealous content.
Within limits set by abilities, can do well in tasks attempted.
When meeting mild failure, persists until determines whether or not one can do the job.
Inhibition in work or academic functioning where previously there was adequate performance.
Sees self approaching one's ideas, as capable of meeting demands.
Reasonable degree of self-confidence helps in being
Passively allows others to assume responsibility for major areas of life because of inability to function independently.
Lacks self-confidence, e.g, seesself as helpless, stupid.
www.behavioristoncall.com/index_files/Page525.htm
Langganan:
Postingan (Atom)
