Concepts of Mental Health &

Mental Illness
E. Fagon FNP/Educator
April 9, 2016

Objectives
Define the terms (a) mental health (b) mental
illness.
(c) Evaluate the term mental health continuum
Identify some Characteristics of a Mentally
Healthy Individual
State some components of mental health.
State some components of mental illness.

Objectives cont,d
Discuss some strategies to promote and
maintain optimal mental health.
Identify & briefly discuss the various
categories of mental illnesses according to
DSM IV.

Definition: Mental Health

Mental health is defined as a state or
condition on which an individual feels a
sense of well-being. This gives him or her
the capacity to live life in fulfillment of what
he or she wants to achieve in accordance
to the available resources.

Definition cont,d
This condition also provides an individual
the capacity to be resilient to the stresses he
meets and to respond to these challenges
without having to compromise his wellbeing. This also makes him productive and
fruitful for himself and his community.

Mental wellness could also be defined as

the lack of mental problems or disorders.
People who do not present diagnosable
behaviors that could qualify as a mental
disorder are seen as mentally healthy. For
example, someone who has an obsession
on things may not necessarily have a
mental disorder like obsession.
6

Thus he is said to have mental wellness. But

when this obsession is combined with
unrelenting compulsion to do the object of
obsession, the person may already be
diagnosed with a mental disorder called
Obsessive-compulsive Disorder or OCD.

Mental health across culture

The World Health Organization (WHO)
believes that there is no single definition
for mental health due to differences in
culture. What could be mentally healthy
(or acceptable behavior) in one culture
may present something too eccentric in
another.

For example, cannibalistic behavior in some

tribes living in remote areas is highly
regarded as a religious practice however, in
the majority of urbanized world this could be
seen as barbaric or insane.

Mental health can be anywhere along a

continuum, from something temporary or
limited to more enduring or permanent.
We are all at some point on the Mental
Health Continuum. We all have periods of
mental distress as we have periods of
physical ill health. Usually these periods
are short and we recover without medical
intervention.
10

Some people however, experience more

frequent or severe periods of mental-ill
health and a few have very long lasting
problems .Is the individuals suffering severe
and distressing, beyond what he/she feels
able to bear?

11

Mental health involves mastery in the areas

of life involving love, work, and play
Barbara Schoen Johnson.
2nd Definition: A state of well being in which
the individual realizes his/her own abilities,
can cope with the normal stresses of life, can
work productively & fruitfully, and is able to make a
contribution to his or her community
12

Characteristics of a Healthy
Individual

Accurate perception of reality

Ability to accept oneself and others
Ability to be spontaneous
Ability to solve problems
A need for privacy
Independence or autonomy
Ability to express oneself emotionally
13

 Frequency of happy moments that

produce a sense of worth, hope, and love
of life
Identification with mankind
Ability to maintain satisfactory
relationships
A sense of ethics
Some sense of resistance to conformity
14

Mental Health Continuum

Illness
Rarely in touch with reality
Wellness
High level of wellness
Coping mechanisms appropriate
Acceptance of strengths and
weaknesses
15

MENTAL ILLNESS: May be defined as a

psychiatric disease in which the mind is
expressing its discomfort through thought,
feelings, and behaviors
2nd Def. Any of various conditions characterized by impairment of an individuals normal
cognitive, emotional, or behavioural functioning
16

and caused by, social, and psychological biochem

-cal, genetic, or other factors such as infection or
head trauma. The free Dictionary com. Farlex Inc.
COMPONENTS of MENTAL HEALTH.
SELF GOVERNANCE: The person demonst-

rates autonomy, a sense of detachment,

independence and a tendency to look within
for guiding values, and rules to live by. The
17

person acts independently, dependently, or

interdependently as the need arises, without
permanently loosing independence.
GROWTH ORIENTATION: The person is willing

to depart from the status quo to progress

toward self realization, androgyny ( interaction & balance between feminine and
masculine characteristics in an individual).
18

and maximization of capacities.

TOLERANCE OF UNCERTAINTY: The person
faces the uncertainty of living and the certainty
of death by means of faith and hope.
SELF ESTEEM: The persons self esteem is
built on self knowledge and awareness of
talents, abilities and limitations.
19

MASTERY OF THE ENVIRONMENT: The

person is effective, capable, competent, and

creative in dealing with and influencing the
environment.
REALITY ORIENTATION: The person is able to
distinguish fact from fantasy, the real world
from the dream world, and acts accordingly.
20

STRESS MANAGEMENT: The person experiencees appropriate depression, anxiety among other
things in daily life and can tolerate high levels of
stress, knowing that the feelings will not last forever, and can experience failure without self
castigation. Usually the person deals with crises
without needing help beyond the support of family
and friends.
21

Some General Criteria For

mental Disorders.
There is dissatisfaction with ones characteristics, abilities, and accomplishments.
Ineffective or unsatisfactory interpersonal
relationships.
Dissatisfaction with ones place in the world.
Ineffective coping or adaptation to the events in
ones life as well as lack of personal growth.
22

Mental Health Maintenance and

Promotion Strategies.
Mental health and illness are determined by
by multiple and interacting social, psycholo gical,
and biological factors, just as health and
illness in general. There is a strong association between mental illness and poverty
including low levels of education, poor housing, and low income. The greater vulnerability
of disadvantaged people in each community

23

to mental illness may be explained by such

factors as experience of insecurity & hopelessness, rapid social change, and the risk of
violence and physical ill health. NB: The
association between poverty & mental disorders
appears to be universal, occurring in all societies,
irrespective of their levels of development. Mental
health for each person is affected by individual
24

factors and experiences, social interactions,

societal structures, and resources
and cultural values. It is influenced by experiences
in everyday life, in family, in schools, on the
streets, and at work. The mental health of
each person in turn affects life in each of these
domains, and hence the health of a community
or population. Mental disorders are common
25

worldwide, mental and behavioral disorders

represented 11% of total disease burden in
1990 and grew to 12% in 2000. This is predicted
to increase to 15% by 2020 NB: Mental health
problems also result in a variety of other costs
to society (WHO 2000)Depression was the
4th largest contributor to the disease burden
1990, and is expected to be the 2 nd largest
26

after ischaemic heart disease by 2020. Yet,

mental illness & mental health have been
neglected topics for most governments and
societies. Recent data (WHO) show that there
is a large gap that exists between resources
that are available in countries, for mental
health and the burden caused by mental
health problems
27

STRATEGIES For MAINTENANCE

AND PROMOTION OF
M/HEALTH.

A climate that respects and protects basic

civil, political, economic, social, and cultural
rights is fundamental to the promotion of
mental health. NB: Without the security &
freedom provided by these rights, it is very
difficult to maintain a high level of mental
health.

28

 Collective action depends on shared values

as much as the quality of scientific evidence
In some communities, time honored practices &
ways of life maintain mental health even though
mental health may not be identified as the
outcome, or identified by many. In other communities, people need to be convinced that
making an effort to improve mental health is
worthwhile or realistic.
29

 Intersectional linkage is the key for mental

health promotion. NB: Mental health can be
improved through the collective action of society.
Improving mental health requires policies and
programmes in government and business sectors
including education, labour, justice, transport,
environment, housing, and welfare, as well

as specific activities in the health field

30

relating to the prevention and treatment of

ill health.
Mental health is more than the absence of
mental illness; it is vital to individuals, families
and societies. NB: Mental health is described
by WHO as a state of wellbeing in which
the individual realizes his/her potentials etc.
In this positive sense, mental health is the
31

foundation for wellbeing and effective functioning

for an individual and for community. The

core concept of mental health is consistent
with its wide and varied interpretation
across cultures.
Mental Health is everybodys Business:
Those who can do something to promote mental
health, and who have something to gain include
families, individuals, communities, commercial
32

organizations, and health professionals

Particularly important are the decisions makers
in governments, at local and national levels
whose actions affect mental health in ways
that they may not realize. International bodies
can ensure that countries at all stages of economic
development are aware of the importance of mental
health to community development.
33

They can also encourage them (governments)

to assess the possibilities and evidence for
intervening to improve the mental health of
the population. NB: There is no health withOut good mental health.

34

CATEGORIES OF MENTAL
ILLNESS
Mental illnesses comprise a large group of
disorders of thought or behaviour. The current
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (IV) of the
American Psychological Association divides
mental illnesses in the following groups:
Anxiety Disorders; are associated with intense
feelings of anxiety often involving physical
manifestations which disrupt daily life.
35

Examples of anxiety disorders include: i) post

traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), ii) obsessive
compulsive disorder, (OCD), and iii) phobias;
Childhood Disorders: such as i) attention deficit
hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and conduct

disorder-reflect disruptive and sometimes

dangerous behaviours in developing
children.
36

Eating Disorders
Eating disorders include: anorexia nervosa,
and bulimia nervosa in which individuals
abstain from food or go to great lengths to purge
themselves after eating.
MOOD DISORDERS-The mood disorders include unipolar
depressive disorder, and bipolar disorders, which
are typified by prolonged periods of debilitating
depressed or elevated mood.
37

Personality Disorders.
Personality disorders constitute a family of
disorders with maladaptive characteristics
and behaviours that are disruptive to self or
others; such as antisocial (psychopathic)
personality disorder, and borderline personality
disorder.

38

Psychotic Disorders.
Psychotic disorders are marked by profound
disturbances in the thought process or content,
delusions, difficulty in social interaction and
language. Examples include, schizophrenia,
and brief psychotic disorder.

39

Substance Related Disorder.

Substance related disorders involve
destructive use of substances often with
tolerance for the offending substance
and withdrawal symptoms upon cessation.
Common substance related disorders are
alcohol, nicotine, or cocaine dependence.
40