Mental Mental HealthHealth

A Key Component of A Key Component of Wellness… Wellness… Handle With Care!Handle With Care!

PPL 301PPL 301

What is Mental Health?What is Mental Health?

• It is more than the absence of mental It is more than the absence of mental illnessillness

• It is a state when everything is It is a state when everything is working well for youworking well for you

• It is a continuum, never static and It is a continuum, never static and always changingalways changing

• It may suffer when things in your life It may suffer when things in your life go wronggo wrong

•Mental healthMental health: "a state of well-: "a state of well-being in which the individual being in which the individual realizes his or her own abilities, can realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her contribution to his or her community“community“

World Health OrganizationWorld Health Organization

What is Mental What is Mental Health?Health?

What is Mental Health?What is Mental Health?

•“Mental Health is the emotional and spiritual resilience which enables us to enjoy life and survive pain, disappointment and sadness. It is a positive sense of well being and an underlying belief in our own and others dignity and worth.

Health Education Authority (1997) – Mental Health Promotion Quality Framework

Mentally Healthy Mentally Healthy PersonPerson

• A mentally healthy person is able to A mentally healthy person is able to respond in a positive way even when respond in a positive way even when things do not go as expected.things do not go as expected.

Mental HealthMental Health

• The “thinking” part of healthThe “thinking” part of health

• IncludesIncludes– ValuesValues– AttitudesAttitudes– BeliefsBeliefs

Characteristics of Mentally Characteristics of Mentally Healthy Person Healthy Person

1.1. Feel Comfortable about Feel Comfortable about ThemselvesThemselves

• can experience all human can experience all human emotions but are not emotions but are not overwhelmed by themoverwhelmed by them

• Can accept many of life’s Can accept many of life’s disappointments in stridedisappointments in stride

Characteristics of Mentally Characteristics of Mentally Healthy Person Healthy Person

2.2. Feel Right about Other PeopleFeel Right about Other People

• Feel comfortable with others and Feel comfortable with others and are able to give and receive loveare able to give and receive love

• Are concerned about interests of Are concerned about interests of others and have relationships that others and have relationships that are satisfying and long lastingare satisfying and long lasting

Characteristics of Mentally Characteristics of Mentally Healthy Person Healthy Person

3.3. Are Able to Meet the Demands Are Able to Meet the Demands of Lifeof Life

• can respond to problems, can respond to problems, accept responsibility, plan accept responsibility, plan ahead and establish realistic ahead and establish realistic goalsgoals

Characteristics of Mentally Characteristics of Mentally Healthy Person Healthy Person

***NOTE******NOTE***

Even mentally Even mentally healthy people healthy people experience stress, experience stress, frustrations, frustrations, feelings of self feelings of self doubt, failure and doubt, failure and rejection at times rejection at times throughout their throughout their liveslives

Consider these key Consider these key CHARACTERISTICS CHARACTERISTICS when when assessing your own mental health:assessing your own mental health:

•Ability to enjoy lifeAbility to enjoy life – Can you live in the moment and appreciate the “now”? Are you able to learn from the past and plan for the future without dwelling on things you can’t change or predict?

•ResilienceResilience – Are you able to bounce back from hard times? Can you manage the stress of a serious life event without losing your optimism and a sense of perspective?

•BalanceBalance – Are you able to juggle the many aspects of your life? Can you recognize when you might be devoting too much time to one aspect, at the expense of others? Are you able to make changes to restore balance when necessary?

•Self-actualizationSelf-actualization – Do you recognize and develop your strengths so that you can reach your full potential? •FlexibilityFlexibility – Do you feel, and express, a range of emotions? When problems arise, can you change your expectations – of life, others, yourself – to solve the problem and feel better?

Some Facts and FiguresSome Facts and Figures

• One in five people experience mental health problems in their lifetime

• At any one time, one in ten people have moderate to severe depression

• It is estimated that one in seven people are experiencing mental health problems

• Mental illness is the second leading cause of hospital admissions for people 20 – 44 years old

• 50% of people know someone with mental health problems

We All Have Mental We All Have Mental Health Issues!Health Issues!

Mental Health Mental Health ContinuumContinuum

Raving Mad!Raving Mad! Optimum Mental HealthOptimum Mental Health

Benefits of Exercise for Benefits of Exercise for Mental Health Mental Health

– Enhanced ability to cope Enhanced ability to cope with stresswith stress

– Improved self esteemImproved self esteem– Improved body imageImproved body image– Greater confidenceGreater confidence– Increased assertivenessIncreased assertiveness– Sense of achievement and Sense of achievement and

masterymastery– Improved moodImproved mood– Sense of funSense of fun– Improved sleep patternsImproved sleep patterns– Greater socialisationGreater socialisation– A sense of control over lifeA sense of control over life

Mental Health Mental Health DisordersDisorders

• DepressionDepression– Persistent sadness, despair and Persistent sadness, despair and

hopelessnesshopelessness

• Anxiety & Panic attacksAnxiety & Panic attacks– Feelings of threat and anxiousness in coping Feelings of threat and anxiousness in coping

with everyday problemswith everyday problems

• PhobiasPhobias– Fear of a specific object, activity, or situationFear of a specific object, activity, or situation

• SchizophreniaSchizophrenia– Irrational behavior, severe alterations of the Irrational behavior, severe alterations of the

senses (hallucinations) and sometimes senses (hallucinations) and sometimes inability to function in society.inability to function in society.