Mental Health and Mental Illness

2. 2
In our society, a mentally healthy person:
 Has self-esteem, self-acceptance
 Is realizing potential
 Is able to maintain fulfilling relationships
 Has a sense of psychological well-being
 Has sense of autonomy
 Has sense of competence, mastery, purpose

3.  Mental health describes a level of
psychological well-being , or an absence of a
mental disorder.
 TheWorld Health Organization defines
mental health as "a state of well-being in
which the individual realizes his or her own
abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of
life, can work productively and fruitfully, and
is able to make a contribution to his or her
community".

4.  Mental health refers to the maintenance of
successful mental activity.
 Maintaining productive daily activities and
maintaining fulfilling relationships with
others.
 Maintaining the abilities to adapt to change
and to cope with stresses.

5.  Mental health is a state of balance between
the individual and the surrounding world, a
state of harmony between oneself and
others, a coexistence between the realities of
the self and that of other people and
environment.
R.Sreevani

6.  An adjustment of human beings to the world
and to each other with a maximum of
effectiveness and happiness.
Karl menninger

7.  Mental and behavioural disorders are
understood as clinically significant conditions
characterized by alterations in thinking,
mood(emotions) or behaviour associated
with personal distress and/or impaired
functioning.
WHO, 2001

8.  According to K. Bimala, mental illness occurs
when a state of physical, mental , social and
spiritual well being is disturbed. In illness the
individuals shows symptoms like depression,
feeling of anxiety, physical complaints
without any organic cause and a sudden
change in behaviour or mood.

9.  Mental illness is maladjustment in living.
 It produces disharmony in the person’s ability
to meet human needs comfortably or
effectively and function within a culture.

10.  Changes in one’s thinking, memory, perception,
feeling and adjustment resulting in changes in
talk and behaviour which appear to be deviant
from previous personality or from the norms of
community.
 These changes in behaviour cause distress and
suffering to the individual or others or both.
 Changes and the consequent distress cause
disturbance in day-to-day activities, work and
relationship with important others (social and
vocational dysfunction).

11.  Biological factors
 Psychological factors
 Physiological factors
 Social factors

12.  Heredity
 Biochemical factors: disturbance in neurotransmitters
found in brain
 Prenatal damage: disruption of early fetal brain
development or trauma that occurs at the time of
birth.
 Brain damage: any damage to structure and
functioning of brain. Damage can result due to
infections, head injury, intoxication, brain tumors,
vitamin B complex deficiency, malnutrition, alteration
in brain function due to change in glucose levels, fluid
and electrolyte disturbance, etc.

13.  Physical defects and physical illness: acute
physical illness and chronic illnesses with
their handicapping conditions may result in
loss of mental capacities.

14.  Some specific personality types. Example :
Those who are unsocial and reserved.
 Strained IPR at home, work place, loss of job,
bereavement, etc.
 Childhood insecurities
 Social and recreational deprivement resulting in
boredom, isolation and alienation.
 Marriage problems
 Sexual difficulties
 Stress, frustrations.

15.  Puberty, menstruation, delivery, puerperium,
climacteric

16.  Poverty, unemployment, injustice, insecurity,
migration, urbanization.
 gambling, alcoholism, prostitution, broken
homes, very large family, etc.

17.  Disturbance in bodily functions
- Sleep disturbance
- Appetite and food intake
- Bowel and bladder movements
- Sexual desire and activity
- Multiple physical symptoms

18.  Changes in mental function
- emotions(feelings)
- Talk and thinking
- Perception: illusion, hallucination (auditory,
visual, olfactory, gustatory, tactile)
- Disturbance of memory
- Disorder of consciousness
- Intelligence
- insight

19.  Disorder of motor activity
- Posturing
- negativism: motiveless resistance to all
commands and attempts to be moved, or doing
just the opposite.
- Echolalia: repetition or mimicking of the
interviewer’s words.
- Echopraxia: repetition or mimicking of actions
observed.
- Waxy flexibility: parts of body can be placed in
positions that will be maintained for long
periods of time, even if very uncomfortable.

20. - Stupor: does not react to his surroundings
and appear to be unaware of them.
- Tics: irregular repeated movements involving
a group of muscles
- Mannerisms: repeated movements that
appear to have some functional significance
eg saluting.
- Stereotypes: repeated movements that are
regular and without significance.

21.  Disorders of form of thought:
- Flight of ideas
- Neologism
- obsessions

22.  Disorders of content of thought
- Persecution delusions
- Delusions of grandeur
- Delusions of reference
- Nihilistic delusion
- Hypochondriac delusions
- Delusions of control

23.  Change in individual and social activities

24.  MI cannot be cured.
 MI are caused by result of past life orGodsas
punishment for the sin or by ghosts, mohoni,
black magic, paap ,witchcraft.
 MI is contagious,
 All the mentally ill people are mad.
 MI is hereditary.
 MI are violent and dangerous.
 Marriage can cure MI.
 Dhami and jhakri can treat MI.

25.  MI cannot perform any creative work.
 Mental ill person would not be ablel totake
any responsibility throughout his whole life.
 MI are of same nature.
 Hysteria is caused by unsatisfied sexual need.

26.  Making use of media of mass communication.
 Conducting public lecture, organizing mental
health exhibitions and distributing pamphlets.
 Group discussions involving selected groups like
teachers, local leaders, traditional healers, etc
 Encouraging the community to visit mental
health centers.
 Advising the family to participate in treatment
programs.
 extending psychiatric services to general
hospital.
 Demonstrating the usefulness of treatment.