Mental Health and Mental Hygiene - Education Psychology -BEd - its definition , meaning, role in school and how to improve it

1. Suresh Babu G
Assistant Professor
CTE CPAS Paippad,Kottayam

2. Content
 Mental Health – Concept
 Definition – Mental Health
 Nature of Mental Health
 Characteristics of Mentally Healthy Person
 Factors affecting poor Mental Health
 Mental Health of Learner
 Characteristics of Mentally Healthy Student
 Identification of mentally healthy students
 Role of School in developing mental health
 Mental Health of the Teacher
 Personal and professional characteristics of Mentally Healthy Teachers
 Strategies for promoting Mental Health
 Definition of Mental Hygiene
 Aims and objectives of Mental Hygiene
 Need for Mental Hygiene in school
 Difference of Mental Health and Mental Hygiene

3. Mental Health - Concept
Mental health is the ability
to make whole personal
and social adjustment.

4. Definition – Mental Health
According to Hadfield, Mental health is the full
and harmonious functioning of the whole
personality.
Cutts and Moseley defines mental health as the
ability to adjust satisfactorily to the various
strains of the environment we meet in life
and mental hygiene is the means we take to
assure this adjustment

5. WHO considers mental health as a state of
well-being in which an individual realizes his
or her own abilities , can cope with the normal
stresses of life , can work productively and is
able to make a contribution to his or her
community.

7. Characteristics of Mentally Healthy Person
 Adaptability and resilient mind
 Socially adaptable
 Emotionally Satisfied
 Desires are in harmony with socially
approved goals
 Insight into his own conduct
 Enthusiastic and reasonable
 Good habits
 Philosophy of life

8. Factors affecting poor Mental Health
 Hereditary factors – defective genes
inherited from parents .
 Constitutional or Physiological factors –
Gender , age ,poor health , physical
defects , ailments and diseases ,
inferiority complex etc
 Environmental factors – Family, school
and society
 Mental illness - Long-lasting sadness or
irritability, Extremely high
and low moods, Excessive fear,
worry, or anxiety,
Social withdrawal,
Dramatic changes in eating

9. Mental Health of Learner
Mental health of the learner is very important
for efficient learning and proper development
of personality . Student with a healthy
personality normally stands a better chance
of encaging in creative and productive
activities and approaches learning and
problem solving tasks more constructively .

10. Characteristics of Mentally
Healthy Student
 Socially adaptable behavior
 Emotionally satisfied
 His desires are in harmony with socially
approved norms
 Have good habit and constructive attitude
 Capable of making decision , assuming
responsibilities
 Self confident , adequate and free from
internal conflicts ,tensions
 Able to adapt successfully to the changing
needs and demands of the environment

11. Identification of mentally
healthy students
 By administering
a standardized test,
scale or check-list ,
observation ,
case study etc
 Mental Health Status Scale can be
used for finding mentally healthy
students

12. Factors affecting Mental
Health of Leaner's
 Hereditary factors
 Physical health
 Socio-cultural factors
 Intelligence
 Disorganized family environment
 Habit training in childhood
 Ethical and moral upbringing
 Brain factors – brain injury , drug
abuse etc
 Media

13. Role of School in developing
mental health
The school (teacher) can adopt the following
measures in the prevention and promotion
of mental health
Regular physical training and medical care
Help in acquiring balanced emotional
development and emotional exercise
Find out rejected and
maladjusted children
and help to adjust with
classmates

14. Arranging group activities
Develop pupils self-respect and self-
esteem by compliments for work
Help them to set a proper level of
aspiration
Train to develop patience and power of
tolerance to face failure in life
Encourage self-discipline on the
democratic lines
Give proper sex education for sexual
adjustment

15. Mental Health of the Teacher
Teachers cannot be expected to improve
the mental health of their students
unless their own mental health are
sound.
The inadequate salaries , low social
status, poor service conditions, lack of
professional aptitude and spirit,
unnecessary interference of higher
authorities, work load, insecurity of
service, inadequate teaching facilities etc
create tensions, conflicts and frustrations

16. Personal characteristics of
Mentally Healthy Teachers
Alertness, enthusiasm and interest in
pupils and classroom activities.
Ability to maintain natural and pleasant
interpersonal relationships, cordiality
and friendliness.
Recognition of one’s own mistakes.
Patience, kindness, sympathy, sincerity
and fairness in dealing with pupils
Democracy and courtesy in relations
with pupils.

17. The ability to use praise for work well
done.
The ability to help pupils with personal as
well as educational problems.
Pleasing personal appearance and
manner.
Good disposition and consistent behavior
Flexibility in opinion , beliefs and attitudes
A good sense of humour
Physical fitness and good health status
Wide interests

18. Professional Characteristics of
Mentally Healthy Teachers
Good knowledge of subject matter
Capacity and willingness to teach
Mastery of communication skill
Ability and desire to improve professional
skills
Ability to work together, to share experience
with other staff members
Ability to assume an attitude of individual
responsibility and co-operative functioning
Acceptance and understanding of children
Realistic perception of the social
expectations
Respect for oneself and ones profession

19. Strategies for promoting Mental Health
Early intervention program – program
such as home visit of pregnant women ,
pre-school psycho-social activity etc..
Social skill building programs
Family extension activity
School mental health programs
Community activities
Training to stakeholders (parents,
minorities etc)
Administrative provisions in school

20. MENTAL HYGIENE
 Mental hygiene is a science which
deals with the process of attaining
mental health and prevent mental
illness

21. Definition of Mental Hygiene
 According to crow and crow , mental
hygiene is a science that deals with human
welfare and pervades all fields of human
relationships.
 Encyclopedia Britannica defines it as the
science of maintaining mental health and
preventing the development of psychosis ,
neurosis or other mental disorders

22. Aims and objectives of Mental Hygiene
Prevention of mental disorder
Preservation of the mental health
Rehabilitation of the mentally disturbed
Help individuals and groups in coping in the
stressful world
To deal with social problem

23. Need for Mental Hygiene in school
 Realization of potentialities
 Maintain happiness
 To avoid mental problems in children
 To prevent social problems
 For maintaining adjustments in students
 To develop physical , mental and spiritual
capacities

24. Mental Health and Mental Hygiene
Mental Health
Process of
continuous
adjustment to
environment
It is the ability to
adjust satisfactorily to
various stains we
meet in life
Mental Hygiene
 Science of promoting
mental health and
prevent mental
illness
 Means to achieve
the wholesome
personal and social
adjustment