Mental health is more than just the absence of mental illness and involves optimal emotional and behavioral adjustment. Mental hygiene aims to maintain and promote mental health through prevention, treatment, and preservation. It helps individuals realize their potential, develop self-respect and respect for others, understand limitations, and make effective adjustments in life. Strategies include developing self-awareness, accepting oneself, balancing aspirations with abilities, training emotions, and maintaining positive attitudes and relationships. Mental health services are provided through government agencies, voluntary organizations, non-profits, and community support systems.

1. MENTAL HEALTH AND
MENTAL HYGIENE
MRS AGNES MAHIMA DAVID
ASSISTANT PROF.

2. INTRODUCTION
 The term mental health is often misunderstood and
interpreted as an absence of mental illness. But mental
health is a desirable quality in its own right and is more
than the absence of mental ill health. It is concerned with
an optimum level of emotional and behavioral
adjustment of the individual

3. DEFINITION
 The American Psychiatric Association (APA,1980)- it
defines mental health as ‘simultaneous success at
working , loving and creating with the capacity for
mature and flexible resolution of conflicts between
instincts ,conscience, important other people and reality

4.  Karl menninger (1947) defines mental health as ‘an adjustment of
human beings to the world and to each other with a maximum of
effectiveness and happiness’
 WHO(2001) defines mental health as a state of wellbeing in
which the individual realizes his or her own abilities ,can cope with
the normal stresses of life , can work productivity and fruitfully and
is able to make a contribution to his or her community

5. CHARACTERISTICS OF A
MENTALLY HEALTHY PERSON
 He /she has his own philosophy of life- a mentally healthy
person formulates his/her values keeping in view the demands of
society . This philosophy guides him in his/ her various activities of
life
 A proper sense of self evaluation – a well adjusted person
knows about his /her capacities, motives ,strong points and
limitations. He/she carefully evaluates his/her behavior and accepts
his/her mistakes

6.  With an open mind- Exercises his /her wise judgment well as
he/she knows strength and limitations well, he/she choose those
social and individual tasks which are neither too difficult nor too
easy . Thus he/she easily achieves his/her goal.
 Emotionally mature – He/she is emotionally mature and stable .
He/she is able to expresses his /her emotion, nationally and exercises
proper control over them

7.  A balanced self regarding sentiment – He/she a proper sense
of personal respect . He/she has a proper sense of personal respect .
He/she think that he/she is an important member of the social group
and can contribute something for its progress and welfare
 Socially adjustable – we are all social being . This social life
reality refers social give and take . A mentally healthy person know
the art of social living and social give and take

8.  A realistic approach – His/her approach the various problems
of life is realistic . He/she is not cowed down by imaginary fears or
pitfall which may come
 Intellectually sound – he/she has adequately developed
intellectual powers . These enable him to think independently and to
take proper decision at the proper time

9.  Emotional maturity – emotions like fear, anger ,love etc. are generally seen
in our social life . Such a person has a mature emotional behavior . He has a
control over them and expresses them according to the accepted social norms
 Bravery facing failures – life is a game of see-saw . If we aim success , we
sometimes come across failures as well. A person with perfect mental balance
has enough courage and power of tolerance for facing failures in his life

10.  Punctuality – a person with sound mental health has desirable
social and healthy habits . He does not forget his/her commitment
 National attitude towards sex- he/she a normal attitude towards
sex and does not suffer from any sex abnormalities
 Self judgment – it is one of the important characteristics of such
a person .he/she uses it in solving his /her problems . He /she does
not depend on the judgment of others

11.  Varied interests-various types of interest attract him/her. These
provide him /her with the variety and happiness in life . He/she
performs his/her daily duties with grace and balance.

12. WARNING SIGNS OF POOR
MENTAL HEALTH
 Poor concentration
 Being easily distracted
 Worrying more
 Finding it hard to make decisions
 Less interested in day to day activities

13.  Low mood
 Tearfulness
 Lack of energy
 Aggression
 Talking more or talking very fast

14. COMPONENT OF MENTAL
HEALTH
• A mentally healthy individual feels comfortable about
himself/herself . He/she feels reasonably secure and
adequately accept his/her surrounding
Ability to accept self
• An individual who enjoy good mental health is able to be
sincerely interested in other’s welfare . He/she is able to feel
as part of a group without being submerged by it
Capacity to feel right towards others
• A mentally healthy person is able to think for himself
,set goal and take his/her decisions
Ability to fulfill life’s tasks

15. MENTAL HYGIENE
 Mental hygiene is a science which deals with the process
of attaining mental health and preserving mental health in
the society
 the main objective of mental hygiene is to attain mental
health

16. DEFINITION
 “It is a science which suggest measures for prevention of mental
illness and restoration of mental health by the care of mental illness”
American Psychiatric Association
 “The process of investigation of the laws of mental health, and
the taking of measures for its preservation”

17. CONCEPT OF MENTAL
HYGIENE
Preservation
(promotion
of mental
health
activities )
Curative
(mental health
treatment
methods )
Prevention
(primary
,secondary
&tertiary )

18. OBJECTIVE OF MENTAL
HYGIENE
 To help to realizes one’s potentiality- Every individual possess
certain potentialities . Mental hygiene tries to help each individual to
develop his/her potentialities .
 To develop self respect and respect for others – loss of self
respect is one of the factors for the great majorities of emotional
disorders . A person who likes himself can like others and one who
dislikes himself cannot like anybody

19. To understand one’s limitation and tolerate the
limitation of others - mental hygiene helps one to
understand his/her own limitation as well as to tolerate
others limitation
To cause harmonious development – it aims at the
harmonious development of the physical mental and
spiritual capacities of the individual so that he can adjust
himself/herself in the environment

20.  To create happiness- to develop a positive attitude
towards life so as to create a sense of happiness in a
person who can live happily in this world
To enable one to make effective adjustment - it
also prepares an individual for effective adjustment in all
sphere of life and all situations such as in school ,home,
society work and also with self

21. To enable one to know his or herself – many
of us do not know our own self . We are not at
all aware about our potentialities , weakness,
limitation etc. For which many individual suffer
from different types of confusion.

22. Preventive Creative
Preservative Training
Functions of
mental hygiene

23. Preventive- the most important function of mental
hygiene is to prevent mental health problems by
developing some programmes
Creative – another function is to develop programme
like counseling ,psychotherapy to treat an individual or
group or to treat a patient

24. Preservative – not all people are mentally
ill; rather of them possess sound mental
health . So the third function is to develop
programmme through education for
preserving mental health

25. Training – another function is to set
personnel who can help the people with
psychological problem trying to understand
theirs problem and then helping them to
meet their needs

26. PROMOTIVE AND
PREVENTIVE MENTAL
HEALTH STRATEGIES AND
SERVICE
 1.Strategies for adjusting with one’s self
 2.Strategies for adjusting with one’s environment
 Strategies for adjusting with one’s self
 1. Strategies of knowing the self: One must be quite aware with his
self specifically in terms of one’s strength and limitations.
 2. The strategy of accepting one’s self
 3. The strategy of balancing the level of aspiration

27. 4. The strategy of balancing his development:
Mental health aims for the development of a
wholesome well-balanced personality.
5. The strategy of integrating the self
6. The strategy of self-drive and shaping

28.  5. Strategies for adjusting with environment
 6. The strategies of adjusting to the world of work: The right
thing is to develop a very positive attitude towards one’s world
of work by remembering the maxim “works is worship”. One
must try to seek a proper adjustment to his work and profession
for the proper safeguard of his mental health.

29.  . Strategies for adjusting with environment
 1. Strategies of understanding others.
 2. Strategy of accepting and respecting others’
individualities.
 3. Strategy of socializing one’s self: One must realize that
the true fulfillment of the life lies in service, i.e. giving
oneself to some extent to the need of others.

30.  4. Strategy of balancing his development: Mental
health aims for the development of a wholesome well-
balanced personality.
 5. Strategy of training the emotions: Training may be
properly imparted by adopting the techniques of
sublimation and catharsis

31.  7. The strategy of positive attitude towards life.
 8. The strategy of bearing the stress and strains of life.
 9. The strategy of maintaining good physical health.
 10. The strategy of having faith in God and Nature.

32. MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES
Government mental health agencies
Voluntary organization
Non governmental organization
Partial hospitalization
Quarter way homes

33. Halfway homes
Self help groups
Suicide prevention centers
Community group homes
District rehabilitation centers