Concepts of Health and Illness

1. Define the following important terms:

a. health

- The state of being free from illness or injury

- Health is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the
absence of disease or infirmity.

b. wellness

- They include: social connectedness, exercise, nutrition, sleep and mindfulness. Each one
has an impact on your physical and mental health. By making simple and healthy choices on a
daily basis, you will be well on your way towards reducing stress, having positive social
interactions and achieving optimal wellness.

c. disease

- Disease, any harmful deviation from the normal structural or functional state of an
organism, generally associated with certain signs and symptoms and differing in nature from
physical injury. A diseased organism commonly exhibits signs or symptoms indicative of its
abnormal state.

d. illness

- An unhealthy condition of the body or mind germs can cause illness

- A specific sickness or disease colds are a common illness.

d. 1 acute illness

- An acute illness or injury suddenly occurs with a rapid onset. These conditions tend to
resolve quickly on their own or with medical treatment. An acute condition might also be so
fast acting and severe enough that the patient won’t survive. A heart attack, for example, is
generally a rapid onset, short acting problem that either results in death or can be stabilized
before treating the underlying cause.

d. 2 chronic illness

- In a chronic illness the disease has a slow progression that builds over time and tends to
be a long lasting problem. There can be some back and forth between these two categories. A
patient might develop long lasting chronic disease following a sudden injury for example.
Likewise, a chronic condition might increase the chance of a patient experiencing an acute
illness or injury.

e. adherence

- Attachment or commitment to a person, cause, or belief.

- The quality or process of sticking fast to an object or surface.

f. remission

- The cancellation of a debt, charge, or penalty.

- A diminution of the seriousness or intensity of disease or pain; a temporary recovery.

- Forgiveness of sins.

g. exacerbation

- The process of making a problem, bad situation, or negative feeling worse.

2. What are the seven components of wellness? Discuss each one briefly.

1. Physical

- Physical wellness consists of recognizing the need for physical activity, healthy foods, and
sleep, as well as preventing illness and injury or managing chronic health conditions.

2. Emotional

- Emotional wellness is the ability to successfully handle life’s stresses and adapt to change
and difficult times.

3. Intellectual

- Intellectual wellness is defined as recognizing one’s creative abilities and finding ways to
expand knowledge and skills.

4. Social

- Social wellness refers to the relationships we have and how we interact with others. Our
relationships can offer support during difficult times. Social wellness involves building healthy,
nurturing, and supportive relationships as well as fostering a genuine connection with those
around you.

5. Spiritual
 - Spiritual wellness involves finding your life’s meaning and purpose and understanding the
values, beliefs, and morals that guide your actions. Spiritual wellness is not: Spiritual wellness is:
Being a deeply religious person. Committing to your life purpose, values, and faith.

6. Environmental

- Environmental wellness is a process that involves learning about and contributing to the
health of the planet. This involves establishing a sustainable lifestyle, protecting natural
resources, and eliminating pollutants and excessive waste.

7. Occupational

- Occupational wellness is having the ability to achieve a balance between work and leisure
time, addressing workplace stress and building relationships with co-workers. It focuses on our
search for a calling and involves exploring various career opportunities and finding where one
fits.

3. Discuss briefly the following Models of Health and Wellness:

a. Clinical Model

- In the clinical model, the absence of signs and symptoms indicates health. People who
use this model may not seek preventive health services, or they may wait until they are very lil
to seek care. The clinical model is the conventional model of the discipline of medicine.

b. Role Performance Model

- In the role performance model, health is indicated by the ability to perform social roles.
Role performance includes work, family and social roles, with performance based on societal
expectations. Illness would be the failure to perform a person’s role at the level of others in
society.

c. Adaptive Model

- An adaptive Model makes ten explicit assumptions: The person is a bio-psychosocial

being. The person is in constant interaction with a changing environment. To cope with a
changing world, a person uses coping mechanisms, both innate and acquired, which are
biological, psychological, and social in origin.

d. Eudaimonistic Model
 - In Derived from Greek terminology, this term indicates a model that embodies the
interaction and inter-relationships among the physical, social, psychological and spiritual
aspects of life and the environment.

e. Agent-Host-Environment Model

- The triad consists of an external agent, a susceptible host, and an environment that
brings the host and agent together. In this model, disease results from the interaction between
the agent and the susceptible host in an environment that supports transmission of the agent
from a source to that host.

f. Health-Illness Continuum

- The Health Illness Continuum is a graphic representation of the wellness of an

individual. This concept was first proposed by John W. Travis. According to him a person is not
only considered to be healthy based on the absence of disease but also wellness of mental and
emotional health.