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Mental Health

The phrase "mental health" refers to a person's overall physical and mental well-being
and encompasses a variety of situations and experiences (Centre for Disease Control,
2013). It serves as a blanket term for a range of conditions, including milder symptoms
of variable health and duration as well as more common and serious mental diseases
(Ghaemi, 2011). One's own individual definition of mental health is influenced by their
own particular set of experiences and situations. An individual's mental health may be
impacted by a variety of factors, including gender, social level, racial or ethnic heritage,
religious affiliation, and early life events. Each of the six categories—psychological,
spiritual, cognitive, behavioural, affective, and social-political—has many aspects that
affect a person's mental health (Jorm et al, 1997).

Mental and emotional stability are hallmarks of good mental health, while mentally
diagnosable mental illnesses are synonymous with impaired cognitive and emotional
functioning (American Psychiatric Association, 2015). Most mental health professionals
consider a person's mental health to be an essential part of their total health, and define
it as "a condition of complete emotional and psychological well-being in which the
person is able to meet the challenges of daily living" (American Psychiatric Association,
2015; World Health Organization, 2014). There are still widespread cultural
misunderstandings and myths about mental health despite these classifications, which
can make policymaking difficult (Borchard, 2015; Mechanic et al., 2014). Furthermore,
several academic disciplines (such as psychiatry, psychology, neuroscience, and
counselling) investigate human behaviour and experience, but they do it independently,
without sharing data or methodologies (Amundson et al, 2013).

A mentally healthy person, according to the Mental Health Foundation, is one who can:
be self-assured and assertive; grow emotionally, creatively, intellectually, and spiritually;
initiate, develop, and sustain mutually satisfying personal relationships; be aware of
others and empathise with them; confront problems; find solutions; enjoy solitude; play;
and laugh, both at themselves and at the world (Sheffield et al, 2004)

The stigma around mental health has sparked heated debate. There are individuals
who, despite the truth and urgency of the situation, insist that mental health is only
about mental illness. It's important to raise people's consciousness regarding mental
health so they can get the help they need. There is plenty of opportunity for debate on
this issue. And if you are taking notes or recording notes, you can leverage the dialogue
to make a good essay or recording. Ando et al. (2013) report that the stigma associated
with talking about mental health is pervasive. Campaigners for better mental health
have pushed for the elimination of stigma so that more individuals will seek help. Many
individuals incorrectly feel that mental health care primarily pertains to the treatment of
mental illness, despite the fact that mental health care encompasses a wide range of
issues. Nevertheless, despite the unwarranted stigma associated with mental health,
there are many elements that create cognitive difficulties that are not generally
investigated when dealing with mental health issues (Davey, 2013).

Mental, bodily, and social well-being are interconnected; each affects the others (WHO
2014). In addition, the social constructions of infancy and adolescence, as well as any
and all health difficulties, require a cultural and developmental lens (Atkins et al, 200).
An individual's mental health is impacted by their unique background and upbringing,
the nature of their interpersonal connections, and the conditions in which they find
themselves (WHO 2017). Furthermore, one's cultural background shapes both one's
awareness of and approach to mental health concerns.

Mental and emotional problems can appear even when a person is in excellent health.
The illness may be caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain, and emotional issues
like stress from work or school or problems with loved ones may make it worse
(Corrigan, et al, 2014). The affected person may prefer to live alone and withdraw from
society as a result of these emotional and mental conditions. The detrimental impacts of
mental health might interfere with a person's natural abilities in areas including early
education, career, marriage, and socialisation (Davidson and Manion, 1996).

Many people who are mentally fit have sought medical attention for their issues in the
past and learnt to manage their stress and pain with professional care. Being free from
mental illnesses like depression, anxiety, dementia, and Alzheimer's is a huge boon to
anyone's quality of life (Tanenbaum, 2005). Mental illness is not incapacitating, and with
proper treatment and health, anyone may live a full, happy, and meaningful life
(Valentine et al, 2014). People who experience severe mental health problems may be
diagnosed with mental illness, and they will need the support of a committed mental
health care team to recover from their condition (Valentine et al, 2014).

Two false premises underpin the ontology of mental disorders: (1) that mental sickness
is discovered in the same way as a biological ailment, and (2) that the epistemic content
of the mind is physical substance similar to the brain (Kamil, 2011). The ontology of a
mental condition is crucial to understanding its aetiology. Although there is a clear
distinction between mental and biological brain activities, the former are still used
interchangeably. It is important to remember that the onset of any alleged mental
condition is a progression, not a single instant. It takes time for so-called "severe,"
"serious," or "clinical" mental problems to manifest (Mechanic et al, 2014). Either the
initial life event was exceedingly upsetting, or the suffering persisted over a lengthy
period of time, for an individual's pain to evolve into what is labelled as a 'serious'
mental disorder. The extensive and complicated existential histories of individuals who
have been branded with these 'clinical' diagnoses are disregarded in the argument that
major mental disorders must have neurobiological basis simply because of their severity
(Borchard, 2015).

It's important to remember that mental illness is easily misunderstood because those
who struggle with it frequently display erratic or unusual health, perceive reality
incorrectly, or express opinions that are mental from those of the majority of society. As
a result, they are frequently mistaken for eccentrics or people whose lifestyle and
worldview are different from others (Oliver et al, 2014). There is a continuum of mental
illness conditions, from a happy mood to a mental disorder that interferes with every
area of a person's life. As a result, some people with mental illness won't need any help,
while others will need it occasionally or constantly in order to operate (Schomerus and
Angermeyer, 2017)

The duration and intensity of alterations in a person's typical patterns of behaviour,

thought, and emotional expression are crucial distinctions to make when trying to
determine whether or not they are experiencing mental health or mental illness (Davey,
2013). The higher the severity and duration of these changes, the greater the likelihood
that a person would struggle to manage their day-to-day existence and may even
acquire a mental illness. People with a lower stress threshold are statistically more likely
to experience mental illness problems (Borchard, 2015).

Nurses are expected to make all care-related decisions with an ethical framework in
mind. It's more likely that the best possible outcome will result from a choice made from
this ethical perspective. One definition of ethics is "the study of right and wrong as
applied to human life" (Ghaemi, 2011). It involves individuals engaging in a process of
rational thought and reflection (Ando et al, 2013), though they may come to different
conclusions about what constitutes right and wrong based on their own unique set of
beliefs, values, and experiences (Mental Health Foundation, 2008). This leads us to the
conclusion that ethics is a system of deep introspection employed in the pursuit of a
moral yardstick by which our own and others' acts may be evaluated (Jorm et al, 1997).

Tensions between the ideas of autonomy and beneficence are the root of many of the
ethical and moral problems that nurses face. For a nurse to deliver safe and effective
care, the ability to objectively balance risks and rewards is essential (Palinkas, 2014).

The shock of knowing that a loved one has passed away will be too much for people to
handle if they are already having mental health issues. When a loved one passes away,
you could experience a range of emotions, including hopelessness, depression,
loneliness, insomnia, emotional distress, and the inability to go about your daily life
(Palinkas, 2014).
Philosophy has been proved to be a successful form of "therapy" for mental health
difficulties for the simple reason that mental illnesses are narrative or propositional
content ailments of the mind (Ando et al, 2003). Three tenets support the use of
philosophy in therapy and counselling: (1) the distinction between mental and physical
health problems; (2) the impact of one's worldview on the emergence of symptoms; and
(3) the therapeutic potential of philosophical discourse in the treatment and prevention
of a wide range of mental health problems (Davey, 2014). Mental illnesses are
characterised by tensions, complexity, and confusions surrounding beliefs, values,
desires, and assumptions. When philosophy is viewed as an exploration of the
justifications for the values and ideas we consider to be true, there is no doubt that it is
the best therapy for the most prevalent mental illnesses. But it has also been
demonstrated that people with "severe" mental issues, such as "clinical" depression and
schizophrenia, which were formerly believed to be organic brain diseases, benefit from
philosophy. Philosophy cannot be labelled a "cure" for mental illness with any surety
unless one has a strong grasp of the ontology and aetiology of mental illnesses
(Ghaemi, 2011).

As a nurse and social worker, I may give the patient care and support by speaking to
them in a more relaxed, nonjudgmental manner, paying close attention to what they
have to say, and assuring them of their safety (Valentine et al 2014). The best signs of
how I can help will be the patient's level of mental illness and his behaviour. Before
engaging a patient, the nurse must be aware of her own strengths and shortcomings,
especially if the patient has a severe and potentially deadly mental illness. Otherwise,
you run the risk of harming yourself and inflicting more harm than good. Only then can
the nurse open up to the patient and listen to what they have to say when they are at
comfortable and confident in their own analysis of the issue (Jorm et al, 2014). If you
speak to the patient in a quiet voice and refrain from using medical terminology, they will
feel more at ease. Encourage the patient's family members to interact with and talk to
the patient as well (Borchard, 2015).

When I reflect on the experience of writing on mental health, I am surprised by how

widespread the issue is and how difficult it may be to recognise. Both in terms of
diversity and quantity, the intricacy of both the early and late stages of mental health
was astonishing. I now have the background necessary to assess these elements
whenever I am providing care to a patient who is suffering mental health challenges as
a result of my reading and writing on the subject of mental health.

The most important findings are that mental health is more widespread than previously
thought and that it can show in both mental and physical ways. Any person is
susceptible to mental health problems, no matter how little or serious they may be. My
research has revealed a worrying increase in the frequency of mental health problems
among the local population. This is partly because of the rapid pace at which our society
and way of life are changing. It's no surprise that the number of people experiencing
mental health issues has increased, given the constant coverage of seemingly out-of-
control financial institutions and climate change in the news. People in the modern,
high-speed environment experience a great deal of stress and worry, which can
manifest itself emotionally and physically.

Many of the factors that contribute to mental illness are poorly understood. However, as
a society, we have a tendency to lump all people with mental illness into a single
category, where they are then typically stigmatised as insane, lunatics, psychos, and
the like. While we may be engaging in stereotyping, we would be better served by
working to bridge the gap between online and offline identities.

References

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https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/what-is-mental-illness

Amundson, N.E., Hohenshil, T.H., and Niles, S.G. (2013) Counseling Around the World:
An international handbook. Alexandria, VA: American Counseling Association.

Ando, S., Yamaguchi, S., Aoki, Y., and Thornicroft, G. (2013) Review of mental-health-
related stigma in Japan. Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, 67, 471–482.

Atkins, M.S., Frazier, S.L., Adil, J.A. and Talbot, E. (2003) School based mental health
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Center for Disease Control. (2013) Mental Health Basics. Retrieved from
https://www.cdc.gov/mentalhealth/basics.htm

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Ghaemi, N. (2011) A first-rate madness: Uncovering the links between leadership and
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Jorm, A.F., Korten, A.E., Jacomb, P.A., Christenson, H., Rodgers, B. and Pllitt, P.
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Kamil, N. M. (2011) Ontology and epistemology in management research: An Islamic

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Mechanic, D., McAlpine, D.D., and Rochefort, D.A. (2014) Mental health and social
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World Health Organization. (2017) Mental health, human rights, and legislation.
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