TERM PAPER ON

MENTAL HEALTH AND ITS IMPLICATIONS

BY

NWOKE OLUCHI MARGRET

SUBMITTED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF NURSING SCIENCE

FACULTY OF HEALTH SCIENCE IMO STATE
UNIVERSITY, OWERRI

IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF ADVANCED

ENVIRONMENTAL AND OCCUPATIONAL
HEALTH NSC 733

LECTURER

PROF. IBEBUIKE. J

JULY 2023
Introduction

Mental health is a state of mental well-being that enables people to cope with the

stresses of life, realize their abilities, learn well and work well, and contribute to

their community. It is an integral component of health and well-being that

underpins our individual and collective abilities to make decisions, build

relationships and shape the world we live in. Mental health is a basic human right.

And it is crucial to personal, community and socio-economic development (WHO

2023).

Mental health is more than the absence of mental disorders. It exists on a complex

continuum, which is experienced differently from one person to the next, with

varying degrees of difficulty and distress and potentially very different social and

clinical outcomes. Mental health conditions include mental disorders and

psychosocial disabilities as well as other mental states associated with significant

distress, impairment in functioning, or risk of self-harm. People with mental health

conditions are more likely to experience lower levels of mental well-being, but this

is not always or necessarily the case (WHO 2023).

A Serious Mental Illness (SMI) is a mental illness that interferes with a person’s

life and ability to function. Despite common misperceptions, having an SMI is not

a choice, a weakness, or a character flaw. It is not something that just “passes” or

can be “snapped out of” with willpower.

OBJECTIVES

The objectives of the term paper include:

To explain the term mental health

To explain cause of mental Health

To discus mental health conditions

To explain early signs of mental health

To highlight tips for living well with a mental health condition
To discus mental health promotion and prevention

To discus mental Health Care and Treatment

Nursing implications

Definitions of term

Mental health is defined by WHO 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 contribute to his or her community

Concept of Mental Health

According to Wikipedia (2023) mental health encompasses emotional,

psychological, and social well-being, influencing cognition, perception, and

behavior. It likewise determines how an individual handles stress, interpersonal

relationships, and decision-making. Mental health includes subjective well-being,

perceived self-efficacy, autonomy, competence, intergenerational dependence,

trauma, and self-actualization of one's intellectual and emotional potential, among

others. From the perspectives of positive psychology or holism, mental health may

include an individual's ability to enjoy life and to create a balance between life

activities and efforts to achieve psychological resilience. Cultural differences,

subjective assessments, and competing professional theories all affect how one

defines "mental health". Some early signs related to mental health difficulties are

sleep irritation, lack of energy, lack of appetite and thinking of harming the self or

others (Wikipedia 2023).

Mental health, as defined by the Public Health Agency of Canada, is an

individual's capacity to feel, think, and act in ways to achieve a better quality of

life while respecting personal, social, and cultural boundaries. Impairment of any

of these are risk factor for mental disorders, or mental illnesses, which are a

component of mental health. Mental disorders are defined as health conditions that

affect and alter cognitive functioning, emotional responses, and behavior

associated with distress and/or impaired functioning. The ICD-11 is the global

standard used to diagnose, treat, research, and report various mental disorders. In

the United States, the DSM-5 is used as the classification system of mental

disorders (Wikipedia 2023).

Mental health is associated with a number of lifestyle factors such as diet, exercise,

stress, drug abuse, social connections and interactions. Therapists, psychiatrists,

psychologists, social workers, nurse practitioners, or family physicians can help

manage mental illness with treatments such as therapy, counseling or medication.

Mental health, as defined by the Public Health Agency of Canada, [6] is an

individual's capacity to feel, think, and act in ways to achieve a better quality of

life while respecting personal, social, and cultural boundaries. Impairment of any

of these are risk factor for mental disorders, or mental illnesses, which are a

component of mental health.[7] Mental disorders are defined as health conditions

that affect and alter cognitive functioning, emotional responses, and behavior

associated with distress and/or impaired functioning. The ICD-11 is the global

standard used to diagnose, treat, research, and report various mental disorders. In

the United States, the DSM-5 is used as the classification system of mental

disorders.

Mental health is associated with a number of lifestyle factors such as diet, exercise,

stress, drug abuse, social connections and interactions. Therapists, psychiatrists,

psychologists, social workers, nurse practitioners, or family physicians can help

manage mental illness with treatments such as therapy, counseling or medication

(Wikipedia 2023).
Mental Health Conditions

According to substance abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (2023)

mental illnesses are disorders, ranging from mild to severe, that affect a person’s

thinking, mood, and/or behavior. According to the National Institute of Mental

Health, nearly one-in-five adults live with a mental illness.

Many factors contribute to mental health conditions, including:

 Biological factors, such as genes or brain chemistry

 Life experiences, such as trauma or abuse

 Family history of mental health problems

Some mental health topics include:

 Antisocial personality disorder

 Anxiety disorders (including generalized anxiety, panic disorders, obsessive-

compulsive disorder (OCD), phobias, and social anxiety)

 Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

 Bipolar disorder

 Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)

 Depression

 Eating disorders (including Anorexia Nervosa, binge eating Disorder, and

Bulimia Nervosa)

 Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

  Schizophrenia

 Seasonal affective disorder (SAD)

 Self-harm

 Suicide and suicidal behavior

Early Warning Signs & Symptoms

Experiencing one or more of the following feelings or behaviors can be an early

warning sign of a problem:

 Eating or sleeping too much or too little

 Pulling away from people and usual activities

 Having low or no energy

 Feeling numb or like nothing matters

 Having unexplained aches and pains

 Feeling helpless or hopeless

 Smoking, drinking, or using drugs more than usual

 Feeling unusually confused, forgetful, on edge, angry, upset, worried, or

scared

 Yelling or fighting with family and friends

 Experiencing severe mood swings that cause problems in relationships

 Having persistent thoughts and memories you can't get out of the head
  Hearing voices or believing things that are not true

 Thinking of harming the self or others

 Inability to perform daily tasks like taking care of the kids or getting to

work or school

Tips for Living Well with a Mental Health Condition

Having a mental health condition can make it a struggle to work, keep up with

school, stick to a regular schedule, have healthy relationships, socialize, maintain

hygiene, and more.

However, with early and consistent treatment often a combination of medication

and psychotherapy it is possible to manage these conditions, overcome challenges,

and lead a meaningful, productive life. Today, there are new tools, evidence-based

treatments, and social support systems that help people feel better and pursue their

goals. Some of these tips, tools and strategies include:

 Stick to a treatment plan. Work with a doctor to safely adjust doses or

medication if needed to continue a treatment plan.

 Keep the primary care physician updated. Primary care physicians are an

important part of long-term management, even if you also see a psychiatrist.

  Learn about the condition. Being educated can help you stick to the

treatment plan. Education can also help the loved ones be more supportive

and compassionate.

 Practice good self-care. Control stress with activities such as meditation or

tai-chi; eat healthy and exercise; and get enough sleep.

 Reach out to family and friends. Maintaining relationships with others is

important. In times of crisis or rough spells, reach out to them for support

and help.

 Develop coping skills. Establishing healthy coping skills can help people

deal with stress easier.

 Get enough sleep. Good sleep improves the brain performance, mood and

overall health. Consistently poor sleep is associated with anxiety,

depression, and other mental health conditions.

Risk factors of mental health problems

There are many things that can contribute to mental health problems, including

biological factors, genetic factors, life experiences (such as psychological trauma

or abuse), and a family history of mental health problems.

Biological factors. There may be disruptions in the neurotransmitters dopamine,

glutamate, and norepinephrine in individuals who have schizophrenia".

Economic factors. Unemployment has been shown to hurt an individual's

emotional well-being, self-esteem, and more broadly their mental health.

Increasing unemployment has been shown to have a significant impact on mental

health, predominantly depressive disorders. This is an important consideration

when reviewing the triggers for mental health disorders in any population survey.

Stress. The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health discuss how a certain amount

of stress is a normal part of daily life. Small doses of stress help people meet

deadlines, be prepared for presentations, be productive and arrive on time for

important events. However, long-term stress can become harmful.

Environmental factors. The effects of climate change on mental health and

wellbeing are documented. This is especially the case for vulnerable populations

and those with pre-existing serious mental illness.

According to WHO (2023) Throughout our lives, multiple individual, social and

structural determinants may combine to protect or undermine our mental health

and shift our position on the mental health continuum.

Individual psychological and biological factors such as emotional skills, substance

use and genetics can make people more vulnerable to mental health problems.
Exposure to unfavourable social, economic, geopolitical and environmental

circumstances – including poverty, violence, inequality and environmental

deprivation – also increases people’s risk of experiencing mental health conditions.

Risks can manifest themselves at all stages of life, but those that occur during

developmentally sensitive periods, especially early childhood, are particularly

detrimental. For example, harsh parenting and physical punishment is known to

undermine child health and bullying is a leading risk factor for mental health

conditions.

Protective factors similarly occur throughout our lives and serve to strengthen

resilience. They include our individual social and emotional skills and attributes as

well as positive social interactions, quality education, decent work, safe

neighbourhoods and community cohesion, among others.

Mental health risks and protective factors can be found in society at different

scales. Local threats heighten risk for individuals, families and communities.

Global threats heighten risk for whole populations and include economic

downturns, disease outbreaks, humanitarian emergencies and forced displacement

and the growing climate crisis.

Each single risk and protective factor has only limited predictive strength. Most

people do not develop a mental health condition despite exposure to a risk factor
and many people with no known risk factor still develop a mental health condition.

Nonetheless, the interacting determinants of mental health serve to enhance or

undermine mental health.

Mental Health Promotion and Prevention

According to WHO (2023) promotion and prevention interventions work by

identifying the individual, social and structural determinants of mental health, and

then intervening to reduce risks, build resilience and establish supportive

environments for mental health. Interventions can be designed for individuals,

specific groups or whole populations.

Reshaping the determinants of mental health often requires action beyond the

health sector and so promotion and prevention programmes should involve the

education, labour, justice, transport, environment, housing, and welfare sectors.

The health sector can contribute significantly by embedding promotion and

prevention efforts within health services; and by advocating, initiating and, where

appropriate, facilitating multisectoral collaboration and coordination.

Suicide prevention is a global priority and included in the Sustainable

Development Goals. Much progress can be achieved by limiting access to means,

responsible media reporting, social and emotional learning for adolescents and

early intervention. Banning highly hazardous pesticides is a particularly

inexpensive and cost–effective intervention for reducing suicide rates.

Promoting child and adolescent mental health is another priority and can be

achieved by policies and laws that promote and protect mental health, supporting

caregivers to provide nurturing care, implementing school-based programmes and

improving the quality of community and online environments. School-based social

and emotional learning programmes are among the most effective promotion

strategies for countries at all income levels.

Promoting and protecting mental health at work is a growing area of interest and

can be supported through legislation and regulation, organizational strategies,

manager training and interventions for workers.

Mental Health Care and Treatment

According to WHO (2023) in the context of national efforts to strengthen mental

health, it is vital to not only protect and promote the mental well-being of all, but

also to address the needs of people with mental health conditions.

This should be done through community-based mental health care, which is more

accessible and acceptable than institutional care, helps prevent human rights

violations and delivers better recovery outcomes for people with mental health

conditions. WHO (2023) Community-based mental health care should be provided

through a network of interrelated services that comprise:

  mental health services that are integrated in general health care, typically in

general hospitals and through task-sharing with non-specialist care providers

in primary health care;

 community mental health services that may involve community mental

health centers and teams, psychosocial rehabilitation, peer support services

and supported living services; and

 services that deliver mental health care in social services and non-health

settings, such as child protection, school health services, and prisons.

The vast care gap for common mental health conditions such as depression and

anxiety means countries must also find innovative ways to diversify and scale up

care for these conditions, for example through non-specialist psychological

counselling or digital self-help (WHO 2023).

Nursing implications

Mental health is an essential aspect of overall health and involves a person’s

psychological, emotional, and social well-being. It affects the way a person feels,

thinks, and acts and determines how a person relates to others, handles stress, and

makes decisions. Mental health problems or illnesses can arise anytime throughout

a person’s life. Various factors give rise to mental health illnesses including

biological factors like genes, environmental factors such as toxins, alcohol, and

drugs, family history of mental health illnesses, and life experiences like abuse or
trauma. Physical assessments, laboratory tests like thyroid tests and drug or alcohol

screening, and psychological evaluations are conducted to help diagnose or rule

out mental health problems. While it can be difficult to determine the type of

mental health problem a person has, an accurate diagnosis will help guide the most

appropriate treatment for the patient. Medications like antidepressants, mood

stabilizers, and antipsychotic drugs are prescribed to help improve symptoms.

Psychotherapy, brain-stimulation treatments, and inpatient treatment programs may

also be indicated.

Conclusions

One of the best mediums for disseminating evidence-based findings in psychiatric

and mental health nursing is the professional nursing journals that are most

available to practicing psychiatric and mental health nurses. Nursing journals that

are specifically designed a specialty are more likely to be read by persons in the

given specialty area than are other nursing research journals. Nurses in practice

settings, including those at an advanced practice level, may not have access to

scientific research journals or may choose not to read them if the research does not

appear meaningful for their practice.

References

Mental Health Services Administration (2023) What is mental health.

https://www.samhsa.gov/mental-health

WHO (2023). Mental health.

https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/mental-health-strengthening-
our-response

Wikipedia (2023). Mental health https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mental_health