Lesson 03 : Dimensions Of Health And Interrelationships
Mental Dimension
Mental health includes absence of mental illness and ability to respond to all the experiences of life with flexibility and a sense of purpose. Mental health can be defined as the state of balance between the individual and his surrounding environment, a state of harmony between oneself and others, coexistence between the realities of self and that of other people and that of the environment. Mental and physical health are not separate entities. Physical health is also affected by mental health. To mention a few,
essential hypertension
Peptic ulcer
Bronchial asthma
Some of the major mental illnesses like depression, schizophrenia have a biological component.
There is a behavioral, psychological and biological dysfunction
The disturbance in mental equilibrium is not merely in the relationship between man and society.
There are no clear yardsticks to measure mental health. Attributes of mentally healthy person according to psychologists are
A mentally healthy person is free from internal conflicts and is not a war with himself.
He is well adjusted, he is able to get along well with others.
He is not upset easily
He searches for identity
He has a strong sense of self esteem.
He knows himself-he is aware of his needs, goals and problems.
He has good self control, he balances rationality and emotionality.
He is capable of coping with stress and anxiety. He faces problems and tries to solve them.
Assessment Of Mental Health
Mental health can be evaluated using
Well framed questionnaire on mental status.
Personal assessment: While assessing mental health it is very essential to decide whether mental functioning is to be assessed i.e. the extent to which cognitive impairments impede role performance and subjective life quality.
Psychological diagnosis
One of the keys to good health is positive mental health.
Participants