Mental Health Unit 1 (ATI AND Textbook)
Mental Health – a state of well-being in which each individual is able to realize their own potential,
... [Show More] cope
with normal stresses of life, work productively, and make a contribution to the community
Provides people w/ the capacity for rational thinking, communication skills, emotional growth,
resilience, and self esteem
Psychieaty’s definition of mental health – shaped by culture and societal values; reflects changes in
cultural norms, society’s expectations, political climates, and reimbursement criteria by third-party
payers
Mental illness – all mental disorders with definable diagnoses, manifested in significant dysfunction that
may be r/t developmental, biological or psychological disturbances in mental functioning
Contributing Factors
Resilience – the ability and capacity for people to secure the resources they need to support their wellbeing
Closely associated w/ the process of adapting and helps people facing tragedies, loss, trauma,
and severe stress
Recognizing feelings, readily dealing w/ them, and learning from the experience rather than
falling victim to negative emotions
Characterized by: optimism, a sense of mastery, and competence
Resilience Factor Test BOX 1-1
Culture – mental health is culturally defined and based on interpretations of effective functioning
according to societal norms
Perceptions of Mental Health and Mental Illness
Mental Illness vs. Physical Illness – people commonly make a distinction between mental illness
and physical illness that implies that psychiatric disorders are “all in the head” and therefore
under personal control and indistinguishable from a choice to indulge in bad behavior
Nature vs. Nurture
o Nature plus nurture (diathesis stress model) asserts that most psychiatric disorders
result from a combination of genetic vulnerability and negative environmental stressors
Social Influences on Mental Health Care
Consumer Movement and Mental Health Recovery
Recovery – a consumer focused [Show Less]