mental health
MENTAL HEALTH PACK
1. Evaluate two different views on the nature of mental well-being and mental health:
The term well-being can be used in different ways
The New Economic Foundation describes well-being as how people experience their own lives. It is more than the absence of problems and illness, personal and social factors, and it is not just about happiness but enabling individuals and communities to do well in life and flourish.
In 2011, the Government defined mental health as “The art and science of promoting well-being and equality and preventing mental ill health through population based interventions to: reduce risk and promote protective, evidence based interventions to improve physical and mental well-being; and create flourishing, connected individuals, families and communities.”The strategy defined well-being as: “A positive state of mind and body, feeling safe and able to cope, with a sense of connection with people, communities and the wider environment.”
2. Explain the range of factors that may influence mental well-being and mental health problems across the life span, including:
Biological factors: Since various biological factors can affect mood and behaviour, psychiatrists often evaluate these before initiating further treatment. For example dysfunction of the thyroid gland may mimic a major depressive episode, or hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar) may mimic psychosis. Genetics, early environment, neurobiology, and psychological and social processes appear to be important contributory factors to the disorder schizophrenia. What happens during pregnancy can have affect on how the baby's brain develops. For example if a mother is taking drugs while she is pregnant, or if she gets a virus (like the flu). There have been reports that suggest vitamin and mineral deficiencies such as Vitamin D, zinc and certain fatty acids may also be related to our mental health.
Social factors: things that are going on around us, and how we feel about them
1. Evaluate two different views on the nature of mental well-being and mental health:
The term well-being can be used in different ways
The New Economic Foundation describes well-being as how people experience their own lives. It is more than the absence of problems and illness, personal and social factors, and it is not just about happiness but enabling individuals and communities to do well in life and flourish.
In 2011, the Government defined mental health as “The art and science of promoting well-being and equality and preventing mental ill health through population based interventions to: reduce risk and promote protective, evidence based interventions to improve physical and mental well-being; and create flourishing, connected individuals, families and communities.”The strategy defined well-being as: “A positive state of mind and body, feeling safe and able to cope, with a sense of connection with people, communities and the wider environment.”
2. Explain the range of factors that may influence mental well-being and mental health problems across the life span, including:
Biological factors: Since various biological factors can affect mood and behaviour, psychiatrists often evaluate these before initiating further treatment. For example dysfunction of the thyroid gland may mimic a major depressive episode, or hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar) may mimic psychosis. Genetics, early environment, neurobiology, and psychological and social processes appear to be important contributory factors to the disorder schizophrenia. What happens during pregnancy can have affect on how the baby's brain develops. For example if a mother is taking drugs while she is pregnant, or if she gets a virus (like the flu). There have been reports that suggest vitamin and mineral deficiencies such as Vitamin D, zinc and certain fatty acids may also be related to our mental health.
Social factors: things that are going on around us, and how we feel about them