Mental Illness Portfolio
Mental Health & Mental Illness Portfolio (wessexscene.co.uk)
Leah Crozier
Access to Nursing
Mental Health
“A state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and is not simply the absence of disease and infirmity” (WHO, 2016)
Mental Illness
“Clinically recognisable patterns of phycological symptoms or behaviour causing acute or chronic ill-health, personal distress or distress to others.” (WHO, 2016)
The history of Mental Health and Mental Illness
Attempts to treat mental illness date back to 5000BC. Then it was believed mental illness was the result of supernatural phenomena such as spiritual or demonic possession. Trepanning first occurred in Neolithic time, during this procedure a hole was chipped into the skill using crude
stone instruments. It was believed opening a hole to those ‘possessed’ would give an exit and the evil spirits would be released.
In ancient Mesopotamia, priest doctors treated the mentally ill with rituals as mental pathology. Exorcisms, incantations, prayers, atonement and other mystical rituals were used to drive out the evil spirit. The Egyptians then recommended those affected took part in concerts, dancing and painting to relieve symptoms. Through the middles ages, mental illness was believed to be the result of an imbalance of the humours. To bring the body back, patients were given emetics, laxatives and were bled using leeches. Later tobacco imported from America was used to induce vomiting. (Foerschner, 2010)
Leah Crozier
Access to Nursing
Mental Health
“A state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and is not simply the absence of disease and infirmity” (WHO, 2016)
Mental Illness
“Clinically recognisable patterns of phycological symptoms or behaviour causing acute or chronic ill-health, personal distress or distress to others.” (WHO, 2016)
The history of Mental Health and Mental Illness
Attempts to treat mental illness date back to 5000BC. Then it was believed mental illness was the result of supernatural phenomena such as spiritual or demonic possession. Trepanning first occurred in Neolithic time, during this procedure a hole was chipped into the skill using crude
stone instruments. It was believed opening a hole to those ‘possessed’ would give an exit and the evil spirits would be released.
In ancient Mesopotamia, priest doctors treated the mentally ill with rituals as mental pathology. Exorcisms, incantations, prayers, atonement and other mystical rituals were used to drive out the evil spirit. The Egyptians then recommended those affected took part in concerts, dancing and painting to relieve symptoms. Through the middles ages, mental illness was believed to be the result of an imbalance of the humours. To bring the body back, patients were given emetics, laxatives and were bled using leeches. Later tobacco imported from America was used to induce vomiting. (Foerschner, 2010)