Promoting Mental Health Improvement

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Promoting Mental Health Improvement

• Module 1
• Understanding mental health improvement

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Module 1
Aims of the course

• Course objectives
• Increase understanding of mental health
  improvement.
• Explore concepts of mental health and how it can
  be promoted.
• Consider individual roles and responsibilities in
  promoting mental health improvement.
• Develop skills in planning and evaluating mental
  health promotion activities.

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Introduction to mental health improvement

• Learning aims
• To explore
• the meaning of mental health improvement (MHI)
• concepts in MHI
• positive mental health for all
• factors that influence mental health
• values and attitudes.

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Who is this course for?

• Do you
• offer services to members of the public?
• have management responsibility for staff or
  volunteers?
• work in health-related professions?
• take part in education or training?

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Mental health promotion and improvement

• Means
• raising awareness of the benefits of building
  resilience
• preventing mental illness by reducing risk
  factors and learning coping strategies
• supporting those experiencing mental illness to
  increase wellbeing
• promoting the recovery message
• reducing stigma and discrimination.
• It is about everyone...including us.

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Understanding mental health

• Mental health is not the same as mental illness.
• Everyone has mental health.
• Mental health promotion encourages positive
  mental health for all.
• Positive mental health is a state of well-being
  in which the individual realises his or her own
  abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of
  life, can work productively and fruitfully, and
  is able to make a contribution to his or her
  community. (World Health Organization, 2004)

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The dual axis model of mental health
Good mental health and wellbeing
Has mental illness
No mental illness
Poor mental health and wellbeing
(Tudor, K. (1996). Mental Health Promotion
Paradigms and practice. Routledge, London, New
York.)
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A new approach to mental health
Good mental health
MH improvement at population level
Risk factors can reduce mental health and risk
illness
Mental illness
Recovery-oriented practice
No mental illness
Services traditionally moved people this way
Poor mental health
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Mental health promotion
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Mapping mental health MacDonald and OHara
(1998)

• .

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Promoting and diminishing mental health 10
elements

• Promotion
• Self-esteem
• Environmental quality
• Emotional literacy
• Self-management skills
• Social participation

• Demotion
• Emotional abuse
• Environmental deprivation
• Emotional negligence
• Stress
• Social alienation

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Areas of influence mental health promotion
Social inclusion Equality Reduce poverty Housing
Safety Environment Social support Inclusion Partic
ipation Education Workplace
Resilience Coping skills Self-esteem Self-manageme
nt Emotional literacy Parenting
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Understanding recovery

• Mental health problems are common.
• Mental illness is not for life.
• People recover and stay well.
• Promoting good mental health promoting
  recovery.
• Factors that support recovery also improve mental
  health.

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Recovery

• Recovery is a journey.
• The persons identity is not the illness.
• Recovery is not the absence of symptoms.
• The person should be active in managing their own
  recovery.
• Recovery is not a return to life before the
  illness.
• The aim is to live a satisfying and fulfilling
  life whether there are symptoms or not.

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Promoting recovery

• Belief in self
• Developing positive identity
• Meaningful activity
• Positive relationships with others and
  environment
• Understanding mental health and wellbeing
• Understanding the illness and its treatments
• Active engagement in strategies to stay well
• Learning coping skills

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Values and attitudes

• Legislation does not of itself change attitudes.
• Employers are wary of mental health problems.
• Negative attitudes increase taboo.
• Disclosure is a problem.

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Mental health promotion

• Mental health promotion means
• understanding the issues
• opening the discussion
• breaking down taboos
• owning our own mental health.
• It isnt all about them...

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