Mental Health

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Mental Health
PPL 301

• A Key Component of Wellness
• Handle With Care!

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What is Mental Health?

• It is more than the absence of mental illness
• It is a state when everything is working well for
  you
• It is a continuum, never static and always
  changing
• It may suffer when things in your life go wrong

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What is Mental Health?

• Mental health "a state of well-being in which
  the individual realizes 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

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What is Mental Health?

• Mental Health is the emotional and spiritual
  resilience which enables us to enjoy life and
  survive pain, disappointment and sadness. It is a
  positive sense of well being and an underlying
  belief in our own and others dignity and worth.
• Health Education Authority (1997) Mental
  Health Promotion Quality Framework

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Mentally Healthy Person

• A mentally healthy person is able to respond in a
  positive way even when things do not go as
  expected.

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Mental Health

• The thinking part of health
• Includes
• Values
• Attitudes
• Beliefs

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Characteristics of Mentally Healthy Person

• Feel Comfortable about Themselves
• can experience all human emotions but are not
  overwhelmed by them
• Can accept many of lifes disappointments in
  stride

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Characteristics of Mentally Healthy Person

• Feel Right about Other People
• Feel comfortable with others and are able to give
  and receive love
• Are concerned about interests of others and have
  relationships that are satisfying and long lasting

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Characteristics of Mentally Healthy Person

• 3. Are Able to Meet the Demands of Life
• can respond to problems, accept responsibility,
  plan ahead and establish realistic goals

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Characteristics of Mentally Healthy Person

• NOTE
• Even mentally healthy people experience stress,
  frustrations, feelings of self doubt, failure and
  rejection at times throughout their lives

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• Consider these key CHARACTERISTICS when assessing
  your own mental health
• Ability to enjoy life Can you live in the
  moment and appreciate the now? Are you able to
  learn from the past and plan for the future
  without dwelling on things you cant change or
  predict?
• Resilience Are you able to bounce back from
  hard times? Can you manage the stress of a
  serious life event without losing your optimism
  and a sense of perspective?
• Balance Are you able to juggle the many aspects
  of your life? Can you recognize when you might be
  devoting too much time to one aspect, at the
  expense of others? Are you able to make changes
  to restore balance when necessary?
• Self-actualization Do you recognize and develop
  your strengths so that you can reach your full
  potential?
• Flexibility Do you feel, and express, a range
  of emotions? When problems arise, can you change
  your expectations of life, others, yourself
  to solve the problem and feel better?

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Some Facts and Figures

• One in five people experience mental health
  problems in their lifetime
• At any one time, one in ten people have moderate
  to severe depression
• It is estimated that one in seven people are
  experiencing mental health problems
• Mental illness is the second leading cause of
  hospital admissions for people 20 44 years old
• 50 of people know someone with mental health
  problems

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We All Have Mental Health Issues!
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Mental Health Continuum
Optimum Mental Health
Raving Mad!
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Benefits of Exercise for Mental Health

• Enhanced ability to cope with stress
• Improved self esteem
• Improved body image
• Greater confidence
• Increased assertiveness
• Sense of achievement and mastery
• Improved mood
• Sense of fun
• Improved sleep patterns
• Greater socialisation
• A sense of control over life

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Mental Health Disorders

• Depression
• Persistent sadness, despair and hopelessness
• Anxiety Panic attacks
• Feelings of threat and anxiousness in coping with
  everyday problems
• Phobias
• Fear of a specific object, activity, or situation
• Schizophrenia
• Irrational behavior, severe alterations of the
  senses (hallucinations) and sometimes inability
  to function in society.