STRENGTHENING MENTAL HEALTH PROMOTION

Mental health is not just the absence of mental disorder

The positive dimension of mental health is stressed in WHO's definition of
health as contained in its constitution: "Health is a state of complete
physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of
disease or infirmity." WHO's 191 member states have endorsed this
sweeping statement.

How does one define mental health?

* It 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.
*
* Mental health promotion is an umbrella term that covers a variety of
strategies, all aimed at having a positive effect on mental health. The
encouragement of individual resources and skills and improvements in the
socio-economic environment are among them.
*
* Most health care resources are spent on the specialised treatment
and care of the mentally ill, and to a lesser extent on community
treatment and rehabilitation services. Even less funding is available for
promoting mental health.
*
* Mental health promotion requires multi-sectoral action, involving a
number of government sectors such as health, employment/industry,
education, environment, transport and social and community services as
well as non-governmental or community-based organisations such as health
support groups, churches, clubs and other bodies.
*
* Enhancing the value and visibility of mental health
*
* National mental health policies should not be solely concerned with
mental illness but recognise and address the broader issues affecting the
mental health of all sectors of society. These would include the social
integration of severely marginalized groups, such as refugees, disaster
victims, the socially alienated, the mentally disabled, the very old and
infirm, abused children and women, and the poor.
*
* Mental health promotion for children and adolescents
*
* Psychosocial and cognitive development of babies and infants depends
upon their interaction with their parents. Programmes that enhance the
quality of these relations can improve substantially the emotional,
social, cognitive and physical development of children. These activities
are particularly meaningful for mothers living in conditions of stress and
social adversity. WHO has developed an international programme to
stimulate mother-infant interaction that has been widely adopted.
*
* It is clear that schools remain a crucial social institution for the
education of children in preparation for life. But they need to be more
involved in a broader educational role fostering healthy social and
emotional development of pupils.
*
* WHO has developed a 'life skills' educational curriculum, which
teaches a wide range of skills to school age children to improve their
psychosocial competency. The skills include problem-solving, critical
thinking, communication, interpersonal skills, empathy, and methods to
cope with emotions. These skills enable children and adolescents to
develop sound and positive mental health.
*
* "Child-friendly schools" are another WHO mental health initiative to
promote a sound psychosocial environment in the school to complement the
life skills curriculum. A child-friendly school encourages tolerance and
equality between boys and girls and different ethnic, religious and social
groups. It promotes active involvement and cooperation, avoids the use of
physical punishment, and does not tolerate bullying. It is also a
supportive and nurturing environment; providing education which responds
to the reality of the children's lives. Finally, it helps to establish
connections between school and family life, encourages creativity as well
as academic abilities, and promotes the self-esteem and self-confidence of
children.
*
* Working life and employment
*
* Special emphasis should be given to those aspects of work places and
the work process itself which promote mental health. Eight areas of action
have been identified: increasing an employer's awareness of mental health
issues; identifying common goals and positive aspects of the work process;
creating a balance between job demands and occupational skills; training
in social skills; developing the psycho-social climate of the workplace;
provision of counselling; enhancement of working capacity, and early
rehabilitation strategies.
*
* Another significant issue is unemployment, in particular, youth
unemployment. In this area, mental health promotion strategies seek to
improve employment opportunities, for example, through programmes to
create jobs, provide vocational training, and social and job seeking
skills. *
* Mental health promotion and the ageing population
*
* Ageing of the population is a highly desirable and natural aim of
any society. By 2025 there will be 1.2 billion older people in the world,
close to three-quarters of them in the developing world. But if ageing is
to be a positive experience it must be accompanied by improvements in the
quality of life of those who have reached - or are reaching - old age.
*
* Measuring and promoting quality of life
*
* WHO has developed a tool to assess quality of life as an additional
measurement, along with the traditional morbidity and mortality data. A
primary goal of mental health promotion is to help member states improve
the quality of life of their people and to place mental health firmly on
the national agenda.