Mental Health and Special Needs Overview

Mental Health and Health of People with Special Needs

• Mental health encompasses emotional, psychological, and social well-being.
• It influences how people think, feel, and act, and guides stress management, relationships, and decision-making.
• Importance of mental health is recognized throughout life, from childhood to adulthood.
• Mental health issues can affect thinking, mood, and behaviour.
• Factors contributing to mental health problems include biological factors (genes, brain chemistry), life experiences (trauma, abuse), and family history of mental health issues.

Intended Learning Outcomes

• Students should be able to define determinants of mental health and illness.
• Students should be able to identify factors that contribute to mental health promotion.
• Students should be able to define the health and illness determinants of people with special needs.
• Students should be able to identify factors that contribute to health promotion and disease prevention in people with special needs.

Definitions

• Mental health is tied to emotional, psychological, and social well-being.
• It influences how individuals think, feel, and act, thereby affecting stress management, relating to others, and decision-making.
• Mental health is crucial at all stages of life, spanning childhood, adolescence, and adulthood.
• Mental health issues impact thinking, mood, and behaviour.
• Many factors contribute to mental health conditions, including biological factors (genetics, brain chemistry), life experiences (trauma or abuse), and family mental health history.

Early Warning Signs of Mental Health Problems

• Eating too much or too little.
• Reduced engagement in usual activities and social interactions.
• Lack of energy.
• Feeling disconnected or that nothing matters anymore.
• Unexplained aches or pains.
• Feeling hopeless or helpless.
• Increased substance use.
• Feeling unusually confused, forgetful, nervous, angry, upset, worried or fearful.
• Conflicts or arguments with family and friends.
• Significant mood swings impacting relationships.
• Persistent thoughts or memories that cannot be suppressed.
• Hearing voices or believing untrue things.
• Thoughts about harming oneself or others.
• Inability to manage daily tasks (e.g. childcare, work, school).

Ways to Maintain Positive Mental Health

• Seek professional help if needed.
• Connect with others.
• Maintain a positive outlook.
• Engage in physical activities.
• Support others.
• Prioritize quality sleep.
• Develop coping mechanisms for dealing with challenges.

Environmental and Social Resources for Health

• Factors including peace, economic security, stable ecosystems, and safe housing.
• Individual resources for health include physical activity, nutrition, social connections, resilience, positive emotions, and autonomy.

Health of People with Special Needs

• Disability: Defined as a limitation or deficiency in one's ability to perform activities in a normal manner, arising from existing impairments (physical, sensory, social, or psychological).
• Disability encompasses the interaction between health conditions and personal/environmental factors (attitudes, accessibility, social support).

Etiology of Disability

• Congenital: Inherited disabilities present at birth.
• Acquired: Disabilities that develop after birth. Factors include infections, trauma, drugs, nutrition, endocrine issues, metabolic conditions, and occupation.

Prevention of Disability

• Primary Prevention: Addressing underlying causes of disability to prevent its onset, including congenital/acquired problems.
• Secondary Prevention: Early detection of disabilities, optimizing assessment, and planning case management approaches at physical, mental, psychological and social levels.
• Tertiary Prevention/Rehabilitation: Focusing on reaching independence despite disability via physical, psychological, educational, vocational, and social rehabilitation.

Physical Rehabilitation

• Aims to improve quality of life by restoring body functionality.
• Addresses injuries/illnesses impacting joints, muscles, tendons, ligaments, bones, spine, brain, or nervous system.
• Improves physical well-being, impacting mental and cognitive function.
• Treatments can vary by age group, especially for children and the elderly.

Types of Physical Therapy

• Physical Therapy (PT) involves using physical techniques like exercise, cold/heat treatments, massage, and stretching to treat diseases and injuries
• PT can be conducted at a hospital, clinic, and even at home.

Occupational Therapy

• Occupational Therapy (OT) focuses on helping people achieve independence in daily life activities.
• OT addresses tasks like brushing teeth, dressing, and getting out of bed.
• Therapy is tailored to individual behaviors and needs. OT strengthens practical skills in relation to specific daily activities, complementing physical therapy which focuses on physical body function.

Speech & Language Therapy

• Speech therapy aims to improve communication, language, swallowing, and fluency.
• Dysphagia (difficulty swallowing) is a common concern in speech therapy.
• Dysphagia is caused by various factors, including stroke, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, cancer, or physical injuries. Impacts the tongue, mouth, throat, or esophagus.