Mental Health Concepts

• Mental health has been defined as the absence of psychopathologies, like depression and anxiety
• The absence of mental illness is a minimal outcome from a psychological perspective on lifespan development

Positive Mental Health and Mental Illness

• Positive mental health is now being clarified in relation to mental illness
• Mental health by the World Health Organization (2005) is a state of well-being where individuals realize their abilities, cope with stresses, work productively, and contribute to their community
• The three core components are well-being, effective individual functioning, and effective community functioning per WHO 2005, p. 2
• The two continua model of mental illness and health are related but distinct dimensions
• One continuum indicates the presence or absence of mental health, while the other indicates the presence or absence of mental illness
• Mental health is a complete state, not merely the absence of mental illness, but the presence of mental health

Psychological Well-Being

• Six elements comprise psychological well-being, each important for personal growth and potential realization per Ryff 1989, Ryff and Keyes 1995
• Self-acceptance: positive attitude toward aspects of self in past and present
• Purpose in life: goals and beliefs affirming a sense of direction and meaning in life
• Autonomy: self-direction guided by socially accepted internal standards
• Positive relations with others: satisfying personal relationships expressing empathy and intimacy
• Environmental mastery: the capability to manage the complex environment according to one's own needs
• Personal growth: insight into one's own potential for self-development
• The social aspect to mental health includes social coherence, or being able to make meaning of what is happening in society

Aspects of Mental Health

• Social acceptance: a positive attitude toward others while acknowledging their difficulties
• Social actualization: the belief that the community has potential and can evolve positively
• Social contribution: the feeling that one's activities contribute to and are valued by society
• Social integration: a sense of belonging to a community

Resilience

• Resilience is the ability to keep going after something bad happens
• It's a dynamic process involving preventing or reducing health problems after adversity
• It involves enduring hardship and reaching out for support
• Resilience helps people cope with stressful events that might trigger mental illness and deal with factors increasing mental illness risk, like bullying or trauma
• It enables recovery from adversity-related mental ill health
• People can improve resilience by building strong relationships, volunteering, finding meaning in daily life, setting clear goals, learning from past experiences, practicing stress management, and exercising regularly

Attributes of Positive Mental Health

• Feeling good: Experiencing positive emotions like happiness, joy, pride, and satisfaction
• Feeling in control: Feeling in control of life and decisions
• Feeling connected: Feeling connected to other people and contributing to society
• Feeling resilient: Being able to cope with stress and adapt to challenges
• Feeling optimistic: Having a positive outlook on life and the future
• Feeling confident: Having a positive sense of self-esteem
• Feeling energetic: Having vitality and feeling physically healthy
• Having good relationships: Having positive relationships with others and effective communication skills
• Practicing self-care: Eating well, getting enough sleep, and exercising regularly
• Setting and achieving goals: Being productive in work and personal life
• Recognizing when you need help: Being able to create healthy boundaries and seeking help when needed

Causes of Mental Disorders

• Genetic, psychological, biological, and environmental factors all contribute to mental disorders
• Nature: genetic, psychological, and biological factors influencing mental health
• Nurture is defined as the environmental exposures and experiences from conception influencing mental health
• Most disorders result from a combination of inheritance and exposure
• Although no single genetic cause has been determined, certain genes and gene variations are associated with certain mental disorders
• Schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and depression tend to run in families, increasing risk for relatives

Determinants of Health in Canada

• Determinants of health are influenced by personal, social, economic and environmental factors determining individual and population health
• The main determinants of health include income, social status, employment, working conditions, education, literacy, childhood experiences and physical environments
• Social supports, coping skills, healthy behaviors, access to health services, biology, genetic endowment, gender, culture, race, and racism

Epidemiological Studies

• Epidemiologic studies identify disease transmission, enabling public health nurses to advocate for appropriate control programs
• Studies can identify health risk factors and focus on prevention
• Health promotion, health policy development and disease prevention can all be informed via epidemiological studies

DSM-5

• A reference book used to classify and diagnose mental health conditions
• Improves diagnosis with clear criteria for assessing symptoms and making objective diagnoses
• Guides treatment by providing information about the nature and severity of a patient's condition
• Advances research by helping researchers categorize patients for studies and understand the causes of mental disorders
• Psychiatrists, psychologists, counselors, nurses, occupational therapists, rehabilitation therapists, social workers, forensic specialists, legal specialists, health insurance companies, and pharmaceutical companies use this.
• A nursing diagnosis would be hopelessness, whilst a DSMIV diagnosis would be depression

Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing in Canada

• Involves caring for people with mental health conditions, addictions, and physical and developmental disabilities
• Psychiatric nurses, or mental health nurses, work to promote mental health and improve patient well-being
• Psychiatric nurses provide care, help patients improve, promote mental health, develop care plans, and provide health advice to educators
• The Canadian Federation of Mental Health Nurses (CFMHN) is a national voice for psychiatric and mental health (PMH) nursing in Canada and provides expertise for the specialty

Mental Health in Canada: Historical Context

• People deemed "mad" or mentally unwell are those who deviate from acceptable behavior norms of a given time and place
• How mental health is understood is shaped by the social, economic, and cultural values of the given society

Early European Settlers Mental Health

• Early European settlers in Canada linked mental troubles to demonic possession, God's will, and humeral imbalances
• Bizarre behavior was attributed to demons or the devil
• Exorcism, prayer, and worship were performed to end perceived demonic presence

Early Settlers Mental Health care

• Throughout Canadian history families have been employing home care practices
• In the 17th and 18th centuries, prayers and home remedies were common, while wealthier households hired nursing care
• Neighbors shared the burden by temporarily taking in mentally disturbed individuals for a fee

Asylum Care

• Asylum care is the best known and most controversial form of mental health treatment in Canadian history
• By the mid-19th century, permanent "lunatic asylums" were established in eastern and central Canada
• By the turn of the 20th century, western Canada erected asylums which was considered a revolutionary form of health care
• More radical therapies were introduced in the early 20th century, including electroconvulsive therapy, malarial therapy, insulin therapy, Metrazol to induce convulsions, and lobotomy

1960's Mental Health

• Insulin coma therapy was replaced by neuroleptic drugs, such as antipsychotics by the 1960s

Mental Health Resources

• Several institutions existed throughout the 1800s and 1900s
• People with mental illness and addiction were incarcerated in prisons and poor houses throughout the 1800s
• In the 1950s and 1960s involuntary hospitalization was limited
• In the 1980s and 1990s, mental health treatment in Canada faced significant funding cuts
• Socioeconomic factors influence mental health outcomes
• Founded in 1950, the Canadian Mental Health Association introduced Mental Health Week in Canada in 1951

Explore social contribution, resilience, and determinants of health concepts and their impact on mental wellbeing. Understand the role of community programs and personal actions in fostering positive mental health and resilience.