Mental Health



Mental Health

Introduction

Mental health is a concept that aims to create stable living conditions and environments that enable individuals to maintain a normal lifestyle and share in the benefits of the state. These efforts include measures to increase the chances of more people living a normal health life with full mental well being and stability. Donahue (2010) describes mental health promotion as promoting positive mental health by increasing psychological well-being, competence and resilience and by increasing supportive living conditions and environments (Donahue 2010: 203).

Discussion

Osborn (2001) describes depression as a common mental health disorder that presents with depressive mood, loss of interest or pleasure, feeling of guilt and low self-worth (Osborn 2001: 329).

Relationship between nurse and patient can be defined as a continuous process of interaction and communication that would create understanding, honesty, humility and mutual respect (Krauss, 2000: 29).

Significance of this patient-nurse relationship is very important in mental health nursing. This development of relationship with the patient helps out other members of the interdisciplinary team to gauge the right and correct response of patient towards the progress of medical treatment. According to Lego, one to one relationship between patient and a nurse can be defined as a cornerstone upon which other modalities rest and it give support and guidance to other modalities (Hayes 2004: 639).

There is a strong need in mental health nursing of developing such options and components that are driven by theory and that can be linked firmly with the results. Extensive research should be done on relationship and the main focus of that research should be on the development of a unique practice identity (Beeber, 1995: 252).

Nursing Models for Mental Health Practices

It has been argued that nursing models that have been used in mental health are archaic and fall short when it comes to an evidence base. It has been observed by practitioners that while educating and training a variety of mental health nurses, practitioners know that they can teach students to help people effectively with mental health problems without the need for specific nursing theories or models (Aggleton et al. 2000: 353).

Every one of us use theoretical models of some sort to aid practice and at the root of most of the models is something akin to problem-solving approach of the nursing process; it is just that we are not particularly precious about those models being nursing models. This is not to say that nursing models cannot be used, however, and we appreciate that many clinical areas and many mental health nurse educators still find nursing models useful, especially as a framework for helping learners undertake assessments with service users (Peate 2009: 84).

As far as mental health nursing practice is concerned, mental health nurses more often than not adopt the perspective that most appeal to them. However, given the current emphasis on evidence-based practice, it is important that we do not let ideological dogma alone dominate our practices. Though there are some practitioners who rigidly adhere to one or other of the theoretical ...