MENTAL ILLNESS

Treatment of Mental Health

Abstract

At the beginning of the movement for reform of mental health, it is often defined as the absence of symptoms of mental illness. Since that time, we try to link mental health to a concept of psychological well-being and some capabilities of the individual or the ability to perceive reality "objectively" to adapt to new situations and understand the perspective of others (Klienein, 2005). However, there is no clear border between the mentally healthy person and that which is not. In this paper we try to focus on the mental health treatment, the paper purpose is to identity the Cross-cultural Perception and Treatment of Mental Illness/Disease in African and Western Cultures.

Treatment of Mental Health

Introduction

The definition of mental health is relative and depends on cultural context. Thus, the characteristics of the person considered mentally healthy in a given environment can be very different from those used in another environment (Hinshaw, 2007). In this paper we try to clear it out what the cultural difference in Canadian and African Perception about the Mental Illness and their treatment.

Discussion

We are going to take two countries and their perception about the mental illness treatment. Most people think they do not know a person with a mental health condition when in fact they do. However, what is meant by the term mental illness? Since mental illnesses were first “discovered,” there have been many definitions that define mental illness (Karp, 1996).

It may be impossible to discern exactly when mental illness was first recognized by society as a disorder, however, “Every society, regardless of time or place, has considered some of its members to be mentally ill. For most of human history, mental illness was identified with madness and labels of mental illness were reserved for extreme states of bizarre, inappropriate, and withdrawn behavior” (Horwitz, 2002).

Individuals with mental illnesses are the target of both ridicule and a source of fascination for those that are not diagnosed with such a condition. The so called “normal” individuals are judgmental of anything that might be noteworthy (whether bad or good) in the context of the individual having a mental illness.

Canada's Mental Health

In 1714, the HOTEL-GOD of Québec includes a section for women with mental illness, and later, a dozen men are added. In Canada and the United States, a new concept of care for mentally ill will launched. A teacher in Massachusetts, written about, lectured and informs the public and legislators deplorable conditions rampant in asylums. She persuaded several governments to build or improve their mental institutions. Through his efforts, a psychiatric hospital was built at St. John's in 1885. It also exerts pressure on the Government of Nova Scotia and supervises the construction of a mental hospital in the province.

Dr. Richard Bucke was appointed director of the Asylum for the Insane, Hamilton in 1876 and a year later, asylum in London (Ontario). He believes that mental illness is "a failure of the biological process by which humanity adapts to ...