MENTAL HEALTH

Directed by: DR. Noura Elawam

Department of Family and Community Medicine
Tripoli University
May 2015
Mental Health
 Health :
state of complete physical, mental, & social well-being,
not merely the absence of disease or infirmity (WHO
1948)

 Mental Health:
state of well-being in which the individual realises
his/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 is not just the absence
of mental disorder
 Why is Mental health important?
 mental health is intimately connected with physical
health and behavior.
 Patients with psychiatric disorders & chronic medical
conditions are associated with markedly worse
quality of life
 Mental illness secondary to physical treatments
 Often missed
 Can be fatal
By what criteria do we distinguish normality from
abnormality?
Criteria of normality

 In medicine "normality" generally refers to

integrity of structure, and function of an
organ or other body part.
 A broken bone, high blood glucose level, an

ulcer on the wall of stomach- all are abnormal.

Criteria cont.
 For physicians, the line between normality and
abnormality is relatively easy to draw.
 For psychologists and psychiatrists, however,

the criteria that divide normal behavior from

abnormal behavior are not so easily specified.
Criteria cont.
 Efficient perception of reality
 Self knowledge
 Ability to voluntary control over behavior.
 Self-esteem and acceptance
 An ability to form affectionate relationships
 Productivity
Cont.
 Adjustment. This includes personal adjustment,
social adjustment, family adjustment, school
adjustment, and occupational adjustments.
Cont.
 Feeling comfortable about him self, feeling
right about other people.
 Being able to meet the demands of life.
The Connection between Mental and
Physical Health

 Scientific evidence has demonstrated a

fundamental connection between mental
and physical health.
In fact, 43 percent of adults suffer adverse
health effects from stress
 75-90 percent of all physician office visits are

for stress-related ailments and complaints.

Cont.
 Stress is linked to the six leading causes of
death: heart disease, cancer, lung ailments,
accidents, cirrhosis of the liver, and suicide.

 Research over the past 20 years indicates that

people with heart disease are more likely to
suffer from depression than healthy people, and
conversely, that individuals suffering from depression
are at greater risk for developing heart disease.
Cont.
 A recent study found:
 that people with diabetes who suffer from

depression were more likely than those who were

not depressed to report poor physical health(68
versus 45 percent) and poor mental
health (31 versus. 13 percent),
Global Disease Burden
Measures cost to society of illness
Five leading causes of global disease burden
in 2020 are projected as
1. Ischaemic heart disease
2. Depression
3. Traffic accidents
4. Cerebrovascular disease
5. COPD