1.
MENTAL HEALTH AND
MENTAL ILLNESS
Owondo Thomas
Bwindi Community Hospital

2.
Definitions
Health.
This is the state of well being of an individual physically,
socially, mentally, spiritually and not merely the absence
of disease or infirmity.
© 2017 Thomas Owondo. All rights reserved.

3.
Definitions
Psychiatry.
 Is a branch of medicine focused on the diagnosis,
treatment and prevention of mental, emotional and
behavioral disorders.
 In simple terms, it is the study of mental illnesses and
their management.
© 2017 Thomas Owondo. All rights reserved.

4.
Definitions
Nursing.
This is the diagnosis and treatment of human responses to actual or
potential health problems.
Psychiatric Nursing/ Psychiatric Nursing.
• It is a specialized area of nursing practice employing theories of
human behavior as its science and purposeful use of self as the art.
• This is an interpersonal process that strives to promote and maintain
behavior that contributes to integrated functioning.
• The patient’s system may be an individual, family, group,
organization, or community.
© 2017 Thomas Owondo. All rights reserved.

5.
Definitions
• It is directed towards both preventive and corrective
impacts upon mental disorders and their sequelae.
• It is concerned with promotion of optimal mental health for
society, community and those individuals who live within
it.
© 2017 Thomas Owondo. All rights reserved.

6.
MENTAL HEALTH
What is mental Health?
Like Physical Health, Mental Health is
difficult to define.
Mental Health is part of general health
which refers to a person’s equilibrium taking
into account components of the whole
person in a boipsychosocial aspect.

7.
MENTAL HEALTH (CONT’D):
According to World Health Organizaion [WHO];
‘Mental Health is a state of well-being in which the
individual:
 realizes his or 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’
(WHO 2001).

8.
Perspectives of a mentally health
individual.
 Mentally healthy individuals can be described from
3 perspectives:
 They are reasonably happy with themselves.
 They are happy with others.
 They know how to face the day today demands of life.

9.
1. They are reasonably happy with themselves
e.g.
They possess a positive self concept.
They look at the past with contentment and toward the
future with confidence.
They show consistent desire to improve themselves
They respect themselves and have a high self
esteem.
They understand their own abilities and limitations.

10.
2. They are happy with others e.g.
They are able to appreciate others and to
share what they have.
They establish lasting personal relationships.
They feel they belong to other social groups.
They have a clear sense of responsibility
towards others.

11.
3. They know how to face the day today
demands of life e.g.
They easily adopt to changes.
They face problems calmly.
They are open to new experiences and ideas.
They are realistic when setting objectives.
They complete tasks and derive satisfaction
from them.

12.
In summary:
• Mental health is a state of equilibrium that enables an individual to :
• Be reasonably happy with him/ her self
• Become happy with other people and
• Know how to face the day today demands of life.
• So that he/ she can:
 realize his or her own abilities,
 cope with the normal stresses of life,
 work productively and fruitfully and
 be able to make a contribution to his or her community.’

13.
MENTAL ILLNESS
• Refers to a wide range of mental health conditions or disorders that
affect one’s mood, thinking and behavior.
• Examples of mental illness include depression, anxiety disorders,
schizophrenia, eating disorders addictive behaviors, intellectual
disabilities and disorders due to drug abuse. Most of these disorders
can be successfully treated.
• Many people have mental health concerns from time to time. But a
mental health concern becomes a mental illness when ongoing signs
and symptoms cause frequent stress and affect your ability to function.
© 2017 Thomas Owondo. All rights reserved. 13

14.
MENTAL ILLNESS
Some one with mental illness will have
abnormalities in his/ her:
a) Emotions/ Feelings;
 Being anxious/ worried
 Being sad/ Depressed
 Being elated/ Excessive happiness
 Being irritable/ Excessive anger.

15.
MENTAL ILLNESS (cont’d)
b) Cognition/ Understanding;
 The environment
 Time, day, date and
year
 Memory
 E.t.c.
c) Behavior e.g.
 Self isolation
 Restlessness
 Wandering away from
home
 Aggression and
violence
 E.t.c.

16.
MENTAL ILLNESS (cont’d)
Note:
At any one time some of us may experience
the above abnormalities.
This does not mean that all of us are mentally
sick.
What matters is the duration and degree of
the abnormality (severity).

17.
© 2018 Thomas Owondo. All rights reserved.
ANY
QUESTIONS