Mental Health, Mental Hygiene, Aims / Purposes of Mental Hygiene, Attributes of normal Mental Health, Abnormal Mental Health, Causes of abnormal Mental Health,

1. Mental Health and Hygiene
M. Vijayalakshmi
M.Sc., M.Phil. (Life Sciences), M.Ed., M.Phil. (Education),
NET (Education), PGDBI
Assistant Professor (Former),
Sri Ramakrishna Mission Vidyalaya College of Education
(Autonomous),
Coimbatore – 641020.

2. Mental Health
Meaning
• An aspect of total personality
• The concept of mental health is closely related to the concept of
adjustment
• Normal, well-adjusted, well-integrated and mature person is bound
to have positive mental health
Definition
• Mental Health is the full and harmonious functioning of the whole
personality
- Hadfield

3. Mental Hygiene
• Mental Hygiene is a science which deals with the
prevention of mental illness, the prevention of mental
health and the cure of mental illness
• Mental Hygiene is a means of achieving mental health
• The goals of Mental Hygiene refer to “the attainment of a
fuller, happier, more harmonious and more effective
existence”
• Mental Hygiene stands for good mental health, for overall
development of personality

4. Aims / Purposes of Mental Hygiene
•The prevention of mental disorders
•The preservation of mental health
•The discovery and utilization of therapy or
treatment to cure mental illness

5. Mental Hygiene helps in -
• Listing various causes of maladjustments
• Suggesting ways and means of achieving emotional and
social adjustment
• Developing total potentialities of the individual
• Attaining emotional maturity and stability
• Achieving personal and social security
• Giving knowledge of mental disorders
• Suggesting various forms of therapy or treatment

6. Attributes of normal Mental Health
• Willingness and readiness for work and play
• Adjustment with others
• Efficiency at work
• Happiness and cheerfulness

7. Abnormal Mental Health
Neurosis
Psychosis
Personality disorder
Maladjustment
Truancy
Stealing
Telling lies, etc

8. Causes of abnormal Mental Health
Family
• Over-protecting the child
• Unnecessary and unfavourable comparisons
• Too much of punishment and ridicule for tiny things
School
• The students thinks that school is a place of fear or terror
• Non-provision of the subjects of one’s own choice and interest
• Syllabus beyond one’s mental capacity
• Lack of good friends
• Individual differences are not taken care of
• Unsympathetic behaviour of the teachers towards students

9. Cont….
• Lack of freedom to express one’s own mind or idea
• Lack of encouragement for doing any creative work
• Failure in developing self-confidence and sense of responsibility
Society
• Atrocity / Outrage / Horrible cruelty
• Wickedness
• Injustice
• Plundering and killing
• Conflicts and clashes
• Moral corruption

10. Ways to increase Mental Health of a student
• Good physical health
• Emotional development
• Social relationship
• Teacher’s role
• Potentialities and needs
• Level of aspiration
• Freedom of Expression
• Avoidance of unhealthy
competition
• Variety of interests
• Reading for Mental Health
• Teaching in human relations
• Sex and Moral education
• Methods of teaching
curriculum
• Appropriate home work
• Need for guidance service

11. Mental Health and Teachers
•Job satisfaction
•Avoiding social contact
•Over ambitious and selfish
•Extreme anxiety