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Mental Health, Mental Health, and wellbeing and wellbeing

Professor Wasantha Professor Wasantha GunathungaGunathunga

MBBS (Col.)M.Sc., MD MBBS (Col.)M.Sc., MD ((Community MedicineCommunity Medicine))

Department of Community Medicine Department of Community Medicine

Faculty of Medicine, University of Faculty of Medicine, University of ColomboColombo

Definitions - WHODefinitions - WHO

Mental health is defined as a state of Mental health is defined as a state of well-being in which every individual well-being in which every individual realizes his or her own potential, can realizes his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to and is able to make a contribution to her or his community.her or his community.

http://www.who.int/features/factfiles/mental_health/en/index.html

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A new definition of A new definition of mental health mental health

Mental health is a state of complete cessation of thoughts Mental health is a state of complete cessation of thoughts spontaneously emanating from the discriminate spontaneously emanating from the discriminate consciousness to the mind. This brings about freedom from consciousness to the mind. This brings about freedom from fears, worries, anger, stress and the like. Though fears, worries, anger, stress and the like. Though spontaneous flow of thoughts ceases the individual is able to spontaneous flow of thoughts ceases the individual is able to retrieve any stored information whenever he wants, retrieve any stored information whenever he wants, achieving control over thoughts. Different individuals have achieving control over thoughts. Different individuals have different levels of control, ones with major psychiatric different levels of control, ones with major psychiatric illnesses the least control and those who appear ‘normal’ illnesses the least control and those who appear ‘normal’ having sufficient control to conceal effects of undesirable having sufficient control to conceal effects of undesirable thoughts from others. One who achieves total control thoughts from others. One who achieves total control experiences complete freedom from internal noise and experiences complete freedom from internal noise and attains complete mental health (3). Hence mental health attains complete mental health (3). Hence mental health varies in a spectrum that is called the mental health varies in a spectrum that is called the mental health spectrumspectrum. (Gunathunga 2010). (Gunathunga 2010)

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Mental health spectumMental health spectum

Mental health spectrum.doc

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Mental health and Mental health and mental illnessmental illness

Major illnesses Major illnesses Miner disordersMiner disorders Normal peopleNormal people Super normal Super normal

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Mental illness

Mental states not amounting to mental illness

Opportunity for improvement

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89% “Normal”

11%

Prevention and promotion

what to prevent?What to promote?

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Anger Anger

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Insatiable desires

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Lack of concentration

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Expensive Mistakes

Common causeCommon cause

Pop up thoughts Pop up thoughts Untrained individual has no control Untrained individual has no control

over over

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Once you get control Once you get control over your pop up over your pop up

thoughtsthoughts You will enjoy ….You will enjoy ….

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Less violence Less violence ContentmentContentment Inner happiness Inner happiness (as opposed to showing happy)(as opposed to showing happy)

Less needs and demandsLess needs and demands Less NCDs Less NCDs (Rutledge etal 2000, Gunathunga etal 2010)(Rutledge etal 2000, Gunathunga etal 2010)

Efficiency effectiveness Efficiency effectiveness Better immune function Better immune function (Davidson etal 2003)(Davidson etal 2003)

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Exercise

Close your eyes for 30 seconds

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Where mind visited Where mind visited

Home Home BabyBaby ColdnessColdness Noises Noises Back acheBack ache Burning pain in stomach Burning pain in stomach Next step Next step Can I do medCan I do med

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mind

Body

Environment

Consciousness-Memory

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Point where contemplation is appliedPoint where contemplation is applied

Attachment

Conflict

Body Mind consciousness

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Accept / Reject

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Meditation exercise Meditation exercise

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25 parts of the body for 25 parts of the body for scanningscanning

Head, forehead, right eye, nose, left eye, Head, forehead, right eye, nose, left eye, right cheek, left cheek, mouth, chin, right cheek, left cheek, mouth, chin, neck, (10)neck, (10)

chest upper, chest lower, abdomen chest upper, chest lower, abdomen upper, abdomen middle, abdomen lower, upper, abdomen middle, abdomen lower, (5)(5)

r. thigh, r. knee, r. shin, r. foot. r. toes, (5)r. thigh, r. knee, r. shin, r. foot. r. toes, (5) left thigh, l. knee, l. shin, l. foot, l. toes. left thigh, l. knee, l. shin, l. foot, l. toes.

(5)(5)

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References References

Ariyapariyesan sutta, Sathipattana sutta Mjjima Nikaya Chandawimala (Ven.) R. .(1951) Basic facts of Abhidhamma,

Sikuru publishers, Polgasowita, Sri Lanka.

Hennekens CH & Buring JE (1998) Epidemiology in Medicine, little brown

Perera, H. Gunathunga C.K. (2004)Screening for mental Perera, H. Gunathunga C.K. (2004)Screening for mental health problems in urban pre-school children – a pilot health problems in urban pre-school children – a pilot study. study. Sri Lanka Journal of Child HealthSri Lanka Journal of Child Health; 33: 39-42; 33: 39-42

Songa – Barke E Thompson M JJ, Stevenson J, (1996) Mental health of pre-school children and their mothers in a mixed urban / rural population-Family and maternal factors and child behaviour British Journal of psychiatry 168, 21-25

Cont…….next slideCont…….next slide

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ReferencesReferences Stevenson J Thompson M JJ,, Songa – Barke E,, (1996) M Mental

health of pre-school children and their mothers in a mixed urban / rural population- Latent variable models,British Journal of psychiatry 168, 26-32

Thompson M JJ, Stevenson J, Songa – Barke E, Nott P, Bhatti S, Price A & Hudswell (1996) M Mental health of pre-school children and their mothers in a mixed urban / rural population- Prevalence and ecological factors British Journal of psychiatry 168, 16-20

Wasantha Gunathunga. (2006)Health beyond death: a new paradigm, SATmag, The Island newspaper. Upali Newspapers Ltd. Colombo. Saturday 10th June 2006 p1.

Wikipedia Electronic Encyclopaedia (Wikipedia Electronic Encyclopaedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mental_health accessed on 28/04/05

. MW Gunathunga, LS Wijeratne, A Ruwanchintani, D Perera, ASB Dissanayake Effect of

an insight meditation program on the disease outcome of patients with rheumatoid and related arthritis. Annual Scientific sessions of SLMA 2010 31st May to 4th June, Cinnamon Grand, Colombo.

Contact Contact

Wasantg@hotmail.com 07180221780718022178

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Thank youThank you

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