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Mental Health Awareness

Unit 1

NCFE Level 2 Certificate in Mental Health Awareness

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Disclaimer:This resource uses real life case studies where specifically stated and referenced. All other references to individuals, groups and companies contained within these resources are fictitious.

These learning resources and assessment questions have been approved and endorsed by ncfe as meeting the requirements of the Level 2 Certificate in Mental Health Awareness.SAMPLE

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Mental Health Awareness

Unit 1: Understanding Mental Health

Welcome to unit one.

Section 1: The meaning of mental health and mental ill-health

Section 2: How mental health care has changed over time

Section 3: The social context of mental illness

Section 4: The legal context of mental illness

This unit is split into four sections. These are:

Section 1: The meaning of mental health and mental ill-health

In this section you will learn about:

• Defining mental health and mental ill-health

• The components of mental well being

• The risk factors associated with metal health problems

• Examples of mental health problems.

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Mental Health Awareness

Defining ‘mental health’ and ‘mental ill-health’

Mental health: There is no single ‘official’ definition of the term ‘mental health’. Here are some of definitions currently used. Mental health is:

According to the WHO, mental health is an essential part of a person’s health in general - which they define as follows:

‘Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.’

Mental health is therefore more than simply the absence of mental disorders. It includes:

• How a person feels about themselves, their life and the world.

• Their ability to solve problems.

• Their ability to forge relationships with others.

• Their ability to achieve their aims and goals.

The problem with all definitions is that they over-simplify issues. In practice there may be no clear dividing line between mental health and mental disorder or illness. Also, different societies may have different views about what is considered to be mental health and also what types of treatments are appropriate in the event of mental health problems.

Mental ill-health: The term ‘mental ill-health’ is used when a person experiences significant changes in their thinking, feelings or behaviour. This is also referred to as ‘mental disorder’. These changes must be extreme enough to affect how the person functions or to cause distress to them or other people.

‘The emotional and spiritual resilience which enables enjoyment of life, and the ability to survive pain, disappointment and sadness; and as a positive sense of well-being and an underlying belief in our own and other’s dignity and worth.’

Source: Department of Health: Making it happen. A guide to delivering mental health promotion. (2001)

‘A state of well-being in which the individual realises 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.’

Source: World Health Organisation (WHO)

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

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Mental Health Awareness

The following aspects can occur when someone suffers mental ill-health or disorder:

• Personal harm or suffering

• Abnormal ways of thinking, feeling or behaving

• Inability to carry out normal tasks

• Danger for others or the person concerned.

Here is a definition of mental ill-health or disorder.

‘A clinically significant behavioural or psychological syndrome or pattern that occurs in an individual and that is associated with present distress or disability or with a significantly increased risk of suffering, death, pain, disability or an important loss of freedom.’

Source: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th ed. (Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association, 2000)

Try the following quick quiz to see how much you know about mental health and ill-health.

Activity 1: Mental Health Quiz

Look at the following statements and tick if you think the statement is true or false.

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True False

1. Mental health problems are not common.

2. People with mental health problem are often violent.

3. If you have a mental health problem you won’t be able to work or study.

4. People with mental health problems are not subject to discrimination by others.

True False

True False

True False

How did you score? Were you surprised at the answers?

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Mental Health Awareness

The components of mental well being

Mental well-being describes an individual with good mental functioning and no problems in thinking, feelings or behaviour.

Activity 2: A sense of mental well-being

What would you say were the main things that make people feel a sense of mental well-being? Write your ideas below – there is one already given to help you.

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• Having positive emotions and moods – such as contentment and happiness.

Did your ideas about the components of mental well-being include any from the list below?

• Having feelings of calm, excitement, love or affection.

• The absence of negative emotions such as anxiety or depression.

• Feeling satisfied with life and fulfilled by it.

• Feeling physically healthy and energetic.

• Feeling in control of events.

• The ability to cope with stress.

• The ability to manage feelings of anger.

• Having a positive body image.

• The ability to solve problems and be creative.

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Mental Health Awareness

• Maintaining positive relationships.

• High self-esteem.

• The ability to manage moods.

• Social support from family and friends.

• Sleeping well.

• Healthy food and exercise.

• Having a gender and cultural identity.

Two important components of mental well-being are:

• Resilience.

• The ability to develop positive and supportive relationships.

Resilience

Q. What is resilience?

A. The ability to persevere in the face of adversity and bounce back after traumatic or stressful events.

Even though disappointment, loss and change are normal events in life they can cause feelings of stress, sadness and anxiety. People who lack mental well-being can be overwhelmed by these feelings. Resilience is a vital component of mental well-being that provides the coping mechanisms people rely on to deal with difficult events.

Resilience allows people to balance negative emotions with positive ones, preventing a slide into depression, anxiety or other mental health problems. Having balance in your life can improve resilience.

Positive and supportive relationships

Supportive relationships are also important to mental well-being. People draw emotional strength from the support of other people. Developing an ability to forge positive relationships with others may take time and effort but these relationships are crucial for emotional health.

‘Mental well-being is a dynamic state in which the individual is able to develop their potential, work productively and creatively, build strong and positive relationships with others and contribute to their community. It is enhanced when an individual is able to fulfil their personal and social goals and achieve a sense of purpose in society.’

Source: Foresight Mental Capital and Well-being Project (2008) Final project report. London: The Government Office for Science.

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Mental Health Awareness

The risk factors associated with metal health problems

Use the next activity to check your own level of mental well-being.

STOP AND THINK!

Use the websites noted at the end of this workbook to check your own level of mental well-being.

Use the NHS website to explore the five steps to improving mental well-being.

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You should have found information about the following five steps to maximise mental well-being:

• Connecting with other people and develop supportive relationships.

• Being physically active.

• Learning new skills to give yourself a sense of achievement.

• Giving to others - including volunteering in your community to improve mental outlook and develop social networks.

• Being more aware of your thoughts, feelings and the world around you.

Key Fact

Having a sense of mental well-being does not mean that you never experience difficult situations, but when you do you are better able to cope with them.

Q. What is a ‘risk factor’?

A. A risk factor is anything that increases the likelihood of developing mental health problems.

Mental health problems, whilst common, do not affect everyone. Some people are more at risk than others. Complex social, psychological and biological factors determine a person’s mental health at any one point in time. For example, constant social and economic pressures pose risks to people’s mental health. In addition, there are personality factors that make some people more at risk than others. Also, genetic factors and imbalances of chemicals in the brain put some people more at risk than others.

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Mental Health Awareness

Try the following quiz to see how much you know about the risk factors in developing mental ill-health.

Activity 3: Risk Factor Quiz

Look at the following statements and tick if you think the statement is true or false.

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True False

1. Lack of basic amenities such food, water or shelter will put people at risk of mental ill-health.

2. Unemployed people are twice as likely to suffer from depression as people in work.

3. Men are more at risk than women of suffering from depression, anxiety and phobias.

4. A person’s genetic inheritance can make them more likely to develop mental health problems than others.

True False

True False

True False

5. Negative experiences at school never affect the development of mental health problems.

True False

Turn to the end of this unit to check your answers. How did you score?SAMPLE

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The key risk factors in developing mental ill-health are:

• Lack of access to basic environmental resources.

• Lack of strong social support networks.

• Gender – whether you are male or female.

• Negative experiences at school and in the workplace.

• Lack of emotional resilience.

• Substance abuse.

• Genetic inheritance – which can make some people more prone to problems than others.

Key Fact

The risk factors in developing mental health problems include social, psychological and biological factors.

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