Mental Health Promotion
What are the important concepts relating to mental health promotion? An initial search
of the literature identified 4 main areas:
1. The interrelated concepts of wellness and positive psychology.
2. The importance of physical health to mental health and the nurses role within
this.
3. Mental health promotion across the lifespan.
4. Learning derived from the development of mental health promotion education
programmes.
1
1. Review of the concepts of ‘Wellness’ and ‘positive psychology’ in the context
of mental health promotion. Louise Doyle
(As there is some degree of overlap between this concept and those inherent in
‘recovery’ I have not included papers that refer to ‘recovery’ only as these will be
covered by a different work group).
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Introduction
Increasing evidence about the high social and economic costs of poor mental health has
contributed to a growing recognition of the need to promote positive mental health and
wellbeing and to prevent the onset of mental distress (Zechmeister et al., 2008).
Although there is no agreed consensus on a universal definition of mental health
promotion (Jane-Llopis 2007), most perspectives in some way concur that it involves
promoting mental well-being among all age groups of the general population and
addressing the needs of those at risk from, or experiencing, mental health difficulties
(Department of Health and Children 2006). In recent years mental health promotion has
been reconceptualised with a focus now on a positive view of mental health rather than
an emphasis on mental illness and deficits (WHO 2004, Barry 2007, Reupert et al 2012).
Mental health promotion involves not only minimising the occurrence of mental health
problems but also focuses on enhancing positive aspects of daily functioning (Magyary
2002). It involves actions to create living conditions and environments that support
mental health and allow people to adopt and maintain healthy lifestyles. These include a
range of actions to increase the chances of more people experiencing better mental
health. Focusing on factors which are protective of mental health is a critical element of
national and international health promotion policies. Protective factors which have a
positive influence on our mental health are important to help prevent mental health
problems but also to improve the well-being of those experiencing mental distress and
to prevent secondary problems (Magyary 2002).
2
Wellness as a paradigm and a mental health promotion approach has gained in
popularity in the field of public mental health (Magyary 2002, Swarbrick 2006). This is
part of a move away from a traditional medical perspective in which only ‘illness’ was
emphasised, towards a more holistic health care model in which ‘wellness’ and
‘wellbeing’ are also highlighted. Wellness is defined as a deliberate process which
requires a person to become aware of and make choices for a more satisfying lifestyle
leading to improved health (Swarbrick et al 2009). Included within this lifestyle is a
balance of healthy habits which focus on nutrition, sleep, exercise, supportive
relationships, participation in meaningful activity and avoiding self-destructive
behaviour (Swarbrick et al 2009, Swarbrick 2010). In the mental health literature, the
concept of wellness is often closely tied to that of recovery for individuals with existing
mental health difficulties and while both concepts are closely aligned the concept of
wellness is one that has much to offer those who have never experienced a mental
health problem.
The central focus of wellness is on health, with an emphasis on
individuals’ strengths and abilities and their personal responsibility to manage their
mental (and physical) health (Swarbrick 2006). Within the wellness perspective, an
individual is empowered to manage stressors and difficult situations proactively and is
encouraged to self-monitor their own health behaviour. Wellness is not a popular trend,
but rather a philosophy that embraces a way of living that helps all people enjoy a more
satisfying, productive, and happy life (Swarbrick 2010).
Also important to contemporary mental health promotion is the concept of positive
psychology. Positive psychology is the science of what is needed for a good life (Slade,
2010) and moves away from the ‘negative bias’ which prevailed in traditional
psychology to a focus on well-being and ‘flourishing’ (Boiler et al, 2013). Positive
psychology is not only the absence of mental distress, but also the presence of positive
psychological resources such as hedonic or subjective well-being (positive affect, life
staisfaction, happiness) and eudaimonic well-being (Self-acceptance, positive relations,
purpose in life) (Blakeman & Ford, 2012). Within the realm of positive psychology, it is
possible to be moderately mentally healthy or even flourishing in the presence of ongoing mental illness (Slade, 2010). Positive psychological interventions are empirically
sound and have been found to enhance well-being and ameroliate depressive symptoms
(Sin & Lyubomirsky, 2009; Boiler et al, 2013). Included within the realm of postiive
psychological interventions are goal-directed thinking, resilence training, positive future
3
thinking, life-coaching and individual and group positive psychotherapy (Boiler et al.,
2013).
Out comes - what will be realized?
Mental health nurses have traditionally worked within the medical model of care
focusing their attention on treatment and symptom/illness reduction (Blakeman and
Ford, 2012: Slade, 2010; Magyary, 2002). Having wellness and positive psychology as a
core component of mental health promotion requires a distinct paradigmatic shift. It
requires a new way of thinking about preparation and education for mental health
professionals including nurses and will require a change in how they practice if primacy
is to be given to increasing well-being rather that to treating illness (Sade, 2010). Health
services, and the workers within them, need to be reoriented with a shift on emphasis to
health being a shared responsibility among individuals, community groups, health
professionals, health service institutions and governments (Jane-Lopis et al., 2005).
There is a need to create health-orientated rather than illness-orientated services.
How will it be realized?

Mental health professionals (nurses) need new approaches to assessment and
treatment if the goal is to promote well-being rather than treat illness (Slade,
2010).

Mental health professionals (nurses) need to support reasonable goal setting and
goal striving (Slade, 2010).

Mental health nurses need to become more involved in political activism,
working meaningfully with service user and carer groups and engaging with
public health campaigns (Blakeman and Ford, 2012).

Mental health nurses need to become more involved in promoting social
inclusion on a micro and macro scale.

Mental health nurses need to take more consideration of the strengths and assets
of a person when undertaking a clinical assessment. This is in contrast to
traditional assessment which is very much focused on risk and personal
deficiencies.
4
What do professionals have to reckon with?

Although the literature suggests that service users are open to learning the skills
required to promote well-being and positive psychology, there is a learning curve
here. This is particularly so for those service users who have essentially been a
passive recipient of care and treatment within the parameters of the medical
model (through no fault of their own). Not only is a paradigm shift required for
nurses and other mental health professionals, but also for some service users for
whom these are new concepts.

Political activism and critical analysis and discourse around government policies
which affect mental health are part of the wellness model (Slade, 2010; Blakeman
& Ford, 2012). However, nurses ‘on the ground’ often see these as being the sole
domain of the academic community when a much stronger approach is to work in
collaboration with academic colleagues to influence the direction of policy that
reduces social exclusion for the people with whom they work.
What are the challenges?

The dominance of the medical model remains a difficulty when striving to
develop and support a holistic care plan grounded in the tenets of wellness and
positive psychology.

Working from a wellness focused perspective requires a change in mind-set in
addition to a change in practice.

Despite the prominence of well-being in mental health promotion policies, there
can be a difficulty in accessing services that promote well-being (Owens et al,
2010).

Supporting service users to undertake activity, learning, social connections etc.
can be expensive, anxiety-provoking and time-consuming for all concerned
(Blakeman & Ford, 2012).

Nurses cannot work within the well-being and positive psychology realm in
isolation from other mental health professionals; instead, it requires a multidisciplinary team approach with buy-in from each discipline within that team.
5

Nurses are not traditionally educated to be political activists. This requires some
consideration in terms of the development of mental health nurse education
programmes both at undergraduate and postgraduate levels.

Mental health professionals, including nurses, need to be more outward looking
in their view of their role, and to construct their job as more than working with
individuals (Slade, 2010).

Greater interaction is required between mental health professionals who are
medically orientated and treatment focused (and who focus more on primary,
secondary and tertiary prevention of mental illness) and those workers who are
community health-orientated who focus on mental health promotion for the
entire population (Jane-Lopis, 2007).
Competences
Knowledge:

Mental health nurses need to have information about the wellness and positive
psychology interventions that work and the evidence behind them.

MHNs need to know what enhances well-being and alleviates distress.

Positive psychology and wellness promote the teaching of positive mental
attitudes as an intervention which fosters resilience across the lifespan.
Skills:

MHNs need to know how to include positive psychology techniques into their
clinical work.

MHNs need to know how to promote social interaction and activities which have
been identified by service users as helping to maintain their sense of well-being
(Owens et al., 2010).

MHNs need to be able to work with service users in helping them practice and
keep a record of positive strategies; helping them incorporate these strategies
into everyday life and helping turn these strategies into habits.

MHNs need to become skilled at taking a strengths based clinical history with a
greater emphasis on the individual’s goals and strengths.
6
Attitudes and Emotional intelligence:

MHNs need to reflect and critically appraise how their current practice promotes
well-being.

MHNs need to be open about a change in thinking and practice to have more
focus on well-being and positive psychology.
Conclusion
Positive mental health is a key asset and resource for population well-being and the
long-term social and economic prosperity of society (Barry 2009). Historically, mental
health nurses have focused on symptom reduction and as a result relatively little
attention was paid to what makes people happy. However, every mental health
practitioner needs to be familair with the concept of ‘well-being’ if they are to succeed in
the mental health climate of the years to come.
References
Barry M.M. (2007) Generic principles of effective mental health promotion. International
Journal of Mental Health Promotion 9(2), 4-16.
Boiler, L., Haverman, M., Westerhof, G.J., Riper, H., Smit, F. & Bohlmeijer, E. (2013)
Positive psychology interventions: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled studies.
BMC Public Health, 13, 119
Blakeman, P. & Ford, L. (2012) Working in the real world: a review of sociological
concepts of health and well-being and their relation to modern mental health nursing.
Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing, 19, 482-491.
Department of Health and Children (2006) A Vision for Change: Report of the Expert
Group on Mental Health Policy. The Stationery Office, Dublin.
Jane-Lopis, E., Barry, M., Hosman, C. & Vikram, P. (2005) Mental health promotion
works: a review. Promotion and Education, 12:9.
Jane-Llopis E. (2007) Mental health promotion: Concepts and strategies for reaching the
population. Health Promotion Journal of Australia 18(3), 191-197.
7
Magyary, D. (2002) Positive mental health: A turn of the century perspective. Issues in
mental health nursing, 23:331-349
Millar, S.L. & Donnelly, M. (2013) Promoting mental wellbeing: developing a
theoretically and empirically sound complex intervention. Journal of Public Health, 1-10.
Owens, C., Crone, D., Kilgour, L. & El Ansari, W. (2010) The place and promotion of wellbeing in mental health services: a qualitative investigation. Journal of Psychiatric and
Mental Health Nursing, 17, 1-8.
Reupert A., McHugh C., Mayberry D. and Mitchell D. (2012) Training mental health
promotion workers in programme evaluation. Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health
Nursing 19(1), 31-39.
Sin, N.L., & Lyubomirsky, S. (2009) Enhancing well-being and alleviating depressive
symptoms with positive psychology interventions: A practice-friendly meta-analysis.
Journal of Clinical Psychology, 65(5), 467-487.
Slade, M. (2010) Mental illness and well-being: the central importance of positive
psychology and the recovery approaches. BMC Health Services Research, 10:26
Swarbrick M. (2006) A wellness approach. Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal 29(4), 311314.
Swarbrick M. (2010) Wellness: A practice for our lives and work. Journal of Psychosocial
Nursing and Mental Health Services 48(7), 1-3.
Swarbrick M., Roe D., Yudof J. and Zisman Y. (2009) Participant perceptions of a peer
wellness and recovery education program. Occupational Therapy in Mental Health 25(34), 312-324.
World Health Organization (2004) Promoting Mental Health: Concepts, Emerging
Evidence, Practice. WHO, Geneva.
Zechmeister I., Reinhold K., McDaid D. and MHEEN Group (2008) Is it worth
investigating in mental health promotion and prevention of mental illness? A systematic
review of the evidence from economic evaluations. BMC Public Health 8(20).
8
2. The importance of physical health to mental health and the nurses role within
this. Henrika Jormfeldt
Introduction
Individuals with serious mental illness have higher rates of physical illness and are more
likely to experience premature death than the general population (Blyte & White, 2012).
Literature describing healthcare programmes for mental health consumers
demonstrates that such programmes regularly result in significant improvements in
healthcare access and health outcomes. Nurse-led strategies to improve physical
healthcare in mental healthcare services could potentially reduce these inequalities
since mental health nurses, as the largest professional group working in mental health
care, have a key role in supporting enhanced physical health and well-being of people
with mental illness (Happell, Platania‐Phung, & Scott, 2014; Verhaeghe et al., 2013).
Through health-promotion strategies, alongside recovery-focused support aimed at
avoiding deteriorating physical health, mental health nurses can significantly contribute
to improving the current rate of premature death experienced by people with long-term
mental illness (Blythe1 & White, 2012; Hardy & Thomas, 2012). Mental health nurses
are well placed to provide person-centred, transitional care, so commonly absent from
the experience of many service users. The ambition of this paper has been to look at a
range of contemporary literature on the topic of the mental health nurses role in
physical health related to mental health at master level.
Out comes - what will be realized?
Physical health outcomes of health care programmes include improvements in health
behaviours such as substance use, cardiometabolic health measures such as cholesterol,
blood pressure and blood glucose. Health care programmes also have been shown to
improve aspects of mental health including perceived mental functioning, social
functioning and self-esteem (Happell, Platania‐Phung & Scott, 2014). Mental health
nurses have a key role in supporting enhanced physical health and well-being of people
with mental illness. However there is a question of role ambiguity for mental health
nurses, many of whom feel that physical care is outside their remit and expertise.
Patients in mental health service identify that their physical symptoms are often
dismissed by mental health nurses as part of their mental health problem. Hence mental
9
health nurses in practice require further skills and training in the area of physical health
care.
How will it be realized?
The literature is illustrative of a growing role of nurses within mental healthcare in
lifestyle programme delivery and management or co-ordination roles related to the
mental health nurses’ holistic approach to care of consumers with severe mental illness
(Happell, Platania‐Phung & Scott, 2014). Mental health nurses reporting of physical
healthcare could routinely use a suitable taxonomy to clearly delineate the role of
mental health nurses.
Mental health nurses need knowledge and training in physical health care in order to
handle lack of readiness and motivation to change unhealthy lifestyle behaviour among
mental health patients to be able to discuss lifestyle issues with their patients in a
constructive and inspiring manner
Mental health nurses need education to be able to take the responsibility to implement
and carrying out lifestyle programmes and care co-ordination as well as management of
educational sessions targeting and healthy eating and physical activity.
Mental health nurses have the advantage of an existing skill set from working with this
client group, having often already established effective therapeutic relationships.
Additional training and knowledge in physical health care is likely to put them in a
prime position to help reduce morbidity and death rates of people with severe mental
illness.
Where do professionals have to reckon with?
Nurses may have to deal with patients with lack of motivation or energy to focus on
healthy lifestyle behaviour as a result of the severity of the mental suffering.
Admission to an inpatient mental healthcare facility could be identified by some patients
as a barrier to focus on healthy lifestyle behaviour.
Mental health nurses may lack of knowledge/training in physical health care.
10
The mental health care system may lack of useful measure to establish more precisely
what physical care nurses are doing.
Mental health nurses commonly report lack of time as an important issue.
Views and attitudes of the society could be a barrier to integrate individuals with severe
mental illness into sport clubs or leisure time organisations and activities in society.
Mental health nurses may be confident in carrying out routine physical health checks
but less confident in regards to screening and interpreting physical health results.
Mental health nurses may hold the traditional view in the nurse/doctor power
relationship, whereby nurses are viewed as being subordinate to doctors resulting in
nurses don’t take full responsibility
It can be questioned to what extent lifestyle choices is the responsibility of the patient or
the mental health nurse.
Mental health nurses could experience a conflict between follow the patients in their
own process of defining their own needs and desires regarding health issues and the
standards of treatment policies
What are the challenges?
Traditionally mental health nurses have not seen physical health as their main concern
and physical health problems among patients with severe mental illness have often been
mistaken for symptoms of mental illness.
Mental health nurses need to make themselves more visible to carers as a resource for
support and education regarding overall health issues.
Mental health nurses need to acknowledge that health promotion from a holistic view is
integral to their roles.
There is a tradition of stigma and discrimination in society but all patients require
access to health services that do not differentiate or discriminate.
11
Competences
Knowledge:
Mental health nurses need to have knowledge and awareness of how to promote
physical health in order to handle lack of readiness and motivation among patients with
severe mental illness.
Mental health nurses have to be able to face taboos and prejudices in society. Otherwise
as a consequence, patients with mental illness may fear or have no longer the motivation
to integrate into society to practice sports or other activities to stimulate health.
Skills:
Mental health nurses in practice require further skills and training in the area of physical
health care to comprehend a holistic approach to care of consumers with severe mental
illness
Mental health nurses have to be able to integrate health-care provision for people with
mental illness by cooperation with health care providers, health agencies and the
general public.
Mental health nurses should have the necessary skills to motivate and support people to
improve their wellbeing, and to offer advice on how to prevent further physical health
deterioration.
Mental health nurses must be able to follow the patients in their process of defining
their own needs and desires, and at the same time communicate with regimen of
treatments.
12
Attitudes and Emotional intelligence:
Mental health nurses must see the importance of strengthen the patients’ ability to trust
themselves through making their own decisions and taking the consequences of these
decisions with support.
Mental health nurses have to understand the importance of tackling stigma and
discrimination and that all patients require access to health services that do not
differentiate or discriminate.
Mental health nurses have to value and appreciate a holistic approach to care of
consumers with severe mental illness
Conclusion
A major public health issue that can be addressed through improved physical healthcare
access and delivery is the gap between physical health of people with and without
severe mental illness. The barriers to physical healthcare services, whether in inpatient
settings or in the general community, are significant for people with severe mental
illness and a healthcare reform is necessary if inequalities in health are to be reduced. It
is a challenge for the contemporary world for further promoting population health and
well-being, as strategies to improve health care have the potential to improve health and
well-being that enable people to live life to the best of their abilities. Nurses, as a major
professional group in mental healthcare, will be critical to re-organizing health services
to better support people with severe mental illness in recovery and well-being.
References
Blythe, J. & White, J. (2013) Role of the mental health nurse towards physical health care
in serious mental illness: An Integrative Review of 10 years of UK Literature.
International Journal of Mental Health Nursing, 21(3), 193-201.
Happell, B. Platania‐Phung, Chris. & Scott, D. (2014). Proposed nurse‐led initiatives in
improving physical health of people with serious mental illness: a survey of nurses in
mental health. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 23(7-8), 1018 – 1029.
13
Happell, B., Platania‐Phung, C., & Scott, D. (2014). A systematic review of nurse physical
healthcare for consumers utilizing mental health services. Journal of Psychiatric and
Mental Health Nursing, 21 (1), 11 – 22.
Hardy, S., & Thomas, B. (2012). Mental and physical health comordibity: Political
imperatives and practice implications. International Journal of Mental Health Nursing,
21(3), 289 – 298.
Verhaeghe, N., De Maeseneer, J., Maes, L., Van Heeringen, C., & Annemans, L. (2013).
Health promotion in mental health care: perceptions from patients and mental health
nurses. Journal of clinical nursing, 22(11-12), 1569 – 1578.
14
3. Review of the MHP across the lifespan Päivi Vuokila-Oikkonen
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Introduction
In these studies, mental health promotion is about enhancing positive emotion and optimal
functioning. Health is not only the absence of illness but rather means to harness resources
of individuals and societies and the factors that make life good. Mental health promotion
should aims to increase the ability of an individual to have a good self-esteem, autonomy,
wellbeing and inclusion in social activities. The promotion of mental health also aims to
strengthen a person’s capacity to deal with adversity and shift of focus should be from
treatment of illnesses to prevention of anxiety, depression and behavioural problems and
promotion of mental health. Mental health interventions and promotive actions are aimed
at improving both mental and physical health.
The asset-based paradigms of positive
psychology may offer new approaches for bolstering psychological resilience and promoting
mental health. A working approach is to include mental health promotion in the existing
health promotion programs. Mental health promotion in schools includes information and
training on self-harm, interactional skills, social skills, stress, coping skills, school bullying and
understanding mental wellbeing and understanding of diversity. The nurses working in
schools are the tools that put these actions into practice.
Focusing mental health promote interventions on children’s’ and adolescents’ is important.
Mental health promotion aims to increase the individual and communal capacity to
understand and respond to mental health issues. It also aims to promote the mental health
of the whole population.
Let’s talk about Child Discussion and the Network meeting is one effective method when
prevention mental health among children and adolescents.
Out comes - what will be realized?
Mental health promotion of lifespan should not be detached from the community but a
function of the community. Nurses and nurse students are needed to counselling skills when
moving from core of caring to core of mental health promotion work. Resiliency is the
process of positive adaptation in the context of adversity or risk. Resiliency helps people to
15
cope with life’s challenges and confers a sense of mastery over one’s life. Promotion of
resiliency can occur within persons (e.g., coping, optimism), among persons (social support),
and across social levels (public health or educational systems).
Education in mental health promotion frameworks for practice are required at
undergraduate, postgraduate and current clinical practice levels to ensure knowledge and
understanding of mental health promotion is disseminated across the profession.
How will it be realized?
There exist programs which are evidence-based and have proven to be effective. The good
evidence-based promotion and prevention programs implemented with fidelity strengthen
parenting and build child resilience. Mental health promotion interventions are delivered at
three levels: universal, which is an intervention that affects the whole school or community,
selective, which is an intervention focusing on a certain group of students, and indicated,
which an individually focused intervention is. Parenting interventions and preschool
interventions are effective in boosting resiliency in mothers and children.
Interventions to prevent mental disorders and psychological symptoms in the offspring of
parents with mental disorders appear to be effective. Let’s talk about Child Discussion and
the Network meeting is one effective method for mental health prevention among children
and adolescents.
Researches show that by providing social activities and enhancing social networking, quality
of life and life satisfaction increase and depressive symptoms decrease among older people.
Where do professionals have to reckon with?
Mental health promotion of children and adolescents should not be detached from the
community but a function of the community. Social support and trust may be important
factors to consider when developing interventions to promote mental health and prevent
mental disorders among older adults.
When adults or children have personally experienced traumatic events and have
psychological and/or behavioural symptoms or explicit difficulties. Yet, it is known that
children in families with parents serve illness, even have 2-4 times elevated risk for
16
psychiatric and behavioural problems. Furthermore, effective preventive interventions are
available. One such intervention is the Let’s Talk about Children (LTC),
What are the challenges?
Traditionally mental health nurses have studied to be nursing and caring. However mental
health promotion and prevention approaches allow mental health nurses to provide services
to a significant number of people in communities including those involved with young
people, such as teachers, other health professionals and families. Nurses can contribute to
the mental health and wellbeing of whole populations of young people while providing vital
linkages across settings such as health, education, employment, and welfare which young
people transverse during their lives. Mental health promotion and consultation roles could
also provide new areas of expanded nursing practice in mental health promotion.
Mental health promotion work basis on counselling approach and methods. There are
challenges in considering a move towards mental health promotion, coaching and
consultation roles. Positive and resources based approaches offer new approaches for
bolstering psychological resilience and promoting mental health. The challenge is how to
translate this evidence of mental health promotion and prevention into nurses’ everyday
practices in their professional working life. Nurse students are needed to counselling skills
when moving from core of caring to core of mental health interventions like coaching.
Competences
Knowledge:
Mental health is not only the absence of illness but rather means to harness resources of
individuals and societies and the factors that make life good. Mental health promotion
should aims to increase the ability of an individual to have a good self-esteem, autonomy,
wellbeing and inclusion in social activities. Need to recognize that mental health promotion
is about enhancing positive emotion and optimal functioning. To understand what is
resilience.
Mental health promotion work includes universal, selective, and individually focused
interventions.
17
The Let’s Talk about Children (LTC) intervention and Network Meeting methods.
Skills:
To coach individuals according to positive way of thinking, how they interpret day-to-day
events and their interactions with others. Coaching includes learning skills for more
optimistic ways of thinking and reacting to improve their resiliency.
Universal, selective and indicated interventions as follows:
Universal intervention
In action
Whole school events
“Mental health rally”- a whole school event for distribution
of information on mental health, School environment is
improved by educating school staff on mental health issues
and providing skills to identify, intervene and cope with
different emotional and behavioral need.
Sharing of knowledge
In “mental health kiosk”, information letters trough the
school intra, parental meetings
“Low threshold”-places
nurses associate with student at free time ex. in the school
lobby, walk-in times
Education of school staff
Staff meetings
Selective interventions
Classroom interventions
Lessons on ex. taking care of mental health, substance
abuse, stress, friendship, social skills, crisis, interactional
skills, classroom environment
Groups
ART (aggression replacement treatment), mastery of life
skills, social skills
Indicated interventions
18
Support for students and families
Supportive and solution focused dialogue with student or
families
Parent consultation
Assessment with multiprofessional team
Also it is needed to skill for group leader by using mental health promotion strategies and
goals.
To skills to use Let’s talk about Child Discussion and the Network. LTC is a low threshold
discussion with parents to identify both strengths and vulnerabilities in the child’s life and to
make a plan how to strengthen protective factors and to support the child in vulnerabilities.
Furthermore to use, if it is needed, LTC Network Meeting, this gathers those people (e.g.
family’s own social network, the teacher, different professionals as needed) who will be able
to support the child and the family. In the meeting, the participants plan and make
commitments to strengthen those protective factors and to give support in those
vulnerabilities which were identified during LTC discussion.
Among older adults it is needed to promote social interaction and social support that may
confer greater psychological resiliency. Recognize and focus on peoples’ strengths and
resources. Listen, hear and dialogue skills when working with groups and cooperation with
people in lifespan and multiprofessional teams.
Reflective skills is needed.
Attitudes and Emotional intelligence:
Need to have a positive attitude and flexibility to work in field of communities and school.
Need to be open to recognize mental health promotion interventions and do use it.
To shared knowledge among the parents when using LTC- methods.
Need to display empathy and understanding.
19
Conclusion
Mental health promotion work needs new developed and evaluated intervention methods.
Mental health nurses need to learn to work in fields like school and community. Motivation
to change nurses’ ways of thinking when moving from psychiatric nurse as caring people to
mental health work as coaching people to use their own resources . Furthermore field of
Internet interventions is growing. It is needed to take account.
References
Forsman,A.K.; Nyqvist,F.; Wahlbeck,K. 2011. Cognitive components of social capital and
mental health status among older adults: a population-based cross-sectional study.
Scandinavian Journal of Public Health.
Niemelä M, Repo J, Wahlberg KE, Hakko H, Räsänen S. Pilot evaluation of the impact of
structured child-centered interventions on psychiatric symptom profile of parents with
serious somatic illness: struggle for life trial. J Psychosoc Oncol. 2012;30(3):316-30.
Kobau, Rosemarie & Seligman, Martin E. P. & Peterson Christopher & Diener, Ed & Zack,
Matthew M. & Chapman, Daniel & Thompson, William (2011) Mental Health Promotion in
PublicHealth: Perspectives and Strategies From Positive Psychology. American Journal of
Public Health.August 2011, Vol 101, No. 8
Power, A. 2010. Kathryn Transforming the Nation’s Health: Next Steps in MentalHealth
Promotion. American Journal of Public Health. December 2010, Vol 100, No. 12
Onnela A, Vuokila-Oikkonen P, Ebeling Hanna, Hurtig M. 2014 Mental health promotion in a
school environment. Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing. 21 (7), 618-627.
Solantaus T, Paavonen EJ,,1 Toikka S, Punamäki R-L Preventive interventions in families with
parental depression: children’s psychosocial symptoms and prosocial behaviour Eur Child
Adolesc Psychiatry. Dec 2010; 19(12): 883–892.
20
Woodhouse, Annette. Is there a future in mental health promotion and consultation for
nurses? Contemporary Nurse (2010) 34(2): 177–189Volume 34, Issue 2, February/March
2010
21
4. Mental Health Promotion Programmes: Mari Lahti & Heikki Ellila
Mental health promotion programmes
Name, developer
Lennox et al. 2007. Effects of a
comprehensive health
assessment programme for
Australian adults with
intellectual disability: a cluster
randomised trial.
Fitzpatrick et al. 2013.
Enhancing the mental health
promotion component of a
health and personal
development programme in Irish
schools.
Aim
Aim was to increase
beneficial patterns of
general practice-driven
activities.
Content
Health assessment
programme (CHAP) is a 21page booklet about health
assessment for cares and
GP’s and adults with
intellectual disability.
Aim was to seek whether
The social, personal and
students participating in
health education programme.
SHPE had better outcomes Programe contains several
in terms of help seeking,
models that are relevant to
emotional and behavioral
mental health promotion
difficulties and their view of including communication,
school social environment. belonging and integrating,
relationships and emotional
health.
To who?
Intellectual disability
people
Where?
Australia
School aged children
aged between 12-16
years
Ireland
Badri et al. 2013. Promoting
Darfuri women’s psychosocial
health: developing a war trauma
counsellor training programme
tailored to the person.
Aim was to promote a new
philosophy in the
Sudanese mental health
care by introducing an
integrative approach for
targeted prevention and
tailored treatments to the
Darfuri person in a costeffectively way.
Aim was to promote
positive mental health for
War trauma counselor
programme 13 themes,
forexample, need
assessment, recognizing the
stress, mental health
assessment and
psychoeducation.
Professionals, people
who work in Darfuri
was area as war
trauma councelors
Mind Out curriculum. It
consist 13 classroom
School aged children
aged between 15-18
Byrne et al. 2004.
Implementation of a school-
22
Outcomes
Health promotion
Disease prevention
Case-finding activities
Appropriate interventions
The strengths and
difficulties questionnaire
(SDQ)
The children’s coping
strategies checklist
(CCSC)
Help seeking
questionnaire
“What is your school
like” questionnaire
Netherlands -
Ireland.
Questionnaires for
students
based mental health promotion
programme in Ireland.
young people.
sessions over two years.
Themes are for example,
support, stress and coping,
emotions and understanding
of mental health.
Tubach et al. 2012. A homevisiting intervention targeting
determinats of infant mental
health: the study protocol for the
CAPEDP randomized controlled
trial in France.
Aim is to evaluate young
mothers presenting
vulnerability factors
associated with greater
likehood of child mental
health disorders.
Vancampfort et al. 2012.
International organization of
physical therapy in mental
health consensus on physical
activity within multidisciplinary
rehabilitation programmes for
minimizing cardio-metabolic risk
in patients with schizophrenia.
Conley et al. 2013. An
evaluation review of outcome
research on universal mental
health promotion and prevention
programs for higher education
students.
Aim was to improve
physical activity within
rehabilitation programmes
for people with
schizophrenia.
Parental skills and
Pregnant womes (12- France
attachment in early childhood: 17 weeks).
reduction of risks linked to
mental healthproblems and
promotion resilience
(CAPEDP) has two
specificities 1. address child
mental health promotion 2. it
was conducted by
psychologist.
Schizophrenia
Australia
patients
Aim was to review and
evaluate higher education
promotion and prevention
programs for students.
Review identified 83 studies
where focus was on
promotion and prevention.
23
years
Higher education
students
USA
School ethos
questionnaire
activity-based evaluation
workshop for students
Process questionnaire
for teachers
Group reviewsession for
teachers
18 outcome
questionnaires were
listed in the protocol (see
the article)
-
Social and emotional
skills
Self-perception
Emotional distress
Aboud 2007. Evaluation of an
Early Childhood Parenting
Programme in Rural
Bangladesh
Sin et al. 2008 An evaluation of
education and implementation
of psychosocial interventions
(PSI) within on UK mental
health trust
To promote physical and
mental development of
children by educating poor
mothers in age-appropriate
responsive stimulation and
feeding.
To examine on local level (
in one Trust) the factors
which support and limit the
education and practice of
PSI programs
Eaton & Agomoh (2007) The
impact of community-based
mental health awareness
programme
To encourage people with
mental health problems to
get contacted with prober
mental health services and
reduce stigma on these
people.
Millar & Donelly (2013)
Promoting mental wellbeing:
developing theoretically and
empirically sound complex
intervention.
To promote mental health
well-being and prevent the
development of mental
disorders of people
showing early sign of
mental difficulties
170 mothers in 1 year parent
education and control group
159 with no education. 1)
Test of childrearing and 2)
Home observation
Mothers and children
in rural areas
Bangladesh
Mothers in test group
scored higher point in
both observations.
Differences not
significant
2 questionnaires to evaluate
education and
implementation of PSI
program
1) Staff(n=17)
2) Managers (n=11)
50 voluntary mental health
village workers were
educated and they informed
2260 individuals about issues
concerning mental health /
services in three states (4
years Mental health
awareness) program).
development of a 12 week
early Intervention mental
wellbeing program for people
showing signs of mental
difficulties
Professionals of
particular Mental
Health Trust
UK
There were several
factors supporting and
hindering the education
and implementation the
PSI program.
General public
Nigeria
Significant increase in
the number of patients
attending the community
psychiatric clinic
Services user in
voluntary sector and
in primary care
Belfast
Northern
Ireland
Significant increase in
mental health wellbeing
among those
participated in the
program.
24