Positive Youth Development Strategies
Added on 2020-02-24
15 Pages4243 Words149 Views
Disease and DisordersPublic and Global HealthHealthcare and ResearchPolitical Science
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Alcohol consumption involves a noteworthy part in Australian culture and way of life. In 2014-15, 80.6% of Australians matured 18years and over had devoured liquor (Australian Bureau ofStatistics, 2015). This has built a serious threat to the mental and physical health. In the essay anattempt will be made to explore the issue of alcohol misuse in Australia with statistical evidence,to identify the possible risk and protective factors, to discuss strategies of mental healthpromotion, negative consequences of alcohol misuse and with a mention to a specific program todiscuss the responsibilities of the nurses in combating excessive alcohol use.WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION (WHO) has defined health as a state of completephysical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. (WHO2001, p.1).It can be inferred from the definition that mental health and physical health are veryclosely related. Individual factors like daily life experiences, quality of social interaction, socialstructure, the cultural value all influence mental health (Lehtinen, Riikonen & Lahtinen 1997;Lahtinen et al. 1999).The term determinant refers to the factors which either enhance or damages or threatens anycondition. Determinants of health affect health status in either positive or negative way.Individual choice can go about as a standout amongst the most essential determinants of health.It includes smoking, intake of alcohol and other substances, choice of friend circle etc. The senseof subjective well-being is very much related to positive mental health.Mental health can affect every aspect of a human life. Mental health and well being are bi-directionally related. Mental health promotion is a is a sensible alternative within a public healthapproach over the life expectancy and crosswise over settings since it brings about improved
mental health, alongside development of social and economic domain.(Albee & Gulotta 1997;Durlak 1995; Price et al. 1992; Price et al. 1988; Hosman & Llopis 1999; Hosman, Llopis &Saxena 2004; Mrazek & Haggerty 1994). In order to maintain positive mental health theconceivable hazard and defensive variables should be distinguished.Risk factors are those factors which make an individual more vulnerable toward developing anunhealthy behaviour such as personal characteristics, family condition, and environment ofschool or community. Protective factors are factors which can be addressed while dealing withpre existing risk factors and which can be considered as vital for coping strategies. Some of the common risk factors associated with alcohol consumption are: geneticpredisposition to drinking (Boyd et al., 2005), history of physical and sexual abuse in childhood(Makhija, 2007 & Langeland, 1998), Sensation seeking and impulsive personality types(Kuntsche et. al., 2006), early exposure of alcohol consumption behaviour among parents,grandparents and siblings (Hawkins et al., 1992) and peer pressure ( Borsari, 2004). The aim ofprevention programs is to build the protective factors and to lessen the number of risk factors(Hawkins et al. 2002). It is found that early intervention strategies aimed at reduction of riskfactors turned out to be more successful than later intervention strategies to change the life styleof the individual toward a positive direction (Ialongo et al. 2001). Availability of alcohol / otherdrugs is another risk factor as people will get easy accessibility to drugs and alcohol (Hawkins etal., 1992).Some of the common protective factors are strong bonding among family membersconnectedness, positive parenting style, healthy school environment, connectedness with
neighbors, supportive health care policies, positive individual qualities like confidence, positiveassociate etc. The components of family connectedness include affection, warmth, support the feeling of beingunderstood and loved (Resnick, et al. 1997). Healthy school environment means fair treatmentreceived from staffs and students, felling of safety. Connectedness in school can protectadolescents from health risks related to intake of including alcohol, drug (Society for AdolescentMedicine,2010) early sexual initiation.( Springer, 2001). Community protective factors includeto the support and care received adults, other than family such as teachers , neighbors etc. Alongwith this a strong feeling of safety in the neighbourhood is also very important as a protectivefactor (Sampson, et al. (1997). Moreover local and state policies that maintain healthy norms inthe society are also needed. (Eccle. & Goodman ,2002). Protective individual factors includeskills and competencies required for making correct choices, maintain healthy and positiverelationship (Werner& Smith,1992), good communication skills which enables one tocommunicate appropriately by keeping in mind the age, background and status of the people(Scales& Leffert, 1999). Some of the other individual protective factors are, the ability to dealwith conflict in a constructive way, empathy skills , the ability to maintain one’s own position byresisting negative peer pressure etc. (Cohen & Prinstein, 2006 , Burke, 2013).For promotion of mental health, information about the factors of mental health and mental healthproblems, socio economic status, gender, condition of daily life all are needed. In order toimplement the strategies, for the sake of betterment of mental health those factors need to beidentified, which are modifiable so that those can be used as the target factors in the interventionprocess. The contributory factors of mental health can be grouped into three elements:
Individual factors , societal factors and cultural and political environment.Individual factors include the ability to manage conflict, gain from past understanding, thecapacity to endure life’s uncertainty and unpredictability, the ability to regulate one’s emotionand thought. Societal factors include quality of social bonding, opportunity to build securerelationship and strong emotional bonding with others, the benefit of having association with aperson with whom a proper communication can take place etc. Environmental factors includeadequate housing with safety at home and in the surrounding environment, right to equality inthe field of education, work place, religion etc.In 1986 in the Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion WHO has specified five activity proceduresthat are recognized as the fundamental outline of health promotion strategy in numerous nationsof the world. These are: To create healthy public policy, to develop individual abilities, formation of supportiveenvironments , reorientation of health services and to strengthen group activities in thecommunityOne of the most effective strategies of health promotion is to apply Antonovsky’s Salutogenicapproach that instead of breakdown, focuses on coping and instead of risk factors focuses onsalutary factors. According to his view, coherence among the positive, neutral and negativeconsequences of stressors is vital for positive mental health. Optimism is a major component ofcoping strategy, specifically the ability to accept reality and belief o personal growth playdominant role for mental health (Scheier & Carver 1992). In Australia alcohol consumption involves great concern. In 1996 Australia's rank was 20 th inthe world on the premise of per capita alcohol consumption and the sum was 7.5 liters of total
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