Mental Health Nursing: Reflection on Beliefs and Values
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This essay reflects on the beliefs, values, and opinions about mental health illness. It challenges myths and misconceptions about mental health and highlights the importance of scientific principles and facts in nursing interventions.
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RUNNING HEAD: MENTAL HEALTH NURSING1 Mental Health Nursing Name: Institution: Tutor: Date:
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MENTAL HEALTH NURSING2 Mental Health Nursing INTRODUCTION Mental health can be defined as the cognitive, behavioral and finally emotional well- being. It generally refers to how we think, feel and behave at the same time. Mental health can also be used to mean absence of any form of mental disorders (Picco et al., 2016) .Mental health has the ability to impact our daily lives, our relationships with other people and even our physical health. Mental health can also be used to imply ability of an individual to fully enjoy life. This is the ability of a person to achieve balance between activities of life and the efforts used toachieve psychological resilience (Griffiths, Carron-Arthur, Parsons, & Reid, 2014). In this essay, there will be a reflection on the values, beliefs, opinions and learnings about mental health illness will be illustrated. BELIEF THAT MENTAL HEALTH IS NOT FOR EVERYONE I have had quite some distinct beliefs, values and opinions about mental health. One of the beliefs that I have had for quite some time is the fact that I cannot be affected by mental health. I used to belief that mental health is a condition that affect those people who subject themselves to different drugs and substances. The belief that mental health disorders is for the selected few who abuse different drugs and substances developed after I realized that majority of the people who smoke marijuana were the ones who were commonly affected by mental disorders. I had several friends at the beginning of college who were fond of using marijuana to stimulate them to read hard. However, some of them ended up developing mental disorders. I also had several of my friends in the neighborhood who used marijuana extensively. A good
MENTAL HEALTH NURSING3 number of them could no longer consider their personal hygiene and according to me, this was an indication of mental disorders. Based on what I have learnt in class, I have come to realize that mental disorders can affect anyone including myself. According to research, mental health issues are very common. There was a research conducted in America and the study found out that one out of five adults in America are likely to suffer from mental disorders (Gibbons, Thorsteinsson, & Loi, 2015). The study also found out that one out of ten young people also experience major depression. A further 25 Americans are also believed to be living with serious mental illness for example schizophrenia, bipolar disorders and major depression (Lagger, Amering, Sibitz, Gmeiner, & Schrank, 2018). The study also found out that suicide is ranked 10thas the cause of deaths in the United States of America. This therefore means that am not an exception to mental illness like I previously thought or believed. This new knowledge will generally my nursing practice. I would advise all individuals to visit health centers so that they can be diagnosed for potential mental illness. I won’t rule out the possibility of mental illness in normal adults and children as well. INDIVIDUALS WITH MENTAL DISORDERS ARE VIOLENT AND UNPREDICTABLE. For a very long time, I have this belief that mental disorders are characterized by violence. Many of the people who were suffering from mental illness that I would come across would often be seen chasing around children and their relatives or whoever they came across on their way. This actions therefore made me belief that anyone suffering from mental disorders is supposed to be violent and unpredictable.
MENTAL HEALTH NURSING4 In the past five weeks however, this notion has changed completely. I have been made to understand that not all people suffering from mental disorders are violent. According to research, majority of individuals suffering from mental health are not that violent as I thought (Yoshioka, Reavley, Hart, & Jorm, 2014). Studies show that out of those suffering from mental illness, it is only 3-5% of them that will be violent and unpredictable. This percentage is only meant for those individuals with extreme mental disorders (Yoshioka, Reavley, Rossetto, & Jorm, 2014). The study also shows that 10% of the individuals with mental disorders are likely to be subjected to crime as compared to the general public. This information will be very vital in my nursing practice as I would not be using violence as the confirmation for possible mental disorders. I will therefore be required to carry out further tests that will confirm mental illness. MENTAL HEALTH IS POSESSION OF EVIL SPIRITS Previously, I used to link mental disorders to demonic believes. I used to attend the church and every time I could see the religious leaders casting out demons from people who appeared as if they had mental disorders. This therefore made me belief that anyone who is suffering from mental illness has demons. With time however, I have come to realize that there is no relationship between mental disorders and demons. I realized that this is just a conspiracy theory. This concept is very informative. I will therefore be in a better position to handle patients with mental disorders but with beliefs that it is as a result of demons. I will encourage them to seek spiritual intervention so that they can have hope. I will however insist that they take into consideration the prescribed medication.
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MENTAL HEALTH NURSING5 CONCLUSION Mental health is a state of cognitive, behavioral and emotional well-being. It also implies absence of mental disorders. There are different values, beliefs and opinions about mental health. Like for me, I previously used to think that mental disorders are for the selected few and that it is due to demonic powers. I also used to think that patients suffering from mental disorders are very violent and unpredictable. This form of myths or beliefs negatively impacts the nursing interventions or practice. The previous five weeks have however been very resourceful to me since I have got a chance to learn new aspects and facts about mental health. I have come to realize that mental disorders is a condition that can affect anyone and that it has nothing to do with demonic powers. Patients with mental disorders are also not that violent and unpredictable as I used to think. Nurses should refrain themselves from relying from conspiracy theories about mental health rather rely on scientific principles and facts.
MENTAL HEALTH NURSING6 References Gibbons,R.J., Thorsteinsson,E.B., & Loi,N.M. (2015). Beliefs and attitudes towards mental illness: an examination of the sex differences in mental health literacy in a community sample.PeerJ,3, e1004. doi:10.7717/peerj.1004 Griffiths,K.M., Carron-Arthur,B., Parsons,A., & Reid,R. (2014). Effectiveness of programs for reducing the stigma associated with mental disorders. A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.World Psychiatry,13(2), 161-175. doi:10.1002/wps.20129 Lagger,N., Amering,M., Sibitz,I., Gmeiner,A., & Schrank,B. (2018). Stability and mutual prospective relationships of stereotyped beliefs about mental illness, hope and depressive symptoms among people with schizophrenia spectrum disorders. Psychiatry Research. doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2018.08.010 Picco,L., Abdin,E., Chong,S.A., Pang,S., Vaingankar,J.A., Sagayadevan,V., … Subramaniam,M. (2016). Beliefs About Help Seeking for Mental Disorders: Findings From a Mental Health Literacy Study in Singapore.Psychiatric Services, 67(11), 1246-1253. doi:10.1176/appi.ps.201500442 Yoshioka,K., Reavley,N.J., Hart,L.M., & Jorm,A.F. (2014). Recognition of mental disorders and beliefs about treatment: results from a mental health literacy survey of Japanese high school students.International Journal of Culture and Mental Health, 8(2), 207-222. doi:10.1080/17542863.2014.931979 Yoshioka,K., Reavley,N.J., Rossetto,A., & Jorm,A.F. (2014). Beliefs about first aid for mental disorders: results from a mental health literacy survey of Japanese high school students.International Journal of Culture and Mental Health,8(2), 223-230. doi:10.1080/17542863.2014.931980